Racing for wins and titles around the world: an overview of the 2017 BMW Motorsport programme.

Munich. BMW Motorsport used the traditional Season Review
event in Munich (DE) to announce significant information about the
2017 driver set-up and present details of the individual programmes
for various racing disciplines.

DTM – consistency in the cockpit.

BMW Motorsport will be represented by two teams and six drivers in
the 2017 DTM season. The race car will be the new BMW M4 DTM, which is
currently completing a comprehensive test and development programme in
preparation for the 18 races. Six BMW works drivers with plenty of DTM
experience will be behind the wheel. Reigning DTM champion Marco
Wittmann (DE) heads the selection. Tom Blomqvist (GB), Augusto Farfus
(BR), Timo Glock (DE), Maxime Martin (BE) and Bruno Spengler (CA) will
be battling for points and wins alongside him. The six BMW drivers
have racked up a total of 399 DTM starts, recording 32 wins and 34
pole positions. BMW Motorsport can boast two DTM champions in its
ranks: Spengler (2012) and Wittmann (2014 and 2016). The three BMW M4
DTMs of Wittmann, Glock and Farfus will be fielded by BMW Team RMG,
headed by Stefan Reinhold (DE). Bart Mampaey (BE) and his BMW Team RBM
will be responsible for the cars of Blomqvist, Martin and Spengler.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “Our driver
selection for 2017 once again includes some of the best the DTM has to
offer. Of course, everyone will be chasing champion Marco Wittmann.
But our five other drivers have all claimed wins and proved their
quality in the DTM. This consistency in the cockpit will do us good.
Experience is extremely important in the DTM.”

IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship – new faces from Europe.

In 2017, BMW Team RLL will again be represented by two BMW M6 GTLMs
in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC). Bill Auberlen
(US) and John Edwards (US) will be the regular drivers from the USA
next season. They will be joined by two new team-mates from Europe: in
2017, Auberlen will start alongside Alexander Sims (GB), whose fine
performances in this season included overall victory for the ROWE
Racing team with the BMW M6 GT3 at the 24-hour race in
Spa-Francorchamps (BE). At the wheel of the second BMW M6 GTLM, BMW
works driver Martin Tomczyk (DE) will join Edwards for the GTLM class
races. The quartet will be supported by DTM drivers Augusto Farfus and
Bruno Spengler, as well as Kuno Wittmer (CA) and Nick Catsburg (NL)
for the endurance races on the calendar. Auberlen, Sims, Farfus and
Spengler will also share driving duties in the BMW M6 GTLM Art Car for
the 24 Hours of Daytona (US) on 28th/29th
January 2017, a car designed by US artist John Baldessari.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “We are
looking forward to an exciting second season with the BMW M6 GTLM in
North America. Of course, our goal is to record the first win with
this car. Competing with the 19th BMW Art Car in Daytona
will be a real highlight to start the year off. I’d like to thank Dirk
Werner and Lucas Luhr for their hard work last season – and now it’s
time to welcome Alexander Sims and Martin Tomczyk. I am convinced that
they will both settle in very quickly at BMW Team RLL and will soon be
successful. I wish Dirk all the best in his new sporting challenges.
We have been delighted to have him on board since 2010. He impressed
us with his speed, his professionalism and his down-to-earth nature.”

GT and endurance races – the next chapter in a success story.

In 2017, BMW Team Schnitzer will enhance an already strong BMW set-up
in international GT and endurance racing. The team headed by Charly
Lamm (DE) will compete in races alongside ROWE Racing, winners of the
24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps, and Schubert Motorsport, and will
be doing their best to record the 20th overall win for BMW
in the classic 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (DE). BMW Team
Schnitzer is also scheduled to compete with the BMW M6 GT3 at the ADAC
GT Masters. The three teams will also represent BMW at many other GT
events – such as the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring (VLN) or
the Blancpain GT Series. Among others, former BMW Motorsport Junior
Jesse Krohn (FI) will compete in a BMW M6 GT3 in the 24-hour race at
the Nürburgring, alongside the works drivers active in the DTM.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “The BMW M6
GT3 made a successful all-round debut in 2016. We are aiming for more
wins and titles next season with our top model in customer racing. The
three teams, ROWE Racing, Schubert Motorsport and BMW Team Schnitzer
all have a special role to play and will compete with this car in
various series. After winning in Spa in 2016, we now want to continue
our long-running success story on the Nordschleife. As far as teams
and drivers are concerned, we are ideally equipped to do this.”

BMW customer racing – major tests for the BMW M4 GT4.

With the BMW M6 GT3 spearheading the product range for privateer
teams and drivers, BMW Motorsport will be getting a new challenger
ready over the course of the 2017 season: the BMW M4 GT4. With this
car, customers will be able to race cost-effectively at the very
highest level at events around the world from 2018. Numerous test
events are scheduled throughout the 2017 season, including the 24-hour
race in Dubai (UA) in January. Drivers and teams around the world will
continue to compete with the current entry-level model, the BMW M235i
Racing, in such competitions as the BMW M235i Racing Cup classes in
Germany, Belgium and China. A total of 170 examples of the BMW M235i
Racing have been built.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “Our
international customers have celebrated many triumphs in the first
year with the BMW M6 GT3. We hope this will continue in 2017. The
comprehensive test programme with the BMW M4 GT4 will go on in
parallel. We will also see the car in action in a couple of races. Our
privateer teams will then compete with the newest model from our
product range in 2018. I am particularly pleased that the BMW M235i
Racing remains so popular. The widespread use of this race car and the
positive feedback from our customers show that this model has been a
hit since its introduction in 2014.”

FIA Formula E Championship – the way to Montréal.

The MS Amlin Andretti team supported by BMW has started the FIA
Formula E Championship 2016/17 with two thrilling races in Hong Kong
(CN) and Marrakesh (MA). On the way to the season finale in Montréal,
BMW works driver António Félix da Costa (PT) and Robin Frijns (NL)
will be competing in some of the most exciting cities in the world,
including Buenos Aires (AR), Mexico City (MX), Paris (FR), Berlin (DE)
and New York (US). The exchanges between the team and the BMW
Motorsport engineers will gradually increase in intensity throughout
the year. Works involvement is planned from season 5 (2018/19)
onwards. BMW i also enjoys a prominent position as “Official Vehicle
Partner” in Formula E, providing the Qualcomm Safety Car BMW i8.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “The first
Formula E races since the announcement of our partnership with the MS
Amlin Andretti team has made us hungry for more. We are really looking
forward to the season taking off from February 2017. Our primary aim
is to gather experience in the Formula E environment. Close
cooperation with the Andretti Formula E team is extremely valuable.”

FIA World Endurance Championship – the countdown is on.

After the announcement at the end of September that BMW Motorsport
will compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) from 2018,
some more details have now been confirmed. BMW Team MTEK will spend
the coming season on a comprehensive test and preparation programme
for competition in the following year. The drivers in this phase will
be Martin Tomczyk, Alexander Sims and António Félix da Costa.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “The
countdown to 2018 has started. We will prepare meticulously for our
entry into the FIA WEC throughout the coming season. BMW Team MTEK is
ready to start and is extremely motivated.”