Whether in the DTM, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the ABB FIA Formula E
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.
DTM: Bruno Spengler to drive the BMW Bank M4 DTM again in 2019.
BMW Bank, Premium Partner of BMW M Motorsport in the DTM, and
Bruno Spengler (CAN) are still committed to each other; the Canadian
will compete in the matt black BMW Bank M4 DTM once again in the 2019
season. This will be the eighth season in a row that Spengler, who
will compete for BMW Team RMG this season, will battle for points in
the touring car dubbed the ‘Black Beast’ by the fans. The heart of the
racing car, like all BMW DTM cars, is the newly developed BMW P48
two-litre turbo engine. “I’m delighted to compete alongside such
a fantastic partner as BMW Bank again in the 2019 season,” said
Spengler. “We have already celebrated many joint successes in the
past. My car, the ‘Black Beast’, has become something of a real
institution in the DTM and is loved by the fans.” The successful
collaboration with Premium Partner BMW Bank started in 2012, the year
in which BMW made its DTM comeback, when the Canadian won the title in
the driver’s championship in the matt black BMW M3 DTM. “We use
the partnership in all our communications, particularly for customer
activation in the BMW Bank Drivers Club. The DTM builds the emotional
bridge to our customers,” said Felix Hendrik Laabs, Head of
Marketing and Sales Services at BMW Bank. He went on to say: “And
as has already been proven in the past, motorsport is very popular
with our customers.” Spengler is set to contest his 15th year in
the DTM in 2019. To date he has clocked up a total of 15 wins and 49
podiums. As in previous years, he will contest the season in car #7.
About BMW Bank:
BMW Bank GmbH is one of the leading
automobile banks in Germany with an affiliated company in France and
with branches in Italy, Spain and Portugal. Over 1,280 employees look
after about 1.2 million customers (status: 31.12.2018). The range of
products for business and private customers ranges from the financing,
leasing and insurance of automobiles and motorcycles to customised
asset management offerings. The company has total assets of 26.6
billion euros and total bank deposits of about 9.1 billion euros
(status: 31.12.2017). BMW Bank GmbH is part of BMW Group Financial
Services. Virtually every second new BMW and MINI is financed or
leased via through BMW Group Financial Services.
Italian GT Championship: BMW Team Italia wins first race of
the season.
It was a perfect start to the season for BMW Motorsport Junior
Erik Johansson (SWE) and BMW Team Italia. The new BMW driver
celebrated his debut win in his first endurance event of the season at
Monza (ITA), alongside former BMW Motorsport Junior and current BMW
works driver Jesse Krohn (FIN) and Stefano Comandini (ITA). The trio
had set course for victory when they claimed pole position in the GT3
class on Saturday afternoon. BMW Team Italia also ensured that they
would start first in the GT4 class. In the race itself, Giuseppe
Fascicolo, Francesco Guerra and Andrea Fontana (all ITA) all lost
ground in the #207 BMW M4 GT4, before completing the three-hour race
in third place in the GT4 class and celebrating a podium finish. The
second race weekend of the season features two sprint races and takes
place from 3rd to 5th May at Vallelunga (ITA).
Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia: BMW Team Studie celebrates
perfect season-opener.
BMW Team Studie could not have enjoyed a better start to the
Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia season, which kicked off this
weekend at the Sepang International Circuit (MAS). Right from the
start, Takayuki Kinoshita and Sunako Jukuchou (both JPN) gave an
outstanding performance in the #81 BMW M4 GT4 and ensured that their
competitors had no chance of reaching the top spots. The two BMW
drivers first claimed pole position and followed this up with the
first race win on Saturday. They were equally unstoppable on the
second day, wrapping it up with the second win in the second race of
the season. The next round in the Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia
will take place from 11th to 12th May at the Chang International
Circuit in Thailand.
BTCC: First win for West Surrey Racing at the season-opener in
Brands Hatch.
The wheels were back in motion after the winter break this
weekend in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). The series
celebrated its traditional opening event at Brands Hatch (GBR) and the
West Surrey Racing team had a successful start to the season. After
some difficulties in race one that culminated in a 15th-place finish,
Andrew Jordan (GBR) gave a great recovery performance in the new #77
BMW 330i M Sport. Having started from 15th position, he claimed
victory in the second race. His two team-mates, reigning BTCC champion
Colin Turkington and new driver Tom Oliphant (both GBR), finished in
19th and 22nd places in race one. In the second race, they claimed
14th and 15th positions. In Sunday evening’s third race, Turkington
and Oliphant crossed the line in fifth and sixth places. After
experiencing a few problems, Jordan had to make do with 24th position.
Stephen Jelley (GBR), competing for Team Parker Racing in the #12 BMW
125i M Sport, also scored some important points on the first race
weekend of the season. He finished in seventh, sixth and third places.