# Max Hesse

Max Hesse (born 23 July 2001) is a German racing driver driving for ROWE Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. The German has been part of the BMW M Motorsport works driver staple since 2023.
Hesse began his car racing career in the TCR touring car scene, making his ADAC TCR Germany debut in 2017 before embarking on a full season with PROsport Performance in 2018. Following a sixth-place finish in the standings and the Rookie Trophy title, the German moved to Hyundai Team Engstler ahead of the 2019 season. He took his first podiums in the opening three races before going on a run of four victories in the final eight races, narrowly winning the title against defending champion Harald Proczyk. As a consequence of his title-winning season, Hesse was named the ADAC Junior Motorsportsman of the year.
Hesse switched his focus to the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie from 2020 onward as a newly-minted BMW junior driver, racing in multiple events in the SP8T and Cup 5 classes. The former would see Hesse attain success, with him winning the 24 Hours of Nürburgring for Walkenhorst Motorsport. In 2021, he and N24-winning teammates Dan Harper and Neil Verhagen went on to drive in the NLS's SP9 category, the highest-placed GT class, under the Team RMG banner. With two wins, the trio finished second in the standings, though they were forced to retire from the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
The trio remained together for the next two years, competing with Rowe Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. Their highlight performance came with a second place at the 2023 season-opener at Monza, in the first year which Hesse, Harper, and Verhagen contested as full BMW factory drivers. Further successes included an overall race win in the NLS and a personal success for Hesse, who won the second race of the Road to Le Mans event alongside Valentino Rossi.
Hesse and Harper both returned to the Endurance Cup and Rowe Racing in 2024, this time partnering Augusto Farfus. At the first race in Le Castellet, an impressive performance by both Hesse and Harper enabled the team to come out victorious. Hesse added to his accolades at the end of May by taking pole position for the Nürburgring 24 Hours, making him the youngest polesitter in the history of the race. In a rain-shortened event, Hesse, Harper, and Charles Weerts ended up third.

## Racing record
### Racing career summary

| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
| 2017 | ADAC TCR Germany | Aust Motorsport | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 43rd |
| 2018 | ADAC TCR Germany | PROsport Performance | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 247 | 6th |
| 2018 | GT4 International Cup | Phoenix Racing | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | 8th |
| 2019 | ADAC TCR Germany | Hyundai Team Engstler | 14 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 438 | 1st |
| 2020 | Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8T | FK Performance Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.25 | 4th |
| 2020 | Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8T | Walkenhorst Motorsport | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11.25 | 4th |
| 2020 | Nürburgring Endurance Series - Cup 5 | FK Performance Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.67 | 28th |
| 2020 | Nürburgring Endurance Series - Cup 5 | Walkenhorst Motorsport | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11.67 | 28th |
| 2020 | 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP8T | Walkenhorst Motorsport | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 1st |
| 2021 | Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 | BMW Team RMG | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 39.22 | 2nd |
| 2021 | 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 | BMW Junior Team Shell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF |
| 2021 | 24H GT Series - P4 | BMW M Motorsport | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC† |
| 2022 | GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup | BMW Junior Team with ROWE Racing | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 11th |
| 2022 | Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 | BMW Junior Team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† |
| 2022 | 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 | BMW Junior Team Shell | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF |
| 2022-23 | Middle East Trophy - GT3 | KFC VR46 Team WRT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC† |
| 2023 | 24H GT Series - GT3 | Team WRT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | NC† |
| 2023 | Le Mans Cup - GT3 | Team WRT | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | NC† |
| 2023 | GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup | ROWE Racing | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 10th |
| 2023 | Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP9 Pro | BMW Junior Team | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | NC† |
| 2023 | 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 | BMW Junior Team | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A | DNF |
| 2024 | GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup | ROWE Racing | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 8th |
| 2024 | Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP9 | BMW M Team RMG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | * | * |
| 2024 | Intercontinental GT Challenge | BMW M Team RMG | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 18* | 8th* |
| 2024 | 24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP9 | BMW M Team RMG | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | N/A | 3rd |
| 2024 | Italian GT Sprint Championship - GT3 | BMW Italia Ceccato Racing | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20* | 5th* |
| 2024 | British GT Championship - GT3 | RAM Racing | | | | | | | |
| 2024 | GT World Challenge America - Pro | Team WRT | | | | | | | |
| 2024 | Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP3T | FK Performance Motorsport | | | | | | | |
| 2025 | Middle East Trophy - GT3 | Al Manar Racing by Team WRT | | | | | | | |
$^†$ As Hesse was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.* Season still in progress.

### Complete ADAC TCR Germany Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | DC | Points |
| 2017 | Aust Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | OSC 1 | OSC 2 | LAU 1 | LAU 2 | RBR 1 | RBR 2 | ZAN 1 | ZAN 2 | NÜR 1 | NÜR 2 | SAC 1 24 | SAC 2 28 | HOC 1 23 | HOC 2 25 | 43rd | 0 |
| 2018 | PROsport Performance | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | OSC 1 25† | OSC 2 12 | MST 1 7$^3$ | MST 2 6 | RBR 1 8$^3$ | RBR 2 7 | NÜR 1 4$^2$ | NÜR 2 7 | ZAN 1 8$^5$ | ZAN 2 21 | SAC 1 8 | SAC 2 8 | HOC 1 9$^4$ | HOC 2 8 | 6th | 247 |
| 2019 | Hyundai Team Engstler | Hyundai i30 N TCR | OSC 1 2$^1$ | OSC 2 3 | MST 1 2$^3$ | MST 2 5 | RBR 1 11 | RBR 2 5 | ZAN 1 1 | ZAN 2 9 | NÜR 1 2$^1$ | NÜR 2 1 | HOC 1 2$^3$ | HOC 2 1 | SAC 1 8$^5$ | SAC 2 1 | 1st | 438 |

### Complete 24 Hours of Nürburgring results

| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Ovr. Pos. | Class Pos. |
| 2020 | Walkenhorst Motorsport | Dan Harper Neil Verhagen | BMW M4 GT4 | SP8T | 78 | 19th | 1st |
| 2021 | BMW Junior Team Shell | Augusto Farfus Dan Harper Neil Verhagen | BMW M6 GT3 | SP9 | 54 | DNF | DNF |
| 2022 | BMW Junior Team Shell | Dan Harper Neil Verhagen | BMW M4 GT3 | SP9 | 86 | DNF | DNF |
| 2023 | BMW Junior Team | Dan Harper Neil Verhagen | BMW M4 GT3 | SP9 | 96 | DNF | DNF |

### Complete GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results

| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos. | Points |
| 2022 | ROWE Racing | BMW M4 GT3 | Pro | IMO 15 | LEC 4 | SPA 6H 11 | SPA 12H 2 | SPA 24H 5 | HOC 9 | CAT 13 | 11th | 36 |
| 2023 | ROWE Racing | BMW M4 GT3 | Pro | MNZ 2 | LEC 6 | SPA 6H 4 | SPA 12H 53† | SPA 24H Ret | NÜR 11 | CAT 12 | 10th | 33 |
| 2024 | ROWE Racing | BMW M4 GT3 | Pro | LEC 1 | SPA 6H 7 | SPA 12H 17 | SPA 24H 6 | NÜR 11 | MNZ | JED | 4th* | 36* |
$^*$Season still in progress.