BMW Motorsport News

Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship, or countless other championships: Week after week BMW
teams and drivers around the world do battle for points, victories
and titles. Away from the track too, members of the large BMW
Motorsport family around the world are also creating headlines. The
“BMW Motorsport News” allows us to regularly summarise all the
action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you
are always up to speed. 

 

IWSC: BMW Team RLL starts from row two on the grid.

The BMW drivers will start the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship race at Laguna Seca (USA) from promising grid positions.
GTLM qualifying saw John Edwards (USA) clock the third fastest time in
the number 24 BMW M6 GTLM. His team-mate Alexander Sims (GBR)
qualified fourth in the number 25 car. When the race gets underway at
14:05 local time on Sunday, Edwards will share the driving duties with
Martin Tomczyk (GER). Sims will do battle for more points in the race
for the title alongside Bill Auberlen (USA).

 

ADAC GT Masters: Action-packed finale at Hockenheim.

The ADAC GT Masters drew to a close this weekend at the
Hockenheimring (GER). Philipp Eng (AUT) and Nick Catsburg (NED), at
the wheel of the number 42 BMW M6 GT3, were classified 13th
in the final race on Sunday. Starting from pole position, the BMW M6
GT3 led the field until shortly before the end of the race. However, a
collision with the second-placed Porsche on the final lap, and the
ensuing penalty, dropped Catsburg to 13th place. The duo
had previously finished 17th in the Saturday race.
Saturday’s winner Jules Gounon (FRA) claimed the Drivers’ title. Eng
ended the season in fourth place with 116 points. In the Team
Championship, BMW Team Schnitzer was seventh in the final standings
(121 points). The BMW M6 GT3 achieved three pole positions and one
race victory, at Oschersleben (GER), during the 2017 season.

 

FIA GT World Cup: Wittmann and Mostert to drive for AAI Motorsports.

The BMW contingent for this year’s FIA GT World Cup in Macau (CHN),
from 16th to 19th November 2017, is growing. As well as the 18th BMW
Art Car, designed by Cao Fei (CHN), a further two BMW M6 GT3s will
take their place on the grid at the legendary “Guia Circuit”. The two
cars will be run by AAI Motorsports and driven by DTM champion Marco
Wittmann (GER) and Chaz Mostert (AUS). Wittmann drove for AAI in the
GT race in Macau in 2014, when he finished seventh. Mostert comes from
the Australian V8 Supercars championship and drove the BMW M6 GT3 in
the 12-hour race in Bathurst (AUS) at the start of the year.

 

VLN: Podium for Walkenhorst Motorsport.

The Walkenhorst Motorsport team finished third overall in race seven
of the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring on Saturday. The number
100 BMW M6 GT3 of Christian Krognes (NOR), Michele di Martino (GER)
and Matias Henkola (FIN) came home 1:37.987 minutes behind the winning
Porsche after 21 laps of the iconic Nordschleife. The race was aborted
following a crash on the Fuchsröhre section of the track. The second
Walkenhorst car – the number 35 BMW M6 GT3, with Jordan Tresson (FRA)
and Henry Walkenhorst (GER) at the wheel – finished sixth. Schubert
Motorsport also claimed a top-ten finish with a BMW M6 GT3; Claudia
Hürtgen (GER), Frederik Nymark (DEN) and Anders Buchardt (NOR) came
home eighth. In total, the BMW teams claimed five class victories at
the 57th ADAC Reinoldus-Langstreckenrennen. BMW Team
Schnitzer was also in action when driver Markus Palttala (FIN) took to
the track for a number of test laps with the BMW M6 GT3 Evo Package
for 2018.

 

BMW M235i Racing Cup: Schrey takes victory for Bonk Motorsport.

Reigning BMW Sports Trophy champion Michael Schrey (GER) celebrated
another victory in the BMW M235i Racing class at round seven of the
VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring (GER). After 19 laps of
the “Green Hell”, he crossed the finish line almost 22 seconds ahead
of second-placed Jäger Thomas (AUT) and Rudi Adams (GER) from the
Scheid-Honert Motorsport team. They were joined on the podium by David
Griessner (AUT) and Yannick Fübrich (GER) who finished third in the
Pixum Team Adrenalin Motorsport BMW M235i Racing. In total, the class
featured 16 cars.

 

BMW Motorsport Juniors: Visser and Marschall in the BMW M4 GT4.

BMW Motorsport Juniors Beitske Visser (NED) and Dennis Marschall
(GER) are heading to Spain this week. The duo will drive the new BMW
M4 GT4 at the penultimate race weekend of the GT4 European Series
Southern Cup at the “Circuit de Catalunya” in Barcelona (ESP). The
number 200 car will be run by Schubert Motorsport. This is the first
start in the series for the newly-developed BMW M4 GT4. As of 2018,
BMW Motorsport customers will be able to do battle for points and
victories with the new car.

 

BMW Motorsport Juniors: Eriksson wins in Spielberg.

The DTM was not the only series in action in the Styria region of
Austria this weekend; the FIA Formula 3 European Championship also
held races 25, 26 and 27 of its season as part of the support
programme for the touring car series. The Red Bull Ring (AUT) proved
to be a happy stomping ground for BMW Motorsport Junior Joel Eriksson
(SWE). He led the second race of the weekend at the 4.318-kilometre
circuit from start to finish. In doing so, he claimed his fifth win of
the 2017 season. Eriksson also finished runner-up to take his place on
the podium in race one in Spielberg. The Swede scored his second win
of the weekend in the final race in Austria. Apart from that, he was
also on duty as driver of the BMW M4 DTM race taxi at the Red Bull Ring.

International GT Open: Farfus strengthens BMW Team Teo Martín.

BMW Team Teo Martín will receive big-name reinforcement at next
weekend’s penultimate event of the 2017 International GT Open at Monza
(ITA). BMW DTM driver Augusto Farfus (BRA) will alternate at the wheel
of a BMW M6 GT3 with Lourenço Beirão (POR). Fran Rueda (ESP) and
Victor Bouveng (SWE), who are currently fourth in the championship,
will compete in the second car.