BMW works drivers Augusto Farfus and Joel Eriksson to compete in the BMW M6 GT3 at Macau.

Munich. Two BMW works drivers will line up at this year’s FIA
GT World Cup on 16th and 17th November in
Macau (CHN): Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Joel Eriksson (SWE). Farfus
will once again take the wheel of the BMW M6 GT3 of BMW Team
Schnitzer at the world-famous ‘Guia Circuit’, where he won last
year. Eriksson will compete in the FIST-Team AAI BMW M6 GT3.

 

For Farfus and BMW Team Schnitzer it will be an emotional return to
Macau. The driver and team are connected by a long and successful
shared Macau history. BMW Team Schnitzer is the record winner on the
legendary street circuit – and Freilassing (GER) team took one of
those wins with Farfus in the FIA Touring Car World Championship in
2009. 2017 saw Farfus contest the FIA GT World Cup in Macau in the BMW
M6 GT3 Art Car fielded by BMW Team Schnitzer.

 

This was followed by a very special victory last year: it was the
last race event for Charly Lamm as Team Principal of BMW Team
Schnitzer. Farfus won the qualifying race on Saturday and drove to a
start-finish victory in the main race on Sunday. Lamm said it was one
of the greatest moments of his racing career after the win. He passed
away just a few weeks later.

 

“Macau will be very special this year,” said Farfus. “Firstly, it is
a place of which I have a lot of great memories. And the win in the
FIA GT World Cup last year was a highlight of my career. Winning
together with Charly, my friend and my mentor, who was very close
personally to me and my family, was something really special. This
year I hope we can repeat the success in memory of Charly. We know
that it will be a real challenge, but we will be racing there for the
third year in a row with the BMW M6 GT3 and have picked up the
necessary experience. We will try our best and give it our all to be
successful again.”

 

“On the initiative of Charly Lamm, BMW Team Schnitzer contested its
first race outside Europe in Macau many years ago,” explained Team
Manager Herbert Schnitzer jr. “That’s why Macau is a very emotional
place for us. Also because things came full circle last year with our
win in Charly’s last big race. We always love being in Macau and have
a special relationship with this track. This year we will give it our
all and hopefully bring home as great a result as last year, even
though the competition is very strong. We are really looking forward
to competing there with Augusto again. He is a long-standing companion
of our team, we have a fabulous relationship with each other and
really appreciate each other. His experience is also incredibly
important. He has been in Macau with us so often, so it’s great that
we have him on board.”

 

Eriksson’s debut in the BMW M6 GT3 in Macau.

BMW DTM driver Eriksson is also familiar with the tricky track in
Macau’s urban canyons. He raced in the Formula 3 Grand Prix there in
the last three years. Now he will contest the FIA GT World Cup
alongside FIST-Team AAI in the BMW M6 GT3. The Taiwanese team last
competed in Macau two years ago and finished in fifth and sixth
places. This season, FIST-Team AAI is enjoying success in the China GT
Championship and the China Endurance Championship.

 

“I am absolutely thrilled to be going back to Macau again this year,
this time representing BMW Motorsport in the FIA GT World Cup,“ said
Eriksson. “I have fallen in love with the Guia Circuit during my
visits in Formula 3 and I simply can’t wait to take it on in the BMW
M6 GT3. I thoroughly enjoy working with all the guys at FIST-Team AAI.
It’s hard to know what to expect. I’ve only ever driven an F3 car at
Macau so a certain level of adaptation will be required, but I’m
honoured that BMW has decided to put its trust in me for one of the
most important races of the season.”

 

The Macau Grand Prix, under the umbrella of which the FIA GT World
Cup takes place, will be held for the 66th time this year.
It is one of the best-known race events in the world. The race weekend
also includes the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix, in which BMW Motorrad
Motorsport racers have celebrated victory multiple times and numerous
podiums in recent years.