Munich. Just six months separate the 2017 DTM season finale in
Hockenheim (GER) in October and the 2018 opener at the same track in
May. It might sound like a long break, but the six BMW DTM drivers
don’t get bored during that time. They have an extensive programme
even during the DTM break. The drivers prepare themselves mentally
and physically for the coming season. And all six BMW DTM drivers
are at the wheel of race cars – even in winter – at tracks around
the world.
Two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann (GER / BMW Team
RMG) was back in action on the racetrack, for the first time at the
FIA GT World Cup in Macau (CHN) just a few weeks after the DTM season
finale. In the BMW M6 GT3, he hurtled through the narrow urban canyons
of the “Guia Circuit”. In December and January, Wittmann used the DTM
break to pursue one of his great hobbies: skiing. And at home in
Fürth, he also still works regularly in his father’s body shop. This
winter, Wittmann’s major challenge is getting a truck driving license.
“I started with a first aid course, and now it’s time for the
practical driving lessons, which I’m really looking forward to,” he
said. A much pacier driving experience awaits Wittmann on the first
weekend in February, when, like last year, he will contest his first
race of the year at the 12 Hours of Bathurst (AUS) with the BMW M6
GT3. Then after he returns home, the intensive preparation for the
2018 DTM season gets underway with a fitness week for all BMW DTM drivers.
His BMW Team RMG fellow driver Timo Glock (GER)
headed straight from the DTM season finale at Hockenheim to the USA.
He was at the Formula 1 races in Austin (USA) and Mexico City (MEX) as
a TV expert for RTL – a role that he will spend more time pursuing
this year in addition to his race starts for BMW Motorsport. “Since I
will be on the road a lot in 2018 with my races for BMW and my TV
appearances, I’m trying to spend as much time as possible with my
family this winter,” said Glock. Skiing with his son was on the agenda
numerous times in December and January, after returning from the media
presentation of the new BMW M5 (combined fuel consumption: 10.5 l/100
km; CO2 emissions combined: 241 g/km)* at Estoril (POR) in November.
Then at the end of January, Glock will fly to Australia, where he,
like Wittmann, will once again compete in Bathurst with the BMW M6 GT3.
The third BMW Team RMG driver, Augusto Farfus (BRA),
is experiencing one of the most intensive winters of his career and
clocked up plenty of air miles in the process; he is in action in
various BMW racing cars in Asia, America and Australia. He was at the
wheel of the BMW M4 DTM once again when the DTM and Japanese Super GT
Championship met in Motegi (JPN) in November, before he had the honour
of driving the 18th BMW Art Car in Macau. That was followed
by a guest appearance in the Brazilian Stock Car championship and test
drives in the BMW M8 GTE in the USA in December. After a short break
for Christmas with the family, Farfus returned to the USA at the
beginning of January for intensive preparations for the 24 Hours of
Daytona. He will be in action for BMW Team RLL in that race next
weekend. His world tour continues right after the race: from Daytona
he will head straight to Australia, where he will contest the 12 Hours
of Bathurst. Back in Europe, Farfus will jump straight into preparing
for the start of the season in both the FIA World Endurance
Championship and the DTM. “First Daytona and Bathurst, then DTM and
WEC – it really is a very exciting programme,” said a delighted Farfus.
Bruno Spengler (CAN / BMW Team RBM) went straight
from the 2017 season finale to Spain, to spend a week playing golf
with friends. Then the Canadian returned to the wheel: in Estoril he,
like Glock, was a guest at the presentation of the new BMW M5, and
introduced the high-performance car to international media
representatives in greater detail. Then in mid-December, it was on to
Shanghai (CHN) for Spengler. “We had a special mission there: setting
a new track record for production cars with the BMW M5 on the Formula
1 track. We did it, we beat the previous record by six seconds,” said
Spengler. Over Christmas and New Year, the 2012 DTM champion treated
himself to a few peaceful days with his family. Then in mid-January he
broke new racing ground: in Marrakech (MAR) he took part in the
official rookie test for the ABB FIA Formula E Championship on behalf
of the MSAD Andretti Formula E Team. And just a few days later,
Spengler is a world away from the Moroccan desert. This weekend, he is
holding driver training courses in a BMW M5 at a BMW event in the
Swiss ski resort of Gstaad. Then at the beginning of February he will
head to Mechelen (BEL) to join his BMW Team RBM to prepare for the
season. This will be followed by the fitness week with all the BMW DTM drivers.
Philipp Eng (AUT), new to the DTM and BMW Team RBM
this season, started December with a targeted muscle-building
programme, as the perfect preparation for his new role. The aim was to
improve his fitness. “I think that there is a lot more strain in the
DTM than in the GT series since the car has a much greater downforce
and accelerates much more quickly,” he said. The Austrian spent
Christmas at home with his family in Salzburg (AUT), and celebrated
New Year in London (GBR). On 3rd January, Eng boarded a
plane to the USA – to the “Roar” ahead of the 24-hour race in Daytona.
At the endurance classic in Florida, he will also be one of the
drivers to take the wheel of the new BMW M8 GTE in its first race. He
and Farfus will then fly straight from Daytona to the other end of the
world, to the 12-hour race of Bathurst. After the race, he will
continue his preparations for his maiden DTM season.
Also new to the BMW DTM squad and BMW Team RBM is former BMW
Motorsport Junior Joel Eriksson (SWE). His winter
break after the season finale of the FIA Formula 3 European
Championship kicked off with the DTM Young Driver Test. Then he also
headed to Macau, where he secured pole position and second place in
the qualifying race at the prestigious Formula 3 race. In January he,
like Spengler, took part in the rookie test for the ABB FIA Formula E
Championship in Marrakech. However, Eriksson is spending most of the
winter in intensive preparation for his DTM debut. “I had the
specialists at Formula Medicine put together a training plan for me,
which gives me the perfect preparation for my first race,” said
Eriksson, who will visit BMW Team RBM in Belgium for the first time
next week. When he is not involved in race action, he sometimes still
works as a truck driver in his native Sweden and restores classic cars
in his free time.
* The fuel consumption and CO2 emissions figures shown were
determined according to the European Regulation (EC) 715/2007 in the
version applicable at the time of type approval. The figures refer to
a vehicle with basic configuration in Germany and the range shown
considers the different size of the selected wheels and tires.
The CO2 efficiency specifications are determined according to
Directive 1999/94/EC and the Pkw-EnVKV, and based (for classification)
on the fuel consumption and CO2 values as per the NEDC cycle.
Further information on official fuel consumption figures and specific
CO2 emission values of new passenger cars is included in the following
guideline: “Leitfaden über Kraftstoffverbrauch, die CO2-Emissionen und
den Stromverbrauch neuer Personenkraftwagen” (Guideline for fuel
consumption, CO2 emissions and electric power consumption of new
passenger cars), which can be obtained free of charge from all
dealerships and at https://www.dat.de/en/offers/publications/guideline-for-fuel-consumption.html.