Munich. Maxime Martin (BEL) will take on a new motor racing
challenge in 2018, and will no longer take to the track in BMW
Motorsport colours. The 31-year-old contested his first year as a
BMW works driver in 2013, since when he has impressed in many ways,
above all through his versatility. He joined the ranks of BMW
Motorsport works drivers from the customer racing programme after
finishing runner-up in the 2012 BMW Sports Trophy.
Martin started out as a regular driver for BMW Team RLL in the
American Le Mans Series (ALMS) in 2013. The following season, the
Belgian made his debut in the DTM. In doing so, he followed in the
footsteps of his father Jean-Michel, who drove in this series for BMW
in the 1980s.
In 64 races, Maxime Martin claimed three victories and ten
podiums in total. He started from pole position on three occasions and
ended the DTM season seventh overall twice (2014, 2015) and eighth
twice (2016, 2017). Martin also claimed numerous GT victories with
BMW. The highlight of his career so far came in the form of victory at
his home race – the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) – with the BMW
M6 GT3.
“On behalf of BMW Motorsport, I would like to thank Maxime
Martin for his commitment over the past five years,” said BMW
Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Maxime showed that it is possible
to progress from customer racing to the top echelon of works racing
with us. It was always impressive to see how effortlessly he was able
to switch between DTM and GT cars. We wish him all the best for the future.”
Martin said: “It has definitely been a wonderful time with BMW,
being there for five years as official BMW works driver. The two years
before I had already been racing with the Marc VDS Racing Team in a
BMW so I have been with the brand for seven years, first in customer
racing, then as a works driver. We enjoyed really great success
together, with wins and podiums in the DTM, the victory at the 24
hours of Spa-Francorchamps as well as second places at the 24 hours at
the Nürburgring. I would like to thank Jens Marquardt, Adam Baker and
Rudi Dittrich who believed in me five years ago and offered me the
opportunity to join BMW as a works driver. I think without this
everything maybe would have been different. But you sometimes need new
challenges and changes so I decided to leave for a new challenge. I am
looking forward to what awaits me but it was a great time with BMW and
I want to thank everybody involved in it.”