Munich (DE), 26th May 2015. It has started: With an action-packed race weekend and two gripping races, the DTM kicked off the 2015 season at the Hockenheimring (DE) at the beginning of May. This weekend sees BMW Motorsport compete with its rivals on the Lausitzring (DE) for the second time this year.

BMW has a special connection with the track 130 kilometres south of Berlin (DE): Marco Wittmann (DE) made history last season when, before the end of the season, he finished sixth in the Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM to become the youngest ever German champion. It was also here that Bruno Spengler (CA) celebrated the 50th BMW win in the DTM and the first win since its DTM comeback in 2012.

The DTM visits the Lausitzring for the 16th time. The spectators literally sit in the front row at this track: From the imposing stand near the start-finish straight, you can almost see the entire track. The DTM competes on the 3.478-kilometre loop that is made up of sections of the tri-oval and the circuit.

Like last season, the International German Motorcycle Championship SUPERBIKE*IDM will be part of the supporting programme for the DTM. Numerous BMW riders will line up on the starting grid on the BMW S 1000 RR, including the 2013 champion and current overall leader, Markus Reiterberger (DE).

Four BMW DTM drivers were back in action on 16th and 17th May: Maxime Martin (BE) competed alongside Lucas Luhur (DE), Markus Palttala (FI) and Richard Westbrook (GB) at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE), where he finished runner-up. Augusto Farfus (BR) was also driving for BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, and secured pole position in the team’s second BMW Z4 GT3. He and fellow drivers Jörg Müller (DE), Nick Catsburg (NL) and Dirk Adorf (DE) went on to finish fourth in the race. In contrast, the endurance classic came to a premature end for Wittmann and Martin Tomczyk (DE), whose cars were forced to retire after crashes involving their team-mates.

Quotes ahead of the second race weekend of 2015 at the Lausitzring.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):

“Naturally we have a few great memories of the DTM at the Lausitzring: Bruno Spengler got the win in only the second race after our return to the series – celebrating BMW’s 50th DTM victory. In 2014, sixth place was enough for Marco Wittmann to clinch the DTM title. However, this track is also particularly demanding. Our rivals delivered a strong performance in Hockenheim, so we are by no means expecting the races to be easy. Nevertheless we are confident we will be stronger at the Lausitzring than we were at the season opener. The new format with two rounds per weekend definitely lived up to our expectations in Hockenheim. The fans are treated with a truly fantastic on-track programme in the 2015 DTM season. We are particularly looking forward to the SUPERBIKE*IDM, with many BMW Motorrad bikes on the grid, being part of the supporting programme. There’s no doubt that for the fans, the appearance of the motorcycles rounds off an already action-packed race weekend with two DTM qualifying sessions and two races.”

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG):

“Naturally, after Marco Wittmann won the title there in 2014, the Lausitzring is special to us. But looking back is irrelevant now. At the opener in Hockenheim we saw that we have a challenging season ahead of us and that we and the other BMW teams need to raise our game if we want to be up there at the front again. Which is why we worked hard to prepare for the Lausitzring and hope we will deliver a stronger performance there.”

Charly Lamm (Team Principal, BMW Team Schnitzer):

“The Lausitzring is always good for a surprise. In 2012 we got the DTM win at the first attempt. However, the Lusatia races were mixed for us in the last two years. Martin Tomczyk’s fourth place in the second DTM race in Hockenheim showed us that we are on the right track and we want to go on like that with both drivers at the Lausitzring.”

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM):

“Generally we had a good pace at the opener in Hockenheim – which is why we are confident heading into the second race weekend. However, the Lausitzring isn’t exactly what you would call a BMW track. Nevertheless we want to pick up points and be rewarded for the hard work over the past few weeks. As Hockenheim didn’t go our way it is something of a second start to the season for us.”

Ernest Knoors (Team Principal, BMW Team MTEK):

“I think the two races at Hockenheim have given the DTM fans appetite for more. There’s no doubt that the new format was a challenge for us as a team. However, when you see how much action is on offer this weekend, it is fantastic. We picked up a few points at the start of the season. It was a solid start, on which we want to build at the Lausitzring.”

Marco Wittmann (car number 1, BMW Team RMG):

“Naturally I am looking forward to returning to the Lausitzring, after all I celebrated the biggest success of my career there in 2014. The track has a little bit of everything – narrow corners, fast sections and long straights. I’m sure once again there will be plenty of action on offer for the fans.”

Maxime Martin (car number 36, BMW Team RMG):

“Last year was the first time I contested a DTM race at the Lausitzring. Now I am much more familiar with the track. It is difficult to say what the balance of power will be like on this circuit. In any case, my aim is to pick up points, just like at Hockenheim.”

Martin Tomczyk (car number 77, BMW Team Schnitzer):

“The Lausitzring is a track that we know well in principle. And we know that we can be fast there. But the challenge will be unlocking this potential when it matters. Our competition is strong. But we have also shown in the past that we can do well at the Lausitzring.”

António Félix da Costa (car number 13, BMW Team Schnitzer):

“Last year’s race was difficult for me, as it was my first race in the BMW M4 DTM on the Lausitzring. Now I come back and have a much better idea of what to expect. I hope that helps me to have a good pace from the beginning. The Hockenheim weekend was disappointing for me as far as results are concerned, but I showed a good pace in qualifying on Sunday. So I know I can be really quick if I get everything right. That’s the goal for the weekend.”

Augusto Farfus (car number 18, BMW Team RBM):

“It’s great to be back at the wheel of my Shell BMW M4 DTM after the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. We showed a very good pace at the opening DTM weekend in Hockenheim, but weren’t able to get the results we had been aiming for. I have some good memories of the Lausitzring as I stepped on the podium there for the first time in my DTM career in 2012. Let’s hope for another good weekend there.”

Tom Blomqvist (car number 31, BMW Team RBM):

“My very first DTM race weekend was fantastic. I learned a lot and now feel well-prepared for the second event at the Lausitzring. Our pace was good in Hockenheim, but we couldn’t capitalise on this to score some good results. I definitely want to change this at the Lausitzring.”

Bruno Spengler (car number 7, BMW Team MTEK):

“Although the last two races at the Lausitzring have not been ideal for me, I always have fond memories when I return to the circuit. I will never forget that first victory with the BMW Bank M3 DTM in the 2012 season. That was an awesome experience for me. This year, it is important for us to qualify higher up than we did in Hockenheim. I am certain we will be able to get some good results again then.”

Timo Glock (car number 16, BMW Team MTEK):

“I am glad to finally go racing again after a three-week break. We obviously hope that the Lausitzring will suit us better than it has done in the past, and that we can return to form there. It would be nice to come away with some points again.”

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Lausitzring Statistics.

Length:                             3.478 km

2014 winner:                    Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes

2014 pole:                        1:17.547 minutes (Pascal Wehrlein, Mercedes)

Top BMW in 2014:           Marco Wittmann, 6th

DTM debut:                      2000

BMW wins:                       1

BMW pole positions:        1

BMW fastest laps:             0

BMW podiums:                2

Statistics for the BMW DTM drivers.

BMW Motorsport Media Schedule.

2015 DTM Calendar.

1st-3rd May – Hockenheim (DE), 29th-31st May – Lausitzring (DE), 26th-28th June – Norisring (DE), 10th-12th July – Zandvoort (NL), 31st July-2nd August – Spielberg (AT), 28th-30th August – Moscow (RU), 11th-13th September – Oschersleben (DE), 25th-27th September – Nürburgring (DE), 16th-18th October – Hockenheim (DE).

Drivers’ Championship.

1. Edoardo Mortara (30 points), 2. Mattias Ekström (25), 3. Jamie Green (25), 4. Pascal Wehrlein (22), 5. Mike Rockenfeller (18), 6. Paul di Resta (15), 7. Gary Paffett (15), 8. Martin Tomczyk (12), 9. Marco Wittmann (12), 10. Nico Müller (8), 11. Maxime Martin (6), 12. Robert Wickens (6), 13. Timo Glock (5), 14. Bruno Spengler (2), 15. Augusto Farfus (1), 16. António Félix da Costa (0), 17. Tom Blomqvist (0), 18. Miguel Molina (0), 19. Timo Scheider (0), 20. Christian Vietoris (0), 21. Adrien Tambay (0), 22. Daniel Juncadella (0), 23. Maximilian Götz (0), 24. Lucas Auer (0).

Team Championship.

1. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (33 points), 2. Audi Sport Team Abt (30), 3. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (25), 4. gooix/Original-Teile Mercedes-AMG (22), 5. SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG (21), 6. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (18), 7. BMW Team RMG (18), 8. EURONICS/BWT Mercedes-AMG (15), 9. BMW Team Schnitzer (12), 10. BMW Team MTEK (7), 11. BMW Team RBM (1), 12. PETRONAS Mercedes-AMG (0).

Manufacturers’ Championship.

1. Audi (106 points), 2. Mercedes (58), 3. BMW (38).

Further information.

You can find the latest BMW Motorsport media information, the DTM press kit and copyright-free images for editorial purposes online at www.press.bmwgroup-sport.com.

BMW Motorsport online.

Website: www.bmw-motorsport.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bmwmotorsport

YouTube: www.youtube.com/bmwmotorsport

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bmwmotorsport

Google+: www.plus.google.com/+bmwmotorsport

About the DTM.

The German Touring Car Masters – DTM for short – is the most popular touring car series in the world. The series sees the three premium automobile manufacturers BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz go head to head on the racetrack. BMW was first involved in the DTM with a works team between 1984 and 1992, during which time it won 49 races and three Drivers’ Championships (1984, 1987 and 1989). The manufacturer returned to the DTM in 2012 with the BMW M3 DTM, three teams and six drivers, winning five races and topping the Drivers’, Team and Manufacturers’ Championships at the first attempt. In 2013, BMW successfully defended its title in the Manufacturers’ Championship with four teams and eight drivers. Last season BMW Motorsport competed with the new BMW M4 DTM for the first time. By the end of the ten-race season, the Bavarian manufacturer had five race wins, 11 podiums, four pole positions and four fastest laps to its name, while Marco Wittmann became the youngest German DTM champion ever. Wittmann’s BMW Team RMG was victorious in the Team competition.

Eighteen races spread over nine weekends await the teams and drivers in 2015. For the first time since the 2000 season, each event consists of two races, each with the same points format. The season kicks off on 2nd/3rd May with two races in Hockenheim. This is followed by a further four rounds in Germany – at the Lausitzring, Norisring, Nürburgring and in Oschersleben – before the series returns to Hockenheim for the season finale on 17th/18th October. Zandvoort, Spielberg and Moscow host the three international rounds of the DTM. The ARD is broadcasting every race live. Tickets to all DTM races are available here: https://tickets.bmw-motorsport.com/index.html

Whether in the DTM, the United 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.

Nürburgring 24 Hours: the Eifel classic on video.

BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS finished runners-up at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE) last Sunday in one of the closest finishes of all time. In an emotional video, we look back at the 43rd running of this endurance marathon. From pole position, courtesy of Augusto Farfus (BR), and disappointment for BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert to the happy ending after 24 hours: this year’s race was littered with spectacular scenes.

The clip is available now on the BMW Motorsport YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/XSbH_ArJ1M8

Extensive footage is also available for TV and video journalists to download at: http://bit.ly/1enKae2

Blancpain Endurance Series: class victory for the BMW Z4 GT3.

A top-class field of 61 cars competed in Silverstone (GB) for the second race weekend in the Blancpain Endurance Series. After 82 laps, Olivier Grötz (NL) and Karim Ojjeh (SA) emerged victorious in the Am class in the number 15 BMW Z4 GT3. The duo from the Boutsen Ginion team led the three-hour race for long stretches, leaving the opposition to fight it out for second place. In the Pro-Am class, the number 888 BMW Z4 GT3 of the Triple Eight Racing team also led for much of the race, but surrendered the lead after the final pit stop and eventually came home tenth. The best-placed BMW Z4 GT3 in the Pro-Am class was the TDS Racing car in sixth place.

GT4 European Series: first win of the season for the defending champions.

The second race weekend of the GT4 European Series saw Ricardo van der Ende and Bernhard van Oranje (both NL) claim their first win of the season. The defending champions in the Pro class came home second overall at the wheel of the number 1 BMW M3 GT4 in Saturday’s opening race, which was good enough to earn them victory in their class. “Winning your home race is just the coolest thing,” said van Oranje, who races alongside van der Ende for the Ekris Motorsport team. They were less fortunate in race two on Sunday, having to settle for sixth place in the Pro class. The best-placed BMW drivers were Simon Knap and Rob Severs (both NL), also representing Racing Team Holland by Ekris Motorsport. They finished the race fourth overall and in the Pro class. Two BMW M3 GT4s came home in the top ten. The Red Bull Ring (AT) hosts the third race weekend of the GT4 European Series from 5th to 7th June.

FIA Formula E Championship: home outing for the BMW i8 Safety Car.

The latest leg of their world tour saw the BMW i8 Safety Car and the BMW i3 Medical Car make their first appearance in Germany at the weekend. The eighth race of FIA Formula E Championship took place on Saturday on the grounds of the former Tempelhof Airport in Berlin (DE). BMW is involved in the innovative racing series for electric single-seater cars as “Official Vehicle Partner”. The winner of the 33-lap race was Jerome d'Ambrosio (BE) of the Dragon Racing team. Lucas di Grassi (BR) did cross the finish line first, but the Brazilian was subsequently disqualified, as his car failed the post-race technical inspection. BMW DTM driver António Félix da Costa (PT) finished 11th at the Berlin ePrix. The BMW i8 Safety Car and BMW i3 Medical Car will be in action in Moscow (RU) next, when the Russian capital hosts the ninth round of the FIA Formula E Championship on 6th June. Three months later, the DTM also heads to Russia: the eight BMW M4 DTMs will be back battling for points when the “Moscow Raceway” stages two races from 28th to 30th August.

Nürburgring (DE), 17th May 2015. Strong showing in the “Green Hell”: BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS finished second at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE). After 156 laps, the number 25 BMW Z4 GT3 crossed the line at the 43rd running of the endurance classic just 40.729 seconds behind the winning car. It was the closest finish in the history of the event since 1970. Maxime Martin (BE), Lucas Luhr (DE), Markus Palttala (FI) and Richard Westbrook (GB) shared the driving duties over the course of the 24 hours and, like the team, produced impressive performances. In the end, however, they just came up short of what would have been a 20th overall victory for BMW.

BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS repeated its result from 2013, when it finished the runners-up with the BMW Z4 GT3 – again with Martin at the wheel. The second BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS car also claimed an excellent result in front of 200,000 spectators: Dirk Adorf (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Nick Catsburg (NL) and Jörg Müller (DE) were at the wheel of the number 26 car and narrowly missed out on a podium finish, coming home in fourth place. Catsburg clocked the fastest lap of the entire race on lap 120, with a time of 8:18.690 minutes.

The number 17 BMW Z4 GT3 of the Walkenhorst Motorsport team, driven by Felipe Laser (DE), Michela Cerruti (IT), BMW USCC driver John Edwards (US) and Daniel Keilwitz (DE), came home sixth to complete a strong BMW showing. The sister car, the number 18, crossed the finish line in 15th place. In contrast, BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert endured a luckless race: both the number 19 and the number 20 BMW Z4 GT3s were forced to retire following crashes.

“Over the past 24 hours we have seen virtually everything that makes this endurance classic so enthralling,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “In a thrilling race, we eventually finished an excellent second and came within a whisker of winning. That is a fantastic result for the BMW Z4 GT3 on its last works-assisted outing – especially given the strong opposition. Although we did not quite get our 20th overall victory, the combination of a flawless job by the team and drivers, and a robust, mature car kept the race extremely exciting right through to the finish. Our quartet of drivers, who worked perfectly with each other, deserve particular mention: Lucas Luhr, Maxime Martin, Richard Westbrook and Markus Palttala never let anything knock them off their stride – even in some extremely difficult conditions. They were fast when they had to be, but reined themselves in when necessary. They did a very good job. The second BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS car also had a very good race. It dropped back a bit due to some problems during pit stops, but was still able to claim a good result.”

“Although we are all pleased about the great overall result, I feel particularly sorry for BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert today. The team also did a very good job – but it just goes to show how quickly your luck can change here in the Eifel Mountains. Two sudden showers, two scary moments for Claudia and Dirk, and suddenly you are denied any chance of winning. The Walkenhorst team also enjoyed a fantastic race: they also had a flawless race with the number 17 car and finished an excellent sixth. Another great performance came from the Sorg Rennsport team in the BMW M235i Racing Cup: 25th place overall – that is not to be sniffed at. And our media BMW M235i Racing was also flawless. The drivers showed incredible consistency and ultimately came home 42nd overall. I would also like to highlight the extraordinary backdrop to this race: the great fan community created a genuine festival atmosphere. Although I have been coming here for many years, I really noticed it this year. And that is despite the tragic events in the run-up to the race. However, we saw that the measures put in place were effective, thanks in no small part to the discipline shown by the competitors. At this point, we would like to dedicate our podium finish to the spectator who died a few weeks ago. Congratulations to the Audi WRT team.”

The BMW M235i Racing Cup class, which featured a strong field of 14 cars, saw Michele Di Martino (DE), Moritz Oberheim (DE), Kevin Warum (DE) and Torsten Kratz (DE) of the Securtal Sorg Rennsport team emerge victorious. They finished an impressive 25th overall in the number 301 car.

The number 235 BMW M235i Racing, in which the two motorsport journalists Bernd Ostmann (DE) and Christian Gebhardt (DE) alternated with BMW Motorsport Junior Victor Bouveng (SE) and Harald Grohs (DE) at the wheel, enjoyed a successful race, winning the SP 8T class and finishing 42nd overall. This marked Grohs’ 30th start at the Nürburgring 24 Hours – and his last, as he announced after the race.

Reactions and positions.

Bas Leinders (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, Team Principal):
“It is fantastic to finish with both cars – and in second and fourth places. An incredible amount of work goes into keeping the cars in the face for the full 24 hours. We are delighted to have achieved that. My team did an awesome job. Thank you to everyone in the team. On the other hand, we obviously came to the Nordschleife to win. That was our goal. It was a great fight, but unfortunately we lost it.”

Lucas Luhr (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 25, 2nd):
“Even though we lost a few minutes in the opening hours of the race, it was always clear to me that we could still challenge at the front if we came through the night unscathed. We did that, because we went for the right tyre when it started to rain heavily late in the evening. All in all, I had a huge amount of fun all weekend at the Nürburgring with the team and my fellow drivers. However, we obviously came here to win.”

Maxime Martin (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 25, 2nd):
“It was a really close race. The winning Audi produced a great race – and the same goes for us. We were close to winning, but it was not meant to be. That is racing for you sometimes. We will be back for another shot.”

Markus Palttala (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 25, 2nd):
“I am proud of the guys in the team. The car worked superbly, the drivers were all consistently quick and we did a very good job. Unfortunately it was not quite good enough to win. However, although we obviously wanted to win, second place is still a very good effort. For me personally, this is actually my first podium at this race.”

Richard Westbrook (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 25, 2nd):
“That was a fantastic race with some great duels. You can obviously look for reasons why we narrowly missed out on the win, but on the whole we should be proud of the second place we achieved here. Appearing here with BMW, this magnificent team and fantastic team-mates was an awesome experience for me.”

Augusto Farfus (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 26, 4th):
“I am disappointed, because we had a car we could have won with. We were on pole and clocked the fastest lap of the race. Unfortunately we made small mistakes with both cars, which ultimately cost us the win. That shows that the standard of racing at this race is so high that you cannot afford even the slightest slip-up.”

Dirk Adorf (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 26, 4th):
“Congratulations to Audi on the win, but above all compliments to our team. We did everything right that you have to do right at a 24-hour race. And we were very fast. Unfortunately the misfortune during the pit stop in the night cost us too much time. Second and fourth is an excellent result for the team, but it is a shame we could not quite get a win with the BMW Z4 GT3 at its farewell race.”

Jörg Müller (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 26, 4th):
“We were positive. That is definitely the positive we can take from this race. Unfortunately, however, we made a mistake, which we could not afford against such strong opposition. Despite this, the team deserves a huge compliment. I have never driven a car in the final stint of a 24-hour race that still feels as good as it did in the first stint. The BMW Z4 GT3 had really been prepared perfectly.”

Nick Catsburg (BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, car number 26, 4th):
“I think we all did a perfect job and have nothing to be ashamed of. We had the speed to finish on the podium, but unfortunately came up just short due to the time we lost in the night. Despite this, I am very proud of our performance.”

John Edwards (Walkenhorst Motorsport powered by Dunlop, car number 17, 6th):
“That was 24 very long hours – definitely the most exhausting endurance race I have ever been involved in. The Nürburgring is a very special challenge. When you see the teams that finished ahead of us, sixth place is an outstanding result for a privateer team like Walkenhorst Motorsport. I am delighted for the guys.”

Victor Bouveng (BMW Motorsport, car number 235, 1st SP 8T):
“My first 24-hour race was an incredible experience. Driving in the night, double stints, the masses of fans at the side of the track – that was all completely new to me. We did a perfect job as a team and brought the car home without a single scratch. It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Harald Grohs (BMW Motorsport, car number 235, 1st SP 8T):
“I could not wish for a better ending to my career as a 24-hour racing driver. Therefore, I can now announce that that was my final start at this kind of endurance race. At 71 years of age, I think I prepared superbly for this challenge again, and mastered it without any problems. However, the time has come for me to focus more on my other roles. Our BMW M235i Racing was absolutely perfect and we did not receive a single penalty. My fellow drivers deserve great praise for that. It was hugely enjoyable.”

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BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert

Number 19 BMW Z4 GT3, Dirk Werner (DE), Marco Wittmann (DE), Dirk Müller (DE), Alexander Sims (GB) – DNF

Number 20 BMW Z4 GT3, Claudia Hürtgen (DE), Dominik Baumann (AT), Jens Klingmann (DE), Martin Tomczyk (DE) – DNF

BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS

Number 25 BMW Z4 GT3, Maxime Martin (BE), Lucas Luhr (DE), Richard Westbrook (GB), Markus Palttala (FI) – 2nd

Number 26 BMW Z4 GT3, Dirk Adorf (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Nick Catsburg (NL), Jörg Müller (DE) – 4th

Walkenhorst Motorsport powered by Dunlop

Number 17 BMW Z4 GT3, Felipe Laser (DE), Michela Cerruti (IT), John Edwards (US), Daniel Keilwitz (DE) – 6th

Number 18 BMW Z4 GT3, Henry Walkenhorst (DE), Ralf Oeverhaus (DE), Christian Bollrath (DE), Stefan Aust (DE) – 15th

BMW M235i Racing media car

Number 235 BMW M235i Racing, Bernd Ostmann (DE), Christian Gebhardt (DE), Victor Bouveng (SE), Harald Grohs (DE) – 1st (SP 8T)

Nürburgring 24 Hours: Strong outing in the “Green Hell”.

Second, fourth, sixth and 15th: the BMW Z4 GT3 enjoyed a good result at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE). Although BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS narrowly missed out on a 20th overall victory for BMW at the classic in the Eifel Mountains, finishing second and fourth, the overwhelming feeling after 156 laps was one of satisfaction with the drivers’ strong, battling efforts and the impressive performance of the BMW Z4 GT3. Many other privateer BMW teams and drivers had reason to celebrate in the Eifel region: in total, four class victories went to BMW.

Three questions for... Bas Leinders (Team Principal, BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS).

Bas, second and fourth at the toughest 24-hour race in the world: how happy are you with the result?

Bas Leinders: “When you see how all the teams celebrated after the finish here at the Nürburgring, you can understand how much it means to get both cars through the entire distance at this race. However, we obviously wanted more. We wanted to win. It was a tough, exciting battle. Unfortunately we just came up short. We were runners-up in 2013 too. Back then, it felt like a win. This time we are disappointed.”

Your drivers were fantastic...

Leinders: “Yes, the guys were absolutely mega. However, the drivers were not the only ones who performed incredibly. The entire team did a perfect job. We had prepared meticulously for this one race in the ‘Green Hell’. Everyone in the team was fully committed to the cause, which allowed us to produce the performance we did this weekend. I would also like to pay a big compliment to the fans: it is incredible how many fans we had as a Belgian team in Germany.”

Your team made its first appearance at the Nürburgring 24 Hours in 2012. How has your team developed since then?

Leinders: “In the first year, we were a bit lost here. It was like landing on a different planet. However, the preparation races in the VLN Endurance Championship allowed us to adapt to this extraordinary circuit. Nowadays we love the Nordschleife. We definitely want to come back and to finally get a win under our belts.”

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Nürburgring 24 Hours: Sorg Rennsport wins the BMW M235i Racing Cup class.

Victory in the BMW M235i Racing Cup class at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE) went to the number 301 car, run by the Securtal Sorg Rennsport team. After 136 laps of the Nordschleife, Michele Di Martino (DE), Moritz Oberheim (DE), Kevin Warum (DE) and Torsten Kratz (DE) came home four laps ahead of the number 308 Walkenhorst Motorsport car and the number 306 car of Bonk Motorsport. Because the 24-hour race did not form part of the BMW M236i Racing Cup this season, the winning team was presented with watches on the podium as a special prize, courtesy of Official Partner Dunlop. The drivers from the Scheid-Honert Motorsport team were also rewarded for their pole position in the CUP 5 class with watches. The “Eifelblitz” car led the race for a long time, before it lost a lot of time in the garage with a problem and eventually came home seventh in the class.

European Le Mans Series: double header for the Marc VDS Racing team.

At the same time as the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, the Marc VDS Racing team was also in action in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) at the weekend. BMW works driver Andy Priaulx (GB), BMW Motorsport Junior Jesse Krohn (FI) and Henry Hassid (FR) competed in the number 52 BMW Z4 GTE at the second race of the year in Imola (I). After 132 laps, the trio finished fourth in the LMGTE class. Victory went to the number 56 Ferrari of the AT Racing team. In the GTC class, the TDS Racing team came home fourth with its BMW Z4 GT3.

Nürnberg (DE), 26th April 2015. Smoking tyres, roaring engines, enthusiastic fans: At the BMW Dealership in Nürnberg (DE), BMW Motorsport presented the motorsport programme for the 2015 season in front of thousands of spectators in an entertaining show. It was the first time that the annual BMW Motorsport Car Launch had been held in Nürnberg, home of reigning DTM Champion Marco Wittmann (DE) who lives just a few kilometres away in Fürth (DE). Wittmann and his fellow BMW works drivers thrilled the fans with rides in the current BMW race cars BMW M4 DTM, BMW Z4 GT3 and BMW M235i Racing, with taxi rides in the historic BMW M3 and the BMW M3 GT2 as well as with several autograph sessions.

“The BMW Motorsport Car Launch ahead of the DTM season has become an extremely popular tradition for us and for the fans in particular. It’s a real highlight for us to visit the home of our DTM Champion this year,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “2015 will be another packed racing season for us – and once again BMW Motorsport will be represented in a variety of series. Naturally this includes the DTM, which we will contest as defending champions and will be the team everyone wants to beat. This also includes the races in the United SportsCar Championship in North America, as well as international GT racing classics such as the 24 Hours of Nürburgring or the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. We will also continue our talent promotion and, as part of the BMW Sports Trophy, will continue to support privateer racing drivers and teams who will compete in races across the globe in 2015. It will definitely be an incredibly exciting year.”

One of the highlights of the BMW Motorsport Car Launch was the unveiling of all eight BMW M4 DTMs, with which Wittmann and his fellow BMW drivers Maxime Martin (BE), Martin Tomczyk (DE), António Félix da Costa (PT), Augusto Farfus (BR), Tom Blomqvist (GB), Bruno Spengler (CA) and Timo Glock (DE) will contest the 2015 DTM season. A fan assisted each of the drivers in the unveiling of their cars. “I'm delighted that the BMW Motorsport Car Launch was on my doorstep this year,” said Wittmann. “It’s another reminder of our fantastic achievement alongside BMW Team RMG in 2014. When you look at the beaming faces of the fans, you’re happy that you get to give them a little something back with this kind of show as thanks for their support. Hopefully we will be able to delight them with more sporting successes. We will definitely be giving it our all.”

As well as the eight BMW DTM drivers, BMW works drivers Dirk Werner (DE) and Lucas Luhr (DE), who compete for BMW in the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) and in endurance races in 2015, were also in Nürnberg. Last weekend Werner had claimed GTLM victory in the USCC race at Long Beach (US). BMW Motorsport Junior Victor Bouveng (SE), one of the four juniors in this year’s programme, presented himself to the fans.

Another major highlight was the appearance of BMW works driver and brand ambassador Alessandro Zanardi (IT). Together with Spengler and Glock, he will contest the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BE) for the first time on 25th/26th July. The BMW Motorsport engineers have modified the BMW Z4 GT3 so that Zanardi, who lost both legs in a serious accident in 2001, can share the cockpit with fully-abled drivers. “The reception in Nürnberg was fantastic. Thanks again to BMW Motorsport for giving me the chance to contest a 24-hour race for the first time in my life,” said Zanardi. “It will be an exciting challenge and I’m sure with my team-mates Timo and Bruno I will also get a good result.”

The BMW Motorsport Car Launch started the countdown to the opening of the 2015 DTM season. The first two races will be held in Hockenheim (DE) this coming weekend.

Munich, 22nd April 2015. One of the first highlights of the year for BMW Motorrad Motorsport was held last weekend in France: the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. At the “Circuit de la Sarthe”, the new BMW S 1000 RR had a successful debut at this endurance classic. In addition, privateer BMW Motorrad riders have been in action in championships all around the globe this weekend. They were on track in several European countries, the US and Japan. With their results, the participants of the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy also collected important points for the Race Trophy rankings (see current standings at the bottom).

FIM Endurance World Championship: 24 Hours of Le Mans, France.

This is without any doubt one of the toughest challenges for man and machine: the “24 Heures Moto”, the legendary 24-hour race at Le Mans (FR). Last weekend, the “Circuit de la Sarthe” hosted the 38th running of the endurance classic as the season opener of the 2015 FIM Endurance World Championship (EWC). For the BMW Motorrad Motorsport community, it brought several successful firsts. It was the Le Mans debut for the new BMW S 1000 RR, which was entered by BMW Motorrad France Team Penz13.com with the support of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport engineers. For team principal Rico Penzkofer’s (DE) squad it was a debut, too. After successfully competing in the Superstock category of the EWC over the past years, Penz13.com now represents the colours of BMW Motorrad Motorsport and BMW Motorrad France in the highest Superbike class, with Le Mans being its first race in the new category. The team is collaborating in its EWC campaign with the squad of Van-Zon Remeha BMW around Werner Daemen (BE), which is well known from the Superbike*IDM / International German Championship (IDM).

The team and its riders, Markus Reiterberger (DE), Pedro Vallcaneras (ES) and Gareth Jones (AU), who stood in for the injured Bastien Mackels (BE), bravely mastered all challenges presented by the 24 hours. In qualifying, they secured P5 on the grid for the new #13 RR. Despite some setbacks at the beginning, which can even happen to established teams at any time, the trio fought its way back towards the front. Even in the final stages of the race they kept an impressively fast pace. After the long 24 hours, Reiterberger powered the RR over the finish line in a strong seventh overall and fifth in the class.

In 2015, Penz13.com is also still involved in the Superstock class, joining forces with Völpker NRT48 in the Völpker NRT48 & Penz13 by Schubert Motors team. Riders Marco Nekvasil (AT), Steve Mercer (GB) and Hayato Takada (JP) brought the #48 BMW S 1000 RR safely through the 24 hours as well. Eighteen-year old Nekvasil, who was the youngest rider in the entire field, had the honour to do the final stint. He took the chequered flag in 16th overall and eighth in the Superstock class. Another first at Le Mans was the participation of the British BMW team, Prime Factors Racing. The 2014 British endurance champions are competing in their debut season in the Superstock class of the EWC. Riders Stefan Cappella (GB), Gary Mason (GB) and Barry Burrell (GB) finished 20th overall and ninth in class.

FIM World Superbike Championship in Assen, the Netherlands.

Only one week after the Spanish round at “Motorland Aragón”, the engineers from BMW Motorrad Motorsport have been on duty again at the famous “TT Circuit” in Assen (NL) for the fourth round of the 2015 FIM World Superbike Championship (WSBK). After the promising performance in Spain, the BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team and Ayrton Badovini (IT) had high hopes to further improve. In fact, they had reason to be satisfied with the first sessions on Friday and Saturday. From Superpole on they were, however, unable to show the real potential of the BMW S 1000 RR. Badovini started to suffer from severe pain in his left arm, caused by an inflammation. This pain limited his ability to ride on this physically very demanding track. The Italian qualified 14th for the two races. On Sunday, Badovini tried everything to defy the pain. In race one, he improved up to eighth place, but the pain became worse, forcing him to return to the pits and retire. In race two, he attacked again and finished in 12th despite his painful arm. In doing so, he collected a further four championship points. Gabor Rizmayer (HU) from BMW Racing Team Toth finished both races in 18th. His team-mate Imre Toth (HU) retired in both races.

FIM Superstock 1000 Cup in Assen, the Netherlands.

Assen also hosted the second round of the 2015 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup (STK1000). The season opener at “Motorland Aragón” had seen a triumphant win by Roberto Tamburini (IT) on his BMW S 1000 RR. At Assen, the Team MotoxRacing rider, however, suffered some bad luck in a turbulent race. He started third from the front row of the grid, but was involved in a crash which caused a red flag. Despite every effort, Tamburini did not make it to the grid for the re-start and was forced to watch the shortened nine-lap-race as a spectator. Fabio Marchionni (IT) crossed the finish line in 18th on the RR fielded by TR. Corse. Federico D’Annunzio (IT / FDA Racing Team) unfortunately also suffered a bad crash during the race. Eric Vionnet (CH / Team Motos Vionnet) fell during Saturday’s qualifying and did not take part in Sunday’s warm-up and race.

FIM Sidecar World Championship in Le Mans, France.

Back-to-back races also in the FIM Sidecar World Championship (SWC): One week after the 2015 season opener in Donington (GB), the world’s best sidecar crews met at Le Mans in France last weekend. And the Finnish BMW duo of Pekka Päivärinta / Kirsi Kainulainen (44-Racing) left France as the new overall leaders of the world championship rankings. In the Le Mans race, they finished second on the podium for the second time in a row. Uwe Gürck (DE) and Manfred Wechselberger (AT) of Polizei Sport Verein Wels claimed fourth in the fiercely fought race, while Mike Roscher (DE) and Anna Burkard (CH) finished sixth on their Roscher-Burkhard-Penz13 machine.

British Superbike Championship in Brands Hatch, Great Britain.

The “Indy Circuit” of Brands Hatch (GB) hosted the second round of the 2015 British Superbike Championship. The fans of this well-known championship were once more entertained with two exciting races. Riuychi Kiyonari (JP) finished fourth on his Buildbase BMW S 1000 RR on both occasions. With these results, he improved to fourth overall in the championship standings. In race one, Billy McConnell (AU / Smiths Racing BMW) and Michael Laverty (GB / Tyco BMW) finished ninth and 13th respectively to also collect championship points. In race two, Laverty’s team-mate Tommy Bridewell (GB) crossed the line in sixth, while McDonnell was ninth again. Peter Hickman (GB / RAF Reserves BMW) also finished in the points, coming home in 14th.

In the Superstock class of the BSB, Hudson Kennaugh (ZA / TrikMoto BMW) finished third on the podium. Tyco BMW rider Alastair Seeley (GB) crossed the line in fifth and set the fastest lap of the race. Luke Quigley (GB / Formwise Washrooms / Bathams) was seventh, while Dominic Usher (GB) collected the final point, finishing 15th on his DU Racing BMW, directly in front of Rob McNealy (GB / McNealy Brown Ltd.).

MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Superbike Championship in Braselton, US.

One week after the season opener in Austin (US), the new MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Superbike Championship (AMA) held its second round at the iconic “Road Atlanta” circuit in Braselton, Georgia (US). The weather proved to be a real challenge for everyone on this occasion, with races delayed due to heavy rain and flooding. Privateer BMW Motorrad rider Marcel Irnie (CA) defied the bad conditions and finished the two heats of the Superstock 1000 class in tenth and ninth respectively.

MFJ Superbike All Japan Road Race Championship in Suzuka, Japan .

Last weekend, the Superbike season also started in Japan. The first round of the 2015 MFJ Superbike All Japan Road Race Championship (MFJ) was held at Suzuka. BMW Motorrad Motorsport is well represented in this championship with no less than six BMW S 1000 RRs competing in the fiercely fought JSB 1000 class. The best placed BWM rider in the first race of the season was Daisaku Sakai (JP / CONFIA Flex Motorrad 39) in 15th, directly followed by Kohji Teramoto (JP / Team Tras 135HP) in 16th.

2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Current Standings.

In 2015, the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy comprises a total of 19 international and national championships. Registration is possible until 30th June 2015. Participants in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy can once again compete in multiple championships in 2015. However, the points scored in the different championships are not added together, but are calculated separately for each individual race series. The current standings only include points from the race series in which the participant has scored the most Race Trophy points. You can find all the information on the 2015 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy, including the regulations and registration form, online at the BMW Motorrad Motorsport website:

www.bmw-motorrad-motorsport.com

Status: 22nd April 2015

16. Gary Mason (GB/EWC STK/24,00), 17. Tommy Bridewell (GB/BSB SBK/21,33), 18. Ryuichi Kiyonari (JP/BSB SBK/21,33), 19. Uwe Gürck/Manfred Wechselberger (DE/AT/SWC/20,80), 20. Peter Hickman (GB/BSB SBK/19,81), 21. Camille Hedelin (FR/FSBK STK/19,69), 22. Leon Benichou (FR/FR EU/16,00), 23. Michael Laverty (GB/BSB SBK/15,24), 24. Laurent Aymonin (FR/FR EU/13,54), 25. Nicolas Pouhair (FR/FSBK STK/12,31), 26. Jean Foray (FR/FR EU/9,85), 27. Emilien Jaillet (FR/FSBK STK/8,62), 28. Lee Jackson (GB/BSB SBK/6,10), 29. Fabio Marchionni (IT/STK1000/4,00), 30. Yuuta Kodama (JP/MFJ/2,00), 31. Daisaku Sakai (JP/MFJ/2,00), 32. Kohji Teramoto (JP/MFJ/2,00), 33. Noriyuki Tsujimoto (JP/MFJ/2,00), 34. Michael Truchot (FR/FR EU/1,23), 35. Pepin Bijsterbosch (NL/IDM SBK/0,00), 36. Martin Choy (BG/AARR SBK/0,00), 37. Milos Cihak (CZ/AARR SBK/0,00), 38. Jeremy Cook (US/AMA STK/0,00), 39. Federico D’Annunzio (IT/STK1000/0,00), 40. Michal Fojtik (CZ/AARR SBK/0,00), 41. Pawel Gorka (PL/AARR SBK/0,00), 33.), 42. Thomas Hainthaler (DE/IDM SBK/0,00), 43. Mika Höglund (FI/CEV AM/0,00), 44. Sabine Holbrook (DE/AARR SBK/0,00), 45. Eeki Kuparinen (FI/CEV AM/0,00), 46. Luca Oppedisano (IT/CIV/0,00), 47. Janez Prosenik (SI/AARR SBK/0,00), 48. Markus Reiterberger (DE/IDM SBK/0,00), 49. Chris Schmid (DE/IDM SBK/0,00), 50. Iván Silva (ES/CEV PR/0,00), 51. Shinya Takeishi (JP/MFJ/0,00), 52. Dominik Vincon (DE/IDM STK/0,00)