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: BMW M Motorsport presents Official Partners and
Suppliers.
BMW M Motorsport can count on the support
of a large number of partners in the 2019 DTM season. In addition to
Premium Technology Partner Shell and five Premium Partners, a total of
seven Official Partners and two Official Suppliers are on board.
Akrapovič, the BMW Driving Experience, BMW M GmbH, BMW M Performance
Parts and the HR Spezialfedern GmbH Co. KG are all
continuing their involvement as Official Partners. Oakley and PUMA
will continue to equip the BMW teams and drivers in their capacity as
Official Suppliers. Becker Carbon, specialist for fibre-reinforced
composite components, returns to the ranks of the BMW M Motorsport
Official Partners as part of a technical partnership. The company was
previously a Partner in the DTM from 2013 to 2015. Official Partner
RoboMarkets is a new member of the BMW M Motorsport family. Founded in
2012, the multi-asset-broker has recorded strong growth in recent
years and now provides professional services for institutional and
private customers across Europe. The “RoboMarkets” logo is prominently
featured on the roof and bonnet of the CATL BMW M4 DTM. BMW Motorsport
Director Jens Marquardt: “We are proud to be able to count on such
large number of strong partners in the upcoming DTM season. They all
ensure that we can operate works racing at the highest level. I would
like to extend my thanks on behalf of everyone at BMW Motorsport. It
is of particular importance to me to note that our partnerships
normally extend far beyond simply displaying partner logos. We are
interested in structuring the partnerships so that they deliver added
value for everyone involved. Together we are strong.”
VLN: Top five result for BMW Team Schnitzer on the Nürburgring
Nordschleife.
Numerous class wins and a top five
result in the overall standings at the third race of the VLN Endurance
Championship Nürburgring (GER) mean that BMW teams and drivers can
look back at a successful race weekend in the Eifel mountains. After
the length of the first VLN race was reduced due to fog and the second
race had been stopped due to snow, the third VLN race took place over
the full distance, allowing fans and spectators to enjoy typical Eifel
conditions. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) and Nick Yelloly (GBR), in the
BMW Team Schnitzer #42 BMW M6 GT3, kept their nerve despite some
severe downpours and finished in fifth place after 24 laps. The ROWE
Racing #99 BMW M6 GT3 finished immediately behind them in sixth
position with Marco Wittmann (GER), Jesse Krohn (FIN) and John Edwards
(USA) sharing driving duties at the wheel. It was an early retirement
for the second ROWE Racing BMW M6 GT3, however, the #98 car having
been driven by Philipp Eng (AUT), Mikkel Jensen (DEN) and Tom
Blomqvist (GBR). A total of seven BMW M6 GT3s had started the race.
BMW also had reason to celebrate in the individual classes. In the V4
class, victory was claimed by Stefan Beyer, Emin Akata (both GER) and
Thorsten Kratz (AUT) in the Sorg Rennsport team BMW 325i. The team
from Wuppertal (GER) was also able to celebrate in the hard-fought
SP10 class. In the #181 BMW M4 GT4, BMW Motorsport Junior Erik
Johansson (SWE) and Heiko Eichenberg (GER) finished in second place.
Florian Wolf, Arne Hoffmeister (both GER) and Manuel Amweg (SUI)
rounded off the podium behind them. Further class wins were recorded
by Christopher Dreyspring and Christer Jöns (both GER) in the Schubert
Motorsport team BMW M2 Competition in the SP8T class, and by Marcel
Manheller and Carsten Knechtges (both GER) from the Manheller Racing
team in the BMW 328i, in the VT2 class. In total, more than 60 BMW
entries were competing at the third VLN race weekend. The fourth race
in the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring takes place on 13th July
with the 50th Adenauer Trophy. However, many BMW teams and drivers
will be back in the Eifel region in just a few weeks for the six-hour
qualifying race, the final endurance test before the legendary 24-hour
race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife which takes place on 18th and
19th May.
BMW M240i Racing Cup: next success for
Griessner/Fübrich.
Reigning champions David Griessner
(AUT) and Yannick Fübrich (GER) remain right on course to defend their
title in the BMW M240i Racing Cup. The duo from Pixum Team Adrenalin
proved unbeatable in the third race of the season in the CUP5 class,
which takes place as part of the VLN Endurance Championship
Nürburgring. The two drivers took a dominant win in the #650 BMW M240i
Racing to extend their lead in the overall standings. Behind them,
Nico Otto and Lars Peucker (both GER) finished second in the legendary
#666 “Eifelblitz” from the Scheid-Honert Motorsport team. Marc Ehret,
Christian Konnerth (both GER) and Juha Hannonen (FIN) in the FK
Performance Motorsport #679 BMW M240i Racing completed the podium. A
total of 21 BMW M240i Racings were competing. The fourth race in the
BMW M240i Racing Cup takes place on 13th July.
ADAC GT Masters: BMW M6 GT3 in sixth place after strong
recovery performance.
BMW Motorsport works driver
Jens Klingmann (GER) and Nicolai Sylvest (DEN) put on an impressive
recovery performance in the season-opener of the ADAC GT Masters at
Oschersleben (GER), securing a good sixth place finish. The duo
started Sunday’s race from 14th place in the MRS GT Racing
team #14 BMW M6 GT3 and worked their way up by eight positions. This
also equated to third place in the Junior standings for Sylvest. The
pair had crossed the finishing line in 17th place in
Saturday’s race. The second race weekend in the ADAC GT Masters takes
place from 17th to 19th June in Most (CZE).
ADAC GT4 Germany: perfect debut for BMW M4 GT4 in
Oschersleben.
Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Marius Zug
(GER) celebrated a perfect start in the newly-created ADAC GT4 Germany
in the RN Vision STS team #7 BMW M4 GT4. The duo finished second in
qualifying before claiming victory in Saturday’s race at the
Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (GER). The new race series delivered
excitement right up to the final metres of Sunday’s race as well, but
BMW just missed out on another podium finish. Michael Schrey (GER) and
Thomas Jäger (AUT) ended the race in fourth place in the #3 BMW M4
GT4, followed by Claudia Hürtgen (GER) and Michael Fischer (AUT) in
fifth position in the #2 BMW M4 GT4. Both cars are competing in the
ADAC GT4 Germany for Hofor Racing powered by Bonk Motorsport. The duo
of Piana/Zug finished tenth in Sunday’s race. A total of five BMW M4
GT4s were competing. The next race in the ADAC GT4 Germany takes place
from 7th to 9th June at the Red Bull Ring (AUT).
Blancpain GT World Challenge America: successful weekend for
BMW M customer racing cars.
A large line-up of cars
from the BMW M Motorsport customer racing range enjoyed numerous
successes at the Virginia International Raceway (USA). The BMW M6 GT3,
the BMW M4 GT4, the BMW M240i Racing and BMW M235i Racing were
competing at the legendary circuit in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America.
A strong recovery performance in Saturday’s race saw Justin
Rapheal (USA) and Stevan McAleer (GBR) claim victory in the SprintX
overall standings for the first time in the Team Classic BMW #29 BMW
M4 GT4. This also equated to victory in the SprintX East championship.
Greg Liefooghe and Sean Quinlan (both USA) rounded off a strong result
with third place in the #19 BMW M4 GT4 from Stephen Cameron Racing.
Randy Mueller and James Clay (both USA) crossed the finishing line
immediately behind them in the Epic Motorsport #3 BMW M4 GT4 to claim
the win in the SprintX East AM standings. The second race and the
sprint race had not yet finished at the time of publication. In
Saturday’s race, Precision Driving Tech’s Marko Radisic (USA) had
driven the best-placed BMW M4 GT4 to fourth place, narrowly missing
out on a podium finish in the AM standings.
BMW also had reason to celebrate in the TC class, with six BMW
cars out in front after the first race. In the Rooster Hall Racing #80
BMW M235i Racing, Johan Schwartz (DEN) claimed victory ahead of Toby
Grahovec (USA) in the Classic BMW #26 BMW M240i Racing and the #81 BMW
M235i Racing of Steve Streimer (USA), also competing for Rooster Hall
Racing. The second race had not finished at the time of going to press.
The BMW M6 GT3 was also competing at the Virginia Raceway. In
Saturday’s race, Henry Schmitt (USA) and Greg Liefooghe crossed the
line in 14th place in the #87 BMW M6 GT3 from the Stephen
Cameron Racing team. Once again, Sunday’s race had not yet finished at
the time of publication.
BTCC: Double win for Turkington in
Donington.
Reigning champion Colin Turkington (GBR) made
an impressive return at the second round of the British Touring Car
Championship (BTCC) at Donington (GBR). The British driver claimed
victory in the first two races in the West Surrey Racing #1 BMW 330i M
Sport. He had laid the foundations for the wins with first place in
qualifying. He secured ninth place in the third and final race. West
Surrey Racing team-mate Tom Oliphant (GBR), competing in the #15 BMW
330i M Sport, finished the first race in third place and was in a
promising position for much of the second race before dropping out of
the points after a spin. He finished in 13th position in
the third race. The third car competing for West Surrey Racing, the
#77 BMW 330i M Sport, was driven by Andrew Jordan (GBR) who retired
from the first race and was unable to appear in either of the
subsequent races. Stephen Jelley (GBR), competing for the Parker
Racing team in the #12 BMW 125i M Sport, finished in 17th place in the
first race and secured 20th position in the third race. He had to
retire from the second race. The next BTCC race weekend will take
place at Thruxton (GBR) on 18th and 19th May.
DTM: Flying lessons for Marco Wittmann with aerobatics world
champion Matthias Dolderer.
Two-time DTM champion
Marco Wittmann (GER) was flying high last week as part of a film shoot
for the SAT.1 TV station. Wittmann and his two fellow DTM drivers Nico
Müller (SUI, Audi) and Ferdinand von Habsburg (AUT, Aston Martin) paid
a visit to aerobatics world champion Matthias Dolderer (GER) in
Tannheim (GER) to experience a particularly fast-paced flying lesson.
Dolderer took the racing drivers on a round trip to show them some
spectacular aerobatic manoeuvres. Wittmann was first up and was even
able to take the controls himself for some manoeuvres. “This was my
second time in the cockpit with Matthias after 2016, but it was just
as exciting and spectacular as the first time,” said Wittmann. “Many
thanks to Matthias for the invitation to this fantastic event! I hope
he will now be able to accept our invitation to the DTM, so that we
can return the favour.” SAT.1 will show the complete film of this day
of aerobatics for Wittmann and his fellow DTM drivers as part of the
live broadcast of the season-opener from Hockenheim (GER) this coming weekend.