Charles Weerts (born 1 March 2001) is a Belgian racing driver who currently competes in the GT World Challenge Europe.[1] On December 8 2022 Weerts was announced as a factory driver for BMW M Motorsport where he'll continue to drive for Team WRT.[2]
Weerts made his single-seater debut in 2017, joining Team Motopark for the 2017 ADAC Formula 4 season, alongside the final three races of the Formula 4 UAE Championship.[3][4] During the 2017 ADAC F4 season, he would score 22nd in the overall classification and second in the Rookie Championship, scoring just three points towards the drivers' title. The following Formula 4 UAE season, Weerts was crowned series champion, sweeping the final quadruple-header round at Dubai Autodrome en route to a 50-point points lead over second-placed David Schumacher.[5] However, the victory would mark Weerts' final season with Team Motopark, as he would switch to Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2018 ADAC Formula 4 season.[6][7] After finishing 5th in points, securing one win and four podiums, Weerts would leave the team at the conclusion of the 2018 season.
2019 saw Weerts explore a new discipline of motorsport, joining Belgian Audi Club Team WRT for the 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup campaign.[8] After a lackluster 2019 season which saw Weerts' entries score a solitary point across five races, he was paired with Dries Vanthoor for full season campaigns in both series during 2020.[9] After scoring two wins and six podiums in 10 races, Vanthoor and Weerts claimed the Sprint Cup title in the Pro category.[10][11] Following his title, Weerts was promoted to Audi factory driver status for 2021.[12] He began the team's title defense on a high note, taking pole for the opening race of the weekend at Magny-Cours,[13] before going on to win Saturday's event, further adding a podium finish the following afternoon.[14] Following the fourth round at Brands Hatch, Weerts and Vanthoor successfully defended their Sprint Cup title.[15] In 2022 Weerts, together with Vanthoor were able to clinch a third consecutive Sprint Cup title.[16] They finished the season with 5 wins and 9 podiums in 10 races.
At the end of the 2022 season Weerts confirmed he would part ways with Audi Sport and was later announced as a factory BMW M driver from the 2023 season on.[17] He was joined by his current teammate Dries Vanthoor and Team WRT, both making the switch from Audi as well. In his first race as an official BMW factory driver, the 2023 Kyalami 9 Hours, Weerts scored the overall victory alongside Vanthoor and Sheldon van der Linde.[18] Weerts once again embarked on a full-season GT World Challenge Europe campaign. Weerts stated his ambitions to remain on top in the Sprint Cup, but argued that the change in machinery for 2023 ensured that the team's efforts to score a fourth consecutive title wouldn't be easy.[19] Ultimately, the entry finished third in Sprint Cup points, tallying six total podium finishes and a sole race victory during the penultimate race weekend at Valencia.[20] In Endurance Cup competition, Weerts, Vanthoor, and van der Linde registered a best race finish of sixth at Monza, finishing 11th in the final points classification.
Heading into their second BMW season, Weerts and Vanthoor remained in the Sprint Cup and once again partnered van der Linde in the Endurance events.[21] The year began with two mistakes from Weerts, who first crashed with a lapped car at the Bathurst 12 Hours and then retired from the opening Endurance Cup event as a result of a collision with Alessio Rovera.[22][23] He redeemed himself in the first pair of Sprint Cup rounds, winning at Brands Hatch due to a strong pit stop as well as taking pole and victory in race 2 of the Misano weekend.[24][25] Weerts and the WRT team would continue their strong form through the year taking podiums in Monza, Spa, Hockenheim, and winning round 1 at Magny-Cours. However, following a podium-less conclusion to both their sprint and combined seasons at Barcelona and Jeddah respectively, Weerts would finish runner-up to the Winward pairing of Engel and Auer. 2.5 points separated them in either championship, marking definite progress in his second year as a BMW factory driver, but not quite the championship dominating form of previous races. He would, however be crowned Intercontinental GT Challenge champion following a excellent run of consistent podiums and race wins after initially retiring from the opening round at Bathurst.
Heading into 2025, WRT and many other BMW associated teams received an upgrade package from BMW for their M4 GT3. These improvements meant that Weerts and WRT seemingly got off to the perfect start, with Weerts opening the year with a win at the 6H of Dubai. He also showed marked improvement in the old car as well, following the sister car home in a 1-2 at the Bathurst 12H. The momentum would carry into the opening round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe season, with new teammates in recently announced BMW factory driver Kelvin Van Der Linde full time, and another newcomer in the form of the rising young talent Ugo De Wilde for endurance rounds. The new pairing would open the championship with a win at the 6 hour event at Circuit Paul Richard. They would then score a podium in round two of Brands Hatch and then secure their first spring win of the campaign in round two at Zanvoort. Currently, they sit atop all three championships as a result.
Personal life
Weerts is heir to real estate and logistics company Weerts Group, with his father Yves having been its CEO since 1994.[26] Yves Weerts is a member of the board of directors at W Racing Team.[27]
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Belgian
FIA Silver (until 2021)
FIA Gold (2022)
FIA Platinum (2023–)
