Jerez de la Frontera. The December DTM Young Driver Test at
Jerez de la Frontera (ESP) has established itself as a permanent
fixture in the DTM off-season. This year, BMW M Motorsport offered
two drivers the opportunity to attend the test and take to the track
in the BMW M4 DTM, namely Robert Kubica (POL) and BMW works driver
Nick Yelloly (GBR) from the GT racing scene. As preparations for the
2020 season continue, Marco Wittmann (GER) and Philipp Eng (AUT)
were also in action in southern Spain. The three-day test took place
from Wednesday to Friday.
BMW M Motorsport ran two BMW M4 DTMs at Jerez de la Frontera and used
the three days to evaluate various technical concepts for next season
at the racetrack. Kubica and Yelloly alternated at the wheel of one
car, while Wittmann and Eng shared the work in the cockpit of the
other BMW M4 DTM. Test conditions were consistently good on all three
days, with dry and partly sunny weather. This allowed BMW M Motorsport
and its four drivers to work through an extensive programme. In total,
they completed more than 700 laps, or more than 3,200 kilometres.
Quotes from the DTM Test and DTM Young Driver Test at Jerez.
Marco Wittmann: “It is always nice to attend the
winter test. Since the finale at Hockenheim, I have actually been back
in the BMW M4 DTM every month – first at the Fuji Dream Race and now
here at Jerez. That is great. It was a good and productive test. We
were able to get through a lot of the work we had planned. They were
very good days, during which we gained new knowledge, which we must
now try to implement for 2020. We know we still have some work ahead
of us, in order to be well prepared for the start of the new season.
As such, the winter test is very important. I am happy and satisfied.
I will now take a well-earned, short winter break over Christmas and
New Year, during which I can spend time with family and friends and
switch off a little.”
Philipp Eng: “I was pleased to be able to get back in
the seat of the BMW M4 DTM with Christmas just around the corner, as
it has been quite a while since the Hockenheim finale. The winter
tests are always very intense with an extensive programme of work. It
was good that we had consistent conditions throughout the test. That
meant we could use the days at Jerez very productively. We were able
to move in the right direction in many regards, as we prepare for the
2020 season. That puts me in a positive mood and I can now enjoy the
Christmas holidays.”
Nick Yelloly: “I really enjoyed driving the BMW M4
DTM with the turbo engine. Compared to last year’s test, when I drove
the 2018 M4, it’s quite a big change in terms of torque mostly and how
the braking works. It was a big learning curve for me and I really
enjoyed the test. Despite the fact we had some fog in the morning, I
feel we managed to get a lot out of the car quite quickly and I learnt
a lot about the long-runs. You have to look after the tyres in a
completely different way compared to last year, and I learnt that
early on. We got through a lot of work and a great amount of mileage,
so another big thank you to BMW for the opportunity.”
Robert Kubica: “It has certainly been a very
productive test. It was my first time in the new generation of DTM
cars. There have been a lot of things to learn and a lot of things to
discover as, of course, it was different to what I was used to in the
past years. There have been a few things about the DTM car that
surprised me positively. On my first laps in the car I felt
comfortable straight away, which is always something a driver is
looking for when testing and discovering new cars. Because if you feel
comfortable and confident, you lap quicker and your life becomes
easier. So, definitely the driveabilty of the car really surprised me
positively. There are, of course, some differences to a Formula One
car that you can feel – like the weight of the car and although DTM
cars have a lot of downforce it is less than in Formula One.
Nevertheless, I think it is a really pleasant car to drive and a very
advanced car also from a technical aspect. I really enjoyed the test
and working with the team. I think we got through a lot of stuff with
a successful outcome so yes, I am pretty happy.”