Munich. The DTM returns to Germany after trips to Assen (NED)
and Brands Hatch (GBR). This weekend (23rd to
25th August), the Lausitzring will host round seven of
the 2019 season. The BMW DTM teams were in the Lausitz region back
in April when they completed a comprehensive four-day test with the
new BMW M4 DTM and its turbo engine.
Six race weekends into the season, Marco Wittmann (GER) is currently
the best-placed BMW driver in the Drivers’ Championship in third place
with 147 points. He is followed in fourth place by Philipp Eng (AUT)
with 129 points. The new turbocharged BMW M4 DTM has won six of the
twelve races so far this season. Wittmann has climbed onto the top
step of the podium four times, while Eng and Bruno Spengler (CAN) both
have one win to their name. BMW has also claimed a further five podium finishes.
The DTM reaches a special milestone at the Lausitzring when Sunday’s
race will be the 500th in the history of the popular
touring car series. It all began back in 1984 with victory for Harald
Grohs (GER) in the BMW 635 CSi at Zolder, Belgium. BMW was involved
with a works team in the 1980s and the start of the 1990s, before
returning to the series in 2012. In this time, BMW drivers have
claimed 87 race wins and a total of 295 podiums. Timo Glock (GER) will
bring that history to life again at the Lausitzring on Saturday when
he takes to the track in a vintage BMW M3 E30 from the 1980s as part
of the Tourenwagen Classics.
Quotes ahead of the DTM races at the Lausitzring.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Group Motorsport Director):
“This weekend, we enter the business end of the 2019 DTM season at
the Lausitzring. We still have six races ahead of us and our goal is
to score as many points as possible for BMW with all six drivers. It
is going to be an exciting final spurt, and our teams and drivers will
work hard to convert the BMW M4 DTM’s performance into top results in
qualifying and the races. The DTM reaches a special milestone at the
weekend with its 500th race on Sunday. Congratulations on a
‘big birthday’! The DTM is one of the series that has shaped the
history of motorsport. We are very proud to be a part of this long
success story and are looking forward to an exciting future together.”
Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal BMW Team RMG):
“In the season so far, we have stood on the top step of the podium on
five of the six race weekends, and have already secured pole position
in qualifying on four occasions. We want to back that up at the
Lausitzring, and then at the Nürburgring and at Hockenheim – as only
then is the season over. We all know full well that it is always worth
fighting until the final whistle. That is one of our qualities and
what we are preparing for. We will do everything in our power to start
a successful final spurt with Marco Wittmann, Bruno Spengler and Timo
Glock, and to pick up as many top results and points as possible with them.”
Bruno Spengler (#7 BMW Bank M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG, Drivers’
standings: 8th, 77 points):
“I like the Lausitzring and it is nice to return to Germany with the
DTM. I have won a few times at the Lausitzring. It is a very
interesting circuit. It is easier to overtake on the combination with
the big circuit, on which we race nowadays, than it used to be on the
shorter layout. It is nice to drive too. There are always a lot of
fans at the Lausitzring and they create a superb atmosphere. As such,
I am looking forward to the weekend. BMW has been really successful
there in the past. Hopefully that will continue to be the case. We
will work hard to arrive at the Lausitzring well prepared, and I will
push myself to the limit there.”
Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG,
Drivers’ standings: 3rd, 147 points):
“I obviously have fond memories of the Lausitzring, as it was there
that I secured my first Drivers’ title in 2014. This weekend, the
focus is obviously clearly on bouncing back in the title race. We will
be flat out there again, and I believe the approach has always been
very good at the recent race weekends. This allowed us to score a lot
of points at Assen and on the Saturday at Brands Hatch. I think that
has to be our approach again at Lausitz: go at it full throttle and
make sure we are on the mark in terms of performance. We still have
three race weekends to come, and we have to try to get the most out of them.”
Timo Glock (#16 BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR, Drivers’ standings:
13th, 33 points):
“The goal for the Lausitzring is to pick up some points again. I just
hope that we have a good weekend, without any issues, and with a good
pace. I am also really looking forward to doing a few laps with the
BMW M3 E30 as part of the Tourenwagen Classics. It is a legend among
vintage BMW race cars, and I am sure it will be great fun to drive.”
Bart Mampaey (Team Principal BMW Team RBM):
“An exciting final third of the season gets underway at the
Lausitzring. The entire team and our three drivers are highly
motivated ahead of the coming race weekend. Philipp Eng secured his
first pole position and his first DTM podium there last year, and Joel
Eriksson also showed good race pace. Our rookie, Sheldon van der
Linde, is returning to a circuit he is familiar with, so all the
ingredients are there for a strong weekend with good results and
plenty of points. We will now do our best to use these ingredients and
challenge at the head of the field.”
Philipp Eng (#25 ZF BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR, Drivers’
standings: 4th, 129 points):
“The Lausitzring is one of my favourite circuits. I really like it
there and have fond memories of the track. I claimed my first pole
position and first podium in the DTM there last year. I hope we can
repeat that this year and convert it into two good race results.”
Sheldon van der Linde (#31 Shell BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM,
Drivers’ standings: 12th, 36 points):
“It’s going to be very nice to go to a track that I already know –
unlike a lot of tracks this year, which were completely new to me. It
makes my life a bit easier to get up to speed early on. It’s a really
nice track, normally very good for overtaking, so I’m looking forward
to it.”
Joel Eriksson (#47 CATL BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM, Drivers’
standings: 10th, 43 points):
“I really like the Lausitzring. We’ve been testing there before the
season and the test was pretty strong from our side. I am optimistic
that, after an unlucky weekend at Brands Hatch, we can move forward
now. We just need to keep our heads down und keep pushing.”
Media Schedule (all times CEST).
Friday, 23rd August
14:30-15:00, ITR press conference with Marco Wittmann, Media Centre
Saturday, 24th August
15:50-16:00, Mixed Zone with all BMW drivers, Media Centre
Sunday, 25th August
15:50-16:00, Mixed Zone with all BMW drivers, Media Centre