Munich (DE), 20th June 2016. The highlights come thick and fast in
the 2016 DTM season. Three weeks after the Motorsport Festival at the
Lausitzring (DE), the BMW DTM teams travel to the only street race of
the year at the Norisring (DE). Ever since the series was held for the
first time in 1984, the 2.3-kilometre street circuit around the
Dutzendteich lake in Nuremberg (DE) has been a permanent fixture on
the DTM calendar.
Six races into the 2016 season, BMW arrives in Nuremberg leading the
Manufacturers’ Championship with 228 points. In the team competition,
BMW Team RMG sits at the top of the overall standings. Marco Wittmann
(DE), who lives not far away in Fürth, is the local boy in the four
BMW teams. The 2014 DTM champion goes into the weekend in his home
region of Franconia second in the Drivers’ Championship.
Last year, the BMW drivers scored heavily at the Norisring. Bruno
Spengler (CA) secured pole position on Sunday, and went on to finish
third to claim the first podium of the season for BMW. That was to
prove an important step for BMW en route to winning the Manufacturers’
Championship come the end of the season.
The DTM races at the Norisring start at 13:28 on Saturday and 13:13
on Sunday.
Quotes ahead of the fourth race weekend of 2016 at the Norisring.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“The break before the Norisring allowed our drivers and teams to at
least take a quick breather, as the previous weeks had been very
intense. After the successful Motorsport Festival at the Lausitzring,
the next spectacle awaits us in Nuremberg. The narrow circuit, partly
on public streets, the many fans in the paddock and grandstands, and
the special flair around the Dutzendteich make the Norisring weekend
unique. The field will naturally be bunched even closer together than
usual on the short circuit, which is only 2.3 kilometres long. This
means that our teams and drivers must be fully focussed on the job in
hand – the Norisring punishes any carelessness immediately.”
Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG):
“We scored important points in both races at the Lausitzring and lead
the team competition. We now want to play a big role again at the
Norisring, and allow Marco Wittmann to enjoy a successful home outing.
Our entire team is fully focussed on getting the very best out of the
BMW M4 DTM for both Timo Glock and Marco, although the Norisring is
not the ideal track for our car. We have to continue to work hard, in
order to take our chances.”
Ernest Knoors (Team Principal, BMW Team MTEK):
“The Norisring is a very special circuit, on which everything must
come together perfectly in order to be quick. We mastered the
challenge very well last year. Bruno Spengler was the fastest BMW
driver in both races and was rewarded with pole and a podium on the
Sunday. We will do everything in our power to be equally as successful
in 2016.”
Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM):
“The atmosphere at the Norisring is always very special for our
entire team. Nowhere else are the fans this close to the action. How
we fare from a sporting point of view will depend on details, as the
field is even closer on this short track than elsewhere. Last year we
finished in the points, and that is our goal again this time.”
Charly Lamm (Team Principal, BMW Team Schnitzer):
“After a difficult weekend at the Lausitzring, we are looking forward
to our home race in Bavaria. The unique setting makes the Norisring
and its passionate fans one of the highlights of the DTM race
calendar. The circuit is bumpy, with walls where you would usually
find run-off zones. You cannot afford to make even the smallest
mistake. That makes the circuit extremely demanding, even though it
only consists of two hairpins and a chicane, as well as the straights.”
Marco Wittmann (car number 11, BMW Team RMG):
“I am really looking forward to my home races. The atmosphere both on
and off the track is absolutely unique. I know an awful lot of people
there, such as the marshals and members of Motorsport Club Nuremberg.
Many friends and relatives will also be there. I am particularly
pleased to go into the weekend with plenty of momentum, on the back of
good results that have taken me to second in the Drivers’ Championship.”
Timo Glock (car number 16, BMW Team RMG):
“The atmosphere at the Norisring is fantastic. We will have to wait
and see how we get on there. Whatever happens, we will be trying to
get the maximum out of the only street circuit on the calendar.”
Bruno Spengler (car number 7, BMW Team MTEK):
“I have super memories of the Norisring. Last year, I started
Sunday’s race from pole and finished third. That was a huge relief for
me, my team and everyone at BMW Motorsport. From then on, the season
improved dramatically for us. Even before last year, I had already had
a lot of great races at the Norisring, and have won there three times.
I love the circuit and the atmosphere. It is just fantastic to race there.”
Augusto Farfus (car number 18, BMW Team MTEK):
“The Norisring seems, at first glance, to be a simple racetrack.
However, it is extremely difficult to find the right set-up there. The
challenge here is greater than at almost any other circuit. I have had
some crazy races at the Norisring. The event is magnificent, and I am
really looking forward to it.”
Tom Blomqvist (car number 31, BMW Team RBM):
“The circuit is one of a kind. It is very short and the fans are very
close to the action. That makes for a very special atmosphere. I think
we have learned a lot from last year, and go into the race weekend
better prepared this time.”
Maxime Martin (car number 36, BMW Team RBM):
“I live in Monaco and always see the Norisring as the DTM equivalent
of that circuit. The fans there are absolutely crazy and the
grandstands are always full. We drivers obviously really enjoy that,
and it is also good for the DTM. I always enjoy returning to the Norisring.”
António Félix da Costa (car number 13, BMW Team Schnitzer):
“This is one of the coolest events of the season. I had really good
races there last year, and hope I can build on those experiences and
score valuable points this year.”
Martin Tomczyk (car number 100, BMW Team Schnitzer):
“The Norisring is not an easy circuit to drive, although it only has
four corners. I am excited to see the balance of power in Nuremberg.
Our rivals have been very strong there in recent years, but I am
confident that we will play a major role again this time.”
Statistics: Norisring.
Length:
2.3 km
2015 winners:
Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes (race 1)
Robert Wickens, Mercedes (race 2)
2015 poles:
50.640 seconds (Christian Vietoris, Mercedes, race 1)
48.280 seconds (Bruno Spengler, BMW, race 2)
Best-placed BMW 2015:
Bruno Spengler, 5th place (race 1)
Bruno Spengler, 3rd place (race 2)
DTM debut:
1984
BMW wins:
5
BMW pole positions:
4
BMW fastest laps:
4
BMW podiums:
16
Statistics: BMW DTM drivers.
BMW Motorsport media schedule.
2016 DTM calendar.
6th-8th May – Hockenheim (DE), 20th-22nd May – Spielberg (AT),
3rd-5th June – Lausitzring (DE), 24th-26th June – Norisring
(DE), 15th-17th July – Zandvoort (NL), 19th-21st August –
Moscow (RU), 9th-11th September – Nürburgring (DE), 23rd-25th
September – Budapest (HU), 14th-16th October – Hockenheim (DE).