Corvette Racing’s Tommy Milner did not mince words when describing the late-race antics of BMW’s Augusto Farfus during the 2025 Daytona 24 Hours. Milner, piloting the #4 Corvette Z06 GT3.R, was locked in a fierce battle with the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO driven by Connor De Phillippi when Farfus, in the #48 BMW—57 laps down—intervened in controversial fashion.
The Incident: Blocking and a Penalty
The drama unfolded in the 22nd hour as Milner led the GTD Pro class. De Phillippi was relentlessly pressuring the Corvette, using every inch of the slipstream to stay close. However, as the battle approached Turn 3, the #48 BMW, piloted by Farfus, became a disruptive factor.
Despite being multiple laps down, Farfus appeared to block Milner, impeding his progress and giving De Phillippi an advantage. IMSA race control penalized Farfus with a drive-through penalty for his actions, citing unsportsmanlike behavior and interference.
Milner’s Scathing Reaction
Milner was incensed post-race, labeling the tactics as a betrayal of IMSA’s ethos:
“That’s not what IMSA is about, what sports car racing is about. First and foremost, the driver should be embarrassed, the team should be embarrassed… with that kind of racing.”
The Corvette driver specifically criticized the #48 BMW’s role in aiding its sister car:
“They have a car that’s laps down, out of the race, whose only job is to basically help their teammate. Lap after lap, blocking, blocking, blocking, waiting for me… It’s disappointing.”
Milner expressed frustration with the lingering damage caused by the situation, including rear-end issues that compromised the #4 Corvette’s pace:
“It’s a shame for us to work that hard to be in contention for a good result, only for it to be spoiled like that. It was pretty pathetic.”
BMW and Farfus Respond
Farfus defended his actions, emphasizing that he stayed on his line and did not directly cause the collision:
“My intention was to support my teammate in the sister car in the fight for victory. I was aware it was hard racing. The situation that led to the collision between the Corvette and Connor De Phillippi behind me was very unfortunate—but I had nothing to do with it directly.”
While admitting to racing aggressively, Farfus maintained that his actions were within the realm of team strategy.
Aftermath and Fallout
Milner, alongside teammates Nico Varrone and Nicky Catsburg, eventually finished in seventh place, far from the podium they had worked toward. The sibling #3 Corvette salvaged some pride for the team, finishing on the GTD Pro podium.
The #1 BMW, which benefited from Farfus’ interference, went on to finish second, splitting the two Ford Mustangs that claimed first and third.
Sportsmanship or Strategy?
The controversy has sparked a broader debate in the IMSA community. Is it acceptable for lapped cars to interfere in a bid to assist teammates? While team tactics are integral to endurance racing, incidents like this risk crossing the line into unsportsmanlike conduct, as Milner so vehemently pointed out.
IMSA’s decision to penalize Farfus may set a precedent, but for Corvette Racing, the damage—both physical and emotional—has already been done. As the dust settles, the racing world will closely watch how such tactics are addressed in the future.
