BMW Motorsport News – Issue 27/16.

DTM: BMW leads all three championships after Zandvoort weekend.

The BMW DTM teams scored valuable points in all three championships
at the fifth race weekend of the DTM season in Zandvoort (NL). Marco
Wittmann (DE), in particular, produced two strong drives to finish
second and fourth and defend his lead in the DTM Drivers’
Championship. In the team competition, BMW Team RMG moved to the top
of the standings courtesy of Wittmann’s good results and sixth place
for Timo Glock (DE) on Sunday. BMW retained first place in the
Manufacturers’ Championship. As well as Wittmann and Glock, António
Félix da Costa (PT), Maxime Martin (BE) and Tom Blomqvist (GB) also
finished in the points in the Netherlands.

 

ADAC GT Masters: Félix da Costa makes his first appearance in
the BMW M6 GT3.

The fourth race weekend of this season’s ADAC GT Masters, at the Red
Bull Ring (AT), sees a BMW DTM driver start alongside BMW Motorsport
Junior Jesse Krohn (FI) in the BMW M6 GT3 for the second time this
season. From 22nd to 24th July, António Félix da Costa (PT) will make
his debut in the GT racing car, which is fielded by Schubert
Motorsport. The Portuguese driver is contesting his third DTM season
in 2016, and was also in action in the FIA Formula E Championship. He
also made a guest start in the Brazilian Stock Car Championship at the
start of the year. He now goes in pursuit of a good result in the BMW
M6 GT3 for the first time in his career. The BMW M6 GT3 Junior Car
also received support from a BMW DTM driver at the opening round of
the ADAC GT Masters in Oschersleben (DE). Martin Tomczyk (DE) finished
fifth and eighth alongside Krohn. The races in Spielberg begin at
13:15 on Saturday and 12:15 on Sunday (both races are live on Sport1).

 

Three questions for… António Félix da Costa.

 

António, sixth place on Saturday and only 17th on Sunday: how
would you sum up the DTM weekend in Zandvoort?

António Félix da Costa: “Fortunately I scored some decent points for
finishing sixth on Saturday, although it was clear to me from the
first lap that it would be tough. I struggled with my car and did not
get the tyres working. As a result, I had to go on the defensive in
the race. On Sunday, the first half of the race was actually quite
okay. Unfortunately, I then made contact with Esteban Ocon. After
that, the car was damaged and there was not a lot more that I could do.”

 

You will contest your first race in the BMW M6 GT3 this
weekend. How much are you looking forward to this new experience?

Félix da Costa: “I can hardly wait to finally go racing in this
fantastic car. Over the course of my career, I have driven pretty much
everything you can try out as a racing driver – but a GT car is
something new for me. I am also looking forward to working with Jesse
and the Schubert team. I don’t know the team yet, but I have actually
raced against Jesse. This will be the first time I have shared a
cockpit with him. I think I will have to adapt a bit and get used to
the BMW M6 GT3 and the series. However, my outing in the ADAC GT
Masters gives me the perfect opportunity to do just that.”

 

As a football fan, are you still in ecstasy one week after
Portugal won the European Championship?

Félix da Costa: “That was a really incredible experience. The
importance of this title transcends sport in Portugal. The entire
country pretty much came to a standstill when the team was given its
official welcome when it returned from the Euros. Portugal has had
some tough years economically, so this title was a huge relief. I was
lucky enough that the first match I was able to watch at home was
actually the final. I celebrated with 20 or 30 of my friends. That was
very cool. I actually know some of the players personally, and am
really pleased for them.”

 

 

VLN: Podium for Walkenhorst Motorsport.

The fifth round of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring
(DE) ended with a podium for the BMW M6 GT3 and the Walkenhorst
Motorsport team. Victor Bouveng (SE), BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse
Krohn (FI) and BMW works driver Jörg Müller (DE) finished third in the
number 36 car after four hours of racing on the Nordschleife. The
number 35 car, driven by Matias Henkola (FI) and Michele di Martino
(DE), came home fifth. The Walkenhorst Motorsport team’s BMW Z4 GT3
also finished in the top ten. Felipe Fernandes Laser (DE), Peter
Posavac (DE) and team principal Henry Walkenhorst (DE) were ninth.
Alexander Mies (DE) and Michael Schrey (DE) of Bonk Motorsport remain
the men to beat in the BMW M235i Racing Cup class. The duo claimed its
fifth win in five races and remains unbeaten on the Nordschleife this
season. Second place went to Thomas Jäger (AT) and Rudi Adams (DE) of
the Scheid-Honert Motorsport team. Heiko Eichenberg (DE) of Securtal
Sorg Rennsport was third. BMW teams claimed six class victories in total.

 

Italian GT Championship: BMW Team Italia on the podium again.

BMW Team Italia and the BMW M6 GT3 remain on course for success in
the Italian GT Championship. Four weeks after its first win in Misano
(IT), team principal Roberto Ravaglia’s (IT) outfit once again made it
onto the podium in Mugello (IT). Alberto Cerqui (IT) and Stefano
Comandini (IT) finished second in Sunday’s race. After 35 laps, the
duo came home six seconds behind the winning Lamborghini. The BMW M6
GT3 actually led Saturday’s race with just two laps remaining, until a
crash dashed any hopes of a second win in a row.