Nerea Martí battles adversities in Iberian Supercars season finale

BMW Spain Motorsport's Nerea Martí closed the Iberian Supercars season at Estoril with a challenging finale, where the Valencian and her teammate fought harsh BoP and an opening-lap misfortune in race 1 that forced the team to an intense effort to start the final race of the season.

Photo credits: BMW Spain

The official BMW Spain team wrapped up the fifth and final round of the Iberian Supercars Championship at Portugal’s Estoril Circuit, determined to finish the season on a high note as Nerea Martí and José Manuel de los Milagros returned to the former home of the Portuguese Grand Prix aiming to capitalize on the proven competitiveness of the BMW M4 GT4 Evo, which throughout the year had demonstrated strong performance despite frequently battling a challenging Balance of Performance.

Across the 2025 season, the BMW Spain Motorsport duo showcased potential on South Europe's tracks, collecting a victory and a second-place finish at Jarama, followed by another triumphant weekend at Valencia Ricardo Tormo after the summer break. Even in more difficult meetings such as Jerez, where they finished fifth thanks to consistent race pace and solid teamwork, the pair consistently maximized results in spite of a demanding BoP and pit handicaps.

The Estoril finale began with free practice on Friday, where the #81 BMW set a 1:41.073, placing sixth in the GT4 Pro category. Saturday’s qualifying saw Martí take part in Q1, recording a 1:42.065 for seventh in class, while De los Milagros matched that result in Q2 with a 1:41.065, securing P7 in the GT4 Pro class for the second race.

Sunday morning’s first 50-minute contest began under clear skies, with Martí starting from seventh in GT4 Pro and 15th overall. She made an immediate move into Turn 1, clearing one of the GT4 Bronze competitors, but her progress was abruptly halted seconds later. A hit from a rival into Turn 2 sent the #81 BMW M4 GT4 Evo spinning into the gravel, triggering the safety car.

The impact caused rear-left suspension damage, and with the car stranded, Martí was forced to retire on the opening lap. Back in the garage, the team assessed the full extent of the damage, that would force a race against the clock and against the odds to line up for the second contest.

Photo credits: BMW Spain

Facing less than two hours to prepare for Race 2, BMW Spain Motorsport’s mechanics launched into an intense repair effort; in a display of determination representative of the whole season, they completed the rebuild with minutes remaining before pit lane opened, just enough time to send the #81 car back into the fight.

De los Milagros started Race 2 from 17th overall and seventh in GT4 Pro, managing a clean opening lap before slipping behind the Bronze #38 Toyota Supra of Nabais. While maintaining seventh in class, he pushed at a steady 1:43.0 pace despite the lingering handling limitations.

He pitted from P7 in GT4 Pro as soon as the window opened, handing the car to Nerea Martí, who rejoined P20 overall with a ten-second gap to the next group of cars. The Valencian driver made progress as others served their pit stops, gaining a position when Hormigos pitted late.

With 15 minutes to go, a safety car was deployed after Guillermo Aso’s #36 NM Motorsport Mercedes went off into the gravel, offering a potential opportunity for Martí to catch back the pack. However, shortly after, the #81 BMW returned to the pits to fix an issue and Nerea could rejoin a lap down - but still carried the car to the finish, completing the race seventh in GT4 Pro and P21 overall.

The Estoril finale may not have brought the results Martí and De los Milagros hoped for, but it surely highlighted the team's perseverance. Despite the difficult end, already influenced by a harsh BoP, the duo once again demonstrated fighting spirit. Nerea Martí closes the season having shown impressive speed earlier in the year with victories and podiums in the GT4 Pro class. The Valencian will now look ahead to 2026, aiming to continue her development in GT competitions.