Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship or in
countless other racing series: 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 provide you with a regular, compact and informative summary of all
the goings-on. This way, you are always up to speed.
24h Nürburgring: Qualification race provides good preparation.
Maxime Martin (BE), Alexander Sims (GB) and Philipp Eng (AT) claimed
the first podium in the “Green Hell” for the new BMW M6 GT3 with third
place at the qualification race for the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Driving
for ROWE Racing, Martin had previously clocked the fastest qualifying
time in the #23 BMW M6 GT3, and had thus secured the first pole
position at the Nürburgring for the new GT3 racing car. In the
six-hour race, the early stages of which were dominated by the
unsettled weather the Eifel is renowned for, the trio finished third
to claim a spot on the podium after an exciting final lap. The number
22 car was involved in a collision in the first corner and
consequently spent over an hour being repaired in the garage. Jörg
Müller (DE), Jens Klingmann (DE) and Marco Wittmann (DE) came home
50th after six hours of racing. The fastest lap of the race also went
to the BMW M6 GT3: this was set by the #100 Walkenhorst Motorsport
car, in which Victor Bouveng (SE), Christian Krognes (NO) and Michele
di Martino (DE) finished eighth.
ADAC GT Masters: Krohn and Tomczyk in the points twice.
BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn (FI) and BMW DTM driver Martin
Tomczyk (DE) finished in the points in both races on the opening race
weekend of the ADAC GT Masters at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (DE).
After fifth place on Saturday, the BMW M6 GT3 run by Schubert
Motorsport came home eighth on Sunday. Krohn and guest starter Tomczyk
have 14 points to their name in the Drivers’ Championship after the
opening round.
Three questions for… Jesse Krohn.
Jesse, how would you sum up your first race weekend in the
2016 ADAC GT Masters?
Jesse Krohn: “Firstly, it was important to score points in both
races. We did that. On Sunday I was able to pull off some good
overtaking manoeuvres, which was fun. Generally speaking, we must
still work on our pace – particularly in qualifying. In this large
field, it is extremely difficult to complete a perfect lap in
qualifying. If we can do that, we can also make it onto the podium. I
am already looking forward to the next race weekend at the Sachsenring.”
How was it to drive alongside BMW DTM driver Martin Tomczyk?
Krohn: “Martin is a legend. He has been in this business for so many
years and has so much experience that I can learn an incredible amount
from him. He is also a good guy. You can have a lot of fun with him.
Above all, I observed how he went about the race weekend. When it
comes to preparing for a race, I think I can learn as much from
watching an experienced man like him as anything else.”
You had already driven the BMW M6 GT3 in North America and on
the Nordschleife, and now in the ADAC GT Masters. How are you
enjoying your 2016 race schedule?
Krohn: “It is great for me to spend a lot of time in the car and to
race regularly. That moves me forward in my development as a GT driver
and helps me to reach the level I want to be at in the future faster.
My outings in the USA were fantastic, and I am very pleased to be able
to contest the entire season in the ADAC GT Masters. However, I am
particularly looking forward to racing at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.”
—
IWSC: BMW M6 GTLM makes its debut in Long Beach.
The BMW M6 GTLM made its debut on the streets of Long Beach at the
weekend. The famous street circuit hosted round three of the 2016 IMSA
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). Local favourite Bill
Auberlen (US), at the wheel of the #25 BMW M6 GTLM run by BMW Team
RLL, secured pole position in the GTLM class on Saturday. The race on
Sunday was dominated by a number of incidents. In the end, Auberlen
and driving partner Dirk Werner (DE) finished fifth. Their team-mates
Lucas Luhr (DE) and John Edwards (US) came home tenth in the number
100 car.
British GT Championship: Podium for the BMW Z4 GT3 at season-opener.
The 2016 British GT Championship kicked off with a podium for the BMW
Z4 GT3. The opening race at Brands Hatch saw Lee Mowle (GB) and Joe
Osborne (GB) finish runner-up in the #7 BMW Z4 GT3, run by the
AmDTuning.com team. The second BMW Z4 GT3 in the field was driven by
Richard Neary (GB) and Martin Short (GB) of the ABBA Rollcentre Racing
team. They came home ninth. The race had to be suspended when a car
caught fire following a crash.
British Touring Car Championship: Collard wins in the BMW 125i
M Sport.
The West Surrey Racing team claimed its first win of the season in
the British Touring Car Championship with the BMW 125i M Sport. Rob
Collard (GB) won the second of three races that formed round two of
the season, which was held at Donington Park (GB) on Sunday. Starting
from sixth, Collard immediately climbed into second place at the start
and wasted little time in taking the lead. He ended the other two
races in sixth and fourth place. His team-mate Sam Tordoff (GB) also
finished on the podium in Donington: he came home third in race three,
having previously finished ninth and eighth. Jack Goff (GB) was
fourth, fifth and sixth in the team’s third BMW 125i M Sport.
BMW Motorsport Junior programme: Victory for Delétraz on his debut.
BMW Motorsport Junior Louis Delétraz (CH) enjoyed a perfect start to
the season in the Formula V8 3.5 series. The 18-year-old crossed the
finish line first in his first race in this high-class junior series
for single-seater drivers. He then finished an impressive fifth in
race two, once again as the best rookie. BMW Motorsport have allowed
Delétraz to pursue his career in single-seater racing, alongside his
outings in the BMW M6 GT3. He will contest his first races in the ADAC
GT Masters at the Sachsenring (DE) in two weeks, when he will share
the cockpit of the BMW M6 GT3 with Jesse Krohn.