Munich. After making the most of home advantage at the
Norisring (GER), the BMW teams in the DTM are now facing their
second overseas journey of the season. The fifth DTM weekend of the
year will take place at the Moscow Raceway (RUS). The BMW drivers
have fond memories of the circuit just outside the Russian capital.
Maxime Martin (BEL) celebrated his first-ever DTM win there in 2014.
Last year, Marco Wittmann (GER) won in Moscow on the way to securing
his second DTM driver’s title.
The situation:
A BMW driver topped the podium on both days of the race weekend in
Nürnberg (GER). Bruno Spengler (CAN) claimed the first BMW win at the
Norisring for 25 years. It was also the 25th win for BMW
since returning to the DTM in 2012. Maxime Martin crossed the line in
second place to complete the one-two result. Martin won Sunday’s race
after a dominant performance to reach another milestone: the
75th win for BMW in the history of the DTM. Martin is the
best-placed BMW representative in the drivers’ standings with 78
points, eleven behind leader Mattias Ekström (SWE, Audi). Ahead of the
races in Moscow (RUS), BMW is in third place in the manufacturers’
standings with 248 points. Audi leads the championship with 326 points.
The expectations:
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “Of course,
the successful performance at our home race at the Norisring gives us
momentum for the upcoming races. The Moscow Raceway has also been a
happy hunting ground for us in the past. However, it’s a new ball game
once again so we must not lose our concentration and we have to keep
on working hard. The previous eight races this season have shown just
how tight the field is. There have already been six different winners
and each brand has topped the podium more than once. That makes the
season really exciting, for fans, drivers and teams alike. That is why
it is difficult to make a prediction for the Moscow weekend. At the
Moscow Raceway, we will do our utmost to continue the upward trend
seen in Budapest and Nürnberg.”
Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG): “We
have fond memories of the Moscow Raceway, thanks to Maxime’s win in
2014 and Marco’s victory last season. We have had some highlights this
year, as well as some difficulties. We are aiming for the podium again
in Moscow. This requires us to use the early practice sessions to get
the set-up right for this circuit, which has an interesting mix of
long straights with fast and slow turns. This year’s DTM field is very
tight and we hope that a little bit of luck will help us as we battle
for the top spot.”
Marco Wittmann (#11, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM – 64 races, 8 wins,
16 podiums, 8 pole positions, 569 points, 2 Drivers’ titles):
“Moscow has really suited me in recent years. I was able to
win there last year and I claimed second place two years ago. I like
the circuit as it has a bit of everything. There are slow turns, fast
turns and a long straight which is a challenge in itself. It is a
lovely circuit and I hope I can record some good results. After my
official warning, I have been put back by five places on the grid for
Saturday’s race but that will spur me on to claim a better position in
qualifying. We had our best race weekend of the season so far at the
Norisring and scored plenty of points. I hope this marks a turning
point for us and that we can continue this form.”
Augusto Farfus (#15, Shell BMW M4 DTM – 74 races, 4 wins, 12
podiums, 5 pole positions, 351 points): “Moscow is a lovely
racetrack. The surface is even and the challenges posed by the
characteristics of this circuit are different to those at the
Norisring. I like the Moscow Raceway and we are aiming to continue our
good form after finally scoring points again in Nürnberg.”
Timo Glock (#16, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM – 64 races, 3 wins,
7 podiums, 2 pole positions, 273 points): “Moscow is always
the longest journey on the DTM calendar. We are curious to see whether
we can put on a better performance there than in Budapest. The
characteristics of the Norisring mean that it has a special place in
the racing calendar – and it is not representative of the other
circuits. Nonetheless, it was great that we were able to perform so
strongly there. We want to use the impetus from the Norisring to keep
moving forward so I am hoping for a good weekend in Russia.”
Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM): “We had
an outstanding weekend at the Norisring, but we cannot rest on our
laurels. A new challenge awaits us in Moscow. From the first practice
session onwards, we will work hard to make sure that we are ideally
prepared for qualifying and for the races. Our drivers like the Moscow
Raceway and all three of them have already reached the podium, and of
course Maxime celebrated his first DTM win there. We will work as a
team and do all that we can to provide them with the best conditions
for continued success.”
Bruno Spengler (#7, BMW Bank BMW M4 DTM – 147 races, 15 wins,
47 podiums, 17 pole positions, 801 points, 1 Drivers’ title):
“I am really looking forward to Moscow. The Moscow Raceway is
a very technical, challenging circuit that gives you opportunities for
overtaking. I really like the track and have always recorded very good
results there. I have reached the podium four times since 2014. I hope
that we can repeat our good Norisring performance in Moscow.”
Tom Blomqvist (#31, BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM – 44 races,
1 win, 5 podiums, 2 pole positions, 187 points): “I am
really looking forward to Moscow. I have done well on the circuit in
the past and reached the podium there last year. We have had good race
pace recently and now we have to convert this into results. That is
exactly what I plan to do in Moscow.”
Maxime Martin (#36, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM – 54 races, 3 wins, 9
podiums, 3 pole positions, 309 points): “I have reached the
podium three times in a row now, including the win in the Sunday race
at the Norisring. Things are going really well for me just now. Moscow
has always had special significance for me as I claimed my first DTM
win there. That is why I’m really looking forward to the weekend and I
hope that we can continue our form from Budapest and the Norisring. It
won’t be easy. The Norisring is a special circuit, so it is difficult
to get a real idea of the overall performance of the car or draw any
conclusions from it. However, I am looking forward to Moscow and I
will aim to compete for the top spot.”
The history:
The Moscow Raceway, located around 80 kilometres to the west of the
Russian capital, has been hosting DTM races since 2013. So far, six
races have taken place there, with BMW drivers recording a total of
nine podium finishes. Augusto Farfus claimed third place at the first
race in 2013. In 2014, Maxime Martin celebrated his first DTM win in
Moscow and Bruno Spengler finished second. In 2015, Spengler reached
the podium twice, finishing third on Saturday and second on Sunday.
Marco Wittmann also finished second in the Saturday race. Last year,
Wittmann was victorious in the Sunday race and his BMW team-mates Tom
Blomqvist and Spengler celebrated with him on the podium. The track is
3.931 kilometres in length and was opened in 2012.
The media schedule:
Friday, 21st July
14:00-14:30, ITR press conference with Marco Wittmann, Media Center
Saturday, 22nd July:
17:30-17:40, Mixed Zone with all BMW drivers, Media Center
Sunday, 23rd July:
9:00-9:30, Interview with BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt, BMW
Motorsport Hospitality
16:30-16:40, Mixed Zone with all BMW drivers, Media Center
The service:
BMW Motorsport will offer an innovative Chatbot service for
journalists for the first time in the 2017 DTM season. This allows
users to receive the latest information directly to their smartphone
via WhatsApp Messenger. 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