Munich. After trips abroad to Zandvoort (NED), Brands Hatch
(GBR) and Misano (ITA), the DTM now returns to Germany. BMW M
Motorsport will reach an important milestone this coming weekend, at
round eight of the season, which takes place at the Nürburgring
(GER), when the Sunday race marks BMW’s 100th race since
returning to the DTM in 2012. Augusto Farfus (BRA), who has been a
member of the BMW DTM team from the word go, will reach this same
milestone on Sunday. For Bruno Spengler (CAN) it’s his
100th DTM race together with BMW.
Since the last race weekend at Misano, rookie Joel Eriksson (SWE) has
been able to call himself a BMW DTM winner. His victory in the Sunday
race made the 20-year-old the youngest BMW winner in the history of
the DTM, and the second-youngest winner of all time. In the overall
standings, Marco Wittmann (GER) is currently the best-placed BMW
driver in fourth place with 112 points. Timo Glock (GER) is sixth with
107 points to his name.
Quotes ahead of the DTM races at the Nürburgring.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“After the remarkable weekend at Misano, with the eventful first
night race in the DTM, the first DTM win for our 20-year-old rookie
Joel Eriksson, and the fantastic guest appearance by Alex Zanardi, we
are now looking forward to the races at the Nürburgring. The history
of BMW in motorsport is closely linked to this iconic circuit and we
have claimed many successes there in the DTM in the past. As such, the
Nürburgring is always of special significance to us. It is fitting
that we should reach this milestone of 100 races since our DTM
comeback in 2012 at this circuit on Sunday. The event in the Eifel
Mountains sees the 2018 DTM enter the finishing straight and our goal
remains to put pressure on Mercedes and have a big say in who wins the
races and ends up on the podium. There is one major factor that you
should never take your eye off at the Nürburgring: the unpredictable
weather, which can add even more spice to the races. Our teams will
work meticulously to ensure they are as well prepared as possible to
face the Eifel challenges.”
Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal BMW Team RMG):
“The weekend at the Nürburgring is always a highlight of the season
for us, as it is a home event for everyone in our team. Furthermore,
we have always been successful there in the past, so we have very fond
memories of race wins and podium finishes. We did not do everything
right in the eventful, rain-dominated Misano races, but we saw that
all three drivers had good pace. We would now like to convert this
into good results at the Nürburgring, and to back up the success we
have already had this season.”
Marco Wittmann (#11 BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM, BMW Team
RMG – 4th place in the overall standings, points: 112):
“The Nürburgring is a circuit that has really suited me in the past.
We have won races and enjoyed success there, and it is the home event
for BMW Team RMG. As such, it has become something of a second home
for me. I am looking forward to the weekend. With the Nürburgring,
Spielberg and then the Hockenheim, we now head to circuits that have
suited us and where we have been strong in the past. I have had a lot
of nice, emotional moments with the team in the Eifel region, and it
would be great to have a few more.”
Augusto Farfus (#15 Shell BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG –
16th place in the overall standings, points: 40):
“I am much looking forward to my milestone weekend at the
Nürburgring. It is a magical place. I am a big fan of the
Nordschleife, and of the entire place. It is impressive how intensive
the people at the Nürburgring live for motorsport. Last year, we had
bad luck with the weather. I was leading the race by a big margin, but
the rain denied us the success. Nevertheless, we had a great pace and
I hope that this year we can get a good result at our team’s home round.”
Timo Glock (#16 DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR –
6th place in the overall standings, points: 107):
“It is always nice to return to the Nürburgring. You get a special
feeling at this circuit, and the fact that it is a home round for BMW
Team RMG makes it even more special. I am looking forward to the
weekend and am intrigued to see what the Eifel weather will be like
having just had wet races in Italy.”
Bart Mampaey (Team Principal BMW Team RBM):
“The memories of an exciting Misano weekend, of Philipp’s impressive
fightback on Saturday, and of Joel’s great maiden DTM victory on
Sunday are still fresh in our minds – and we now return to action with
our second home event of the year. Like Zandvoort, the Nürburgring is
not far from our team headquarters in Belgium. We are really motivated
and hope to add more successes to our record so far this season. Our
minimum goal is to allow all three drivers to score plenty of points
at the Nürburgring.”
Bruno Spengler (#7 BMW Bank M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM –
14th place in the overall standings, points: 44):
“The Nürburgring is a circuit that I really like. I have won there
several times in the past, so I have fond Eifel memories. What makes
the Nürburgring so interesting is the weather. Sometimes it is
completely different to what you are expecting, and what has been
forecast. That always makes the race weekend particularly exciting.
The fans at the Nürburgring are always great and I always enjoy the
special and unique atmosphere at the Ring. The people there are
dyed-in-the-wool motorsport fans, and it is great fun to drive the
Eifel track.”
Philipp Eng (#25 SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR –
9th place in the overall standings, points: 87):
“The Nürburgring is one of the tracks that suit me. I have driven
there an awful lot in recent years, including in the VLN, ADAC GT
Masters and, of course, in the 24-hour race. I like the circuit and
think it really suits my driving style. I hope we have a say in things
at the front of the field again.”
Joel Eriksson (#47 BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM – 12th
place in the overall standings, points: 52):
“After my maiden DTM win, I am now really excited to go to the
Nürburgring. I have raced there many times in single-seaters and it
has been quite a good track for me in the past. I am really looking
forward to finally racing a DTM car there and can’t wait to get back
into the cockpit of my BMW M4 DTM.”
Media Schedule.
Friday, 7th September
14:00-14:30 CEST, ITR press conference with Joel Eriksson, Media Centre
Saturday, 8th September
15:30-15:40 CEST, Mixed Zone with all BMW drivers, Media Centre
Sunday, 9th September
09:30-10:00 CEST, Media round table with BMW Motorsport Director Jens
Marquardt, BMW Hospitality
15:30-15:40 CEST, Mixed Zone with all BMW drivers, Media Centre
Statistics service.
BMW Motorsport offers a Chatbot service for journalists also in the
2018 DTM season. This allows users to receive the latest information
directly to their smartphone. The information available includes
driver statistics, statements and photos. You can register for the BMW
Motorsport Chatbot at the following link: http://bit.ly/BMW_Motorsport_Media_Broadcast_EN