Hockenheim. The 2019 DTM season concluded with an eventful wet
race at Hockenheim (GER). Timo Glock (GER, JiVS BMW M4 DTM) was the
best-placed BMW driver, finishing fourth. Joel Eriksson (SWE, CATL
BMW M4 DTM) and Bruno Spengler (CAN, BMW Bank M4 DTM) were also in
the points, finishing in sixth and ninth positions. After 18 races,
Marco Wittmann (GER, Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM) was the most successful
BMW driver, scoring 202 points and securing third place overall.
Victory in the finale went to Nico Müller (SUI, Audi).
Outside the top ten, Wittmann, Sheldon van der Linde
(RSA, BMW M4 DTM) and Philipp Eng (AUT, ZF BMW M4 DTM) crossed the
line in twelfth, 13th and 14th positions. The race was interrupted due
to a host of incidents at the end of the first lap and then restarted
behind the safety car. The rain, heavy at times, continued throughout
the race.
The DTM season may be over, but the fans still
have one more highlight to look forward to this year: on 23rd/24th
November, three BMW M4 DTMs will be competing at the “Dream Race”
featuring the DTM and the Japanese SUPER GT championship at Fuji
(JPN). Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) and Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) have already
been confirmed as drivers.
Reactions to the 18th DTM race of the 2019 season
at Hockenheim.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Group Motorsport Director):
“That was another extremely eventful race to round off the
season here at Hockenheim. The weather played a dominant role and
there were a few incidents where we didn’t really make life any easier
for ourselves. That all meant that fourth place for Timo Glock was the
best we could hope for. However, we were aiming for much better
results this race Sunday. And that is true of the 2019 season as a
whole. Congratulations to Marco Wittmann on third place in the overall
standings. He celebrated four wins for us and we also enjoyed success
with Philipp Eng and Bruno Spengler. Despite some trying
circumstances, neither our drivers nor anyone else from our team ever
stopped battling. I am very grateful for that. Now we are totally
focused on working towards 2020, so that we can do better.
Congratulations to Audi on winning the title – and congratulations are
also in order to Aston Martin after a promising debut season. Just
like with the appearance of the Japanese manufacturers at Hockenheim,
the numerous innovations were a breath of fresh air for the DTM 2019.
The series is definitely moving in the right direction. Now we are
looking forward to a highlight to round off the DTM year at Fuji at
the end of November.”
Stefan Reinhold (BMW Team RMG Team Principal):
“That was a very difficult race today. Sometimes we were
involved at the front and sometimes we fell right back. We tried to
use our tactics to push Bruno Spengler up through the field. That was
an unfortunate situation in the pit lane with Marco Wittmann; it was a
matter of centimetres. We saw that the pit lane was really full and
tried to manage the situation but our pit lane neighbour also made his
stop at the same time. These are things that can sometimes go wrong
when things are so tight. We are happy that no-one got hurt. We were
also unable to move up any further with Timo Glock; the pace wasn’t
there. But my team did great work again this season. Thanks to all the
mechanics and engineers for doing a great job for 18 races.”
Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG, Grid:
5th, Race: 12th, Drivers’ standings: 3rd, 202 points):
“Essentially, our race was over after the drive-through penalty.
We still hoped for another safety car to help us get closer but that
didn’t come about. All in all, it was a race to forget. But the season
is over now and I did reach the podium with third place in the overall
standings. That is what counts and we can be proud of that. Compared
to the competition, we didn’t always have the best package. That means
that third place is a nice way to round off a season of ups and downs.”
Bruno Spengler (#7 BMW Bank M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG, Grid: 14th,
Race: 9th, Drivers’ standings: 9th, 106 points):
“Of course, ninth place is not a dream finish. But it was a good
recovery performance after starting from 14th on the grid. The team’s
strategy was great. We stopped at exactly the right moment. That was
perfect. We couldn’t have done any better. Now we have to focus on
next year to make sure that we get the most out of our car. That is
the objective.”
Timo Glock (#16 BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR, Grid: 2nd, Race:
4th, Driver’s standings: 12th, 58 points):
“That was a shame. I didn’t get it right at the start and my
wheels were spinning. I had big problems with grip all the time and it
was very difficult to get the tyres working in the cold conditions.
When I was behind René Rast, my speed was better but whenever I got
close enough, so much water came in through the air intake that I lost
some engine performance. That meant that I had no chance of overtaking
him. At the end, I was involved in a little battle with Jamie Green.
Of course, it’s a shame that we just missed out on the podium by
finishing fourth. I would have liked to have got there for the guys
but it wasn’t quite enough.”
Bert Mampaey (BMW Team RBM Team Principal):
“The conditions were difficult today. That start procedure was
all about safety, which was absolutely correct. As it was very likely
that we would see a safety car, we decided to split our strategy. We
stayed out for a long time with Joel Eriksson. That secured sixth
place for us, which is good. In some ways, the race reflected how our
season has gone. There were some ups and downs. But we are ready to do
better again next season.”
Philipp Eng (#25 ZF BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR, Grid: 7th, Race:
14th, Drivers’ standings: 6th, 144 points):
“The race really matched how the second half of my season went.
The heavy rain made conditions difficult and we tried to make the best
of it. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. I am just going to forget
about it and go back on the attack next year.”
Joel Eriksson (#47 CATL BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM, Grid: 4th,
Race: 6th, Drivers’ standings: 11th, 61 points):
“That wasn’t bad today. The pace during the race was fantastic.
We showed that we can also go fast in the rain. It is nice to finish
the season like that. Jamie Green and I had the track to ourselves
when all the other drivers had stopped and we were really fast.
Overall, that was not an easy race but the result was positive.”
Sheldon van der Linde (#31 Shell BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM,
Grid: 15th, Race: 13th, Drivers’ standings: 13th, 42 points):
“Qualifying was poor and I was hardly able to make up any
places. Overall, that was a difficult weekend for us. Looking back
over the DTM season as a whole, I can say that I have learned a lot. I
will build on that.”
