BMW Motorsport News – Issue 15/16.

Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, or
countless other championships: week after week BMW teams and drivers
around the world do battle for points, victories and titles. Away from
the track too, members of the large BMW Motorsport family around the
world are also creating headlines. The “BMW Motorsport News” allows us
to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and
informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.

DTM: Bruno Spengler drives the BMW M2 Coupé in South Africa.

BMW DTM driver Bruno Spengler (CA) made a guest appearance at the
press preview of the BMW M2 Coupé in South Africa shortly before the
DTM season gets underway in Hockenheim (DE) on 6th May. The 2012 DTM
champion took the around 60 journalists present for taxi rides to show
just how dynamically you can drive the new BMW M2 Coupé. The
presentation was held at a racetrack on the premises of the Motor
Museum in Franschhoek (ZA).

ADAC GT Masters: Race debut for Louis Delétraz at the Sachsenring.

The second race weekend of the ADAC GT Masters season at the
Sachsenring (DE, 29th April – 1st May) sees the two BMW Motorsport
Juniors Jesse Krohn (FI) and Louis Delétraz (CH) make their first
joint appearance in the BMW M6 GT3. Delétraz will make his race debut
in the Schubert Motorsport car. The man from Switzerland who turned 19
just a few days ago was unable to compete in the first race weekend in
Oschersleben (DE) due to a scheduling conflict with his parallel
activities in Formula racing. However, Delétraz has already completed
some tests in the BMW M6 GT3, making him well-prepared for the two
races next weekend. He will compete in a total of four GT Masters
events in 2016. Krohn will contest the entire season, which got
underway with fifth and eighth for him and BMW DTM driver Martin
Tomczyk (DE) in Oschersleben. Before Krohn and Delétraz head to the
Sachsenring, they will attend the Welcome Event for the 2016 BMW
Motorsport Junior Programme in Munich (DE) on Monday and Tuesday,
where the new class of Juniors will be presented.

Three questions for… Louis Delétraz.

Louis, your second year as a BMW Motorsport Junior officially
gets underway this week. Just how excited are you?

Louis Delétraz: “Very excited. The Welcome Event at the start of
the coming week is a fantastic start to the new season of the
programme. It will be fun to get to know the new Juniors and to no
longer be the rookie in the programme (he laughs). I am also really
looking forward to the following trip to the Sachsenring. I’m about to
contest my first ever GT race and no doubt still have a lot to learn.
However, I’m certain it will be an incredible experience. I can hardly
wait to get started.”

You will switch between the BMW M6 GT3 and a Formula car quite
often this season. Have you already got used to this adjustment?

Delétraz: “I don’t find it a problem. The adjustment is mainly
in my head, and I learned to deal with that very well in the BMW
Motorsport Junior Programme last year.”

You got off to an outstanding start of your Formula racing
season with your first win in the first race. What is your goal for
your debut in the BMW M6 GT3?

Delétraz: “Yes, I really did have a dream debut in Formula V8
3.5. We’ll have to wait and see whether things go as well at the
Sachsenring. We’ll see how the BMW M6 GT3 works on this very special
track, and will hopefully finish in the points again in the race. If
it turns out that we can do even better, naturally we will give it our
all to make the most of the opportunity. But the competition in the
ADAC GT Masters is of a very high calibre.”

Blancpain GT Series: Four BMW M6 GT3s race in Monza.

Four BMW M6 GT3s were on the starting grid at the opener of the
Blancpain Endurance Cup in Monza (IT). ROWE Racing fielded two cars in
the race and, in addition to their regular drivers, opted for support
from the experienced BMW works drivers Dirk Werner (DE) and Lucas Luhr
(DE) in the three-hour race. However, both cars were forced to end the
race early. The best-placed BMW M6 GT3 was the car of Boutsen Ginion
Racing in 15th place in the Pro-Am Cup. The BMW M6 GT3 of BMW Team
Italia headed by team boss Roberto Ravaglia (IT) retired early. The
win went to McLaren.

International GT Open: BMW Team Teo Martín on the podium.

The International GT Open season started with a podium position for
BMW Team Teo Martín and the new BMW M6 GT3. Gustavo Yacamán (CO) and
Fernando Monje (ES) finished in a strong second place in the first
race in Estoril (PT). The sister car driven by defending champion
Miguel Ramos (PT) and Roldan Rodriguez (ES) crossed the finish line in
seventh. Yacamán and Monje finished the second race on Sunday in
sixth. The second BMW M6 GT3 retired before the end of the race.

European GT4 Series: Two BMW M4s on the podium.

Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport celebrated a strong start to
the season of the European GT4 Series in Monza (IT). In the first race
on Saturday, Ricardo van der Ende and Bernhard van Oranje (both NL)
finished second in their BMW M4. Their team-mates Simon Knap und Rob
Severs (both NL) finished right behind them in third. In the race on
Sunday, van der Ende and van Oranje were the best-placed BMW team in sixth.

FIA Formula E Championship: Spectacular debut in Paris.

The FIA Formula E Championship made a spectacular debut in Paris
(FR). In front of the impressive backdrop of the French capital and
with 20,000 spectators in sold out stands, BMW DTM driver António
Félix da Costa (PT) picked up points for finishing eighth. Victory
went to Lucas di Grassi (BR). The race ended behind the BMW i8 Safety
Car, after Félix da Costa’s team-mate Ma Qing Hua (CN) had an accident
five laps before the end. The next stop on the race calendar of the
FIA Formula E Championship will be held in the German capital of
Berlin on 21st May.