BMW Motorsport News – Issue 11/13.
Whether in the DTM, the American Le Mans Series, 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.
FIA GT Series: Season kick-off at Nogaro whets appetite for more.
For the start of the FIA GT Series season at Nogaro (FR), the BMW colours were represented by three BMW Z4 GT3s. Both BMW Sports Trophy Team Brazil and BMW Sports Trophy Team India gained valuable experience and had promising results in their maiden appearances on European soil. In the qualifying race on Sunday, Allam Khodair (BR) and Cacá Bueno (BR) proved to be the best-placed BMW pairing by finishing seventh, with their team-mates Ricardo Zonta (BR) and Sergio Jimenez (BR) following right behind in eighth. Meanwhile, Armaan Ebrahim (IN) and Julien Jousse (FR) secured 11th for BMW Sports Trophy Team India. In the championship race on Monday, Khodair and Bueno finished tenth.
British GT: Podium for Ecurie Ecosse at Oulton Park.
The grid for the British GT Championship season opener at Oulton Park (GB) featured four BMW Z4 GT3 racing cars, entered by Ecurie Ecosse, Barwell Motorsport (one car each) and 888Optimum (two cars). In the first race of the season, Ecurie Ecosse’s Marco Attard (GB) and Oliver Bryant (GB) finished sixth, therefore being the best-placed BMW drivers. In round two, they worked their way further up, claiming their maiden podium of the season in third. 888Optimum’s Steve Tandy (GB) und Dan Brown (GB) also experienced a successful second round, bringing their BMW Z4 GT3 home in fifth.
DTM: Eventful week for the DTM drivers.
Not only on but also off the track, the BMW DTM drivers are in the crucial phase of the preparations for the first race of the season at Hockenheim (DE) on 5th May. This week, in the time between testing at Barcelona (ES) and the Hockenheimring, the drivers will have quite a lot to do. Both Dirk Werner (DE) and Martin Tomczyk (DE) will be filmed for an exclusive insight into their private lives. The final footage will be made available to the fans in the coming weeks on the digital BMW Motorsport platforms (Facebook, YouTube and the official BMW Motorsport website). Bruno Spengler (CA) will be at the “Leonidas” Awards in Salzburg (AT). Just a few kilometres from there, the Freilassing (DE) based BMW Team Schnitzer will also welcome a camera crew that will produce footage for the 2013 season for Premium Partner BMW Bank. And then, on Friday and Saturday, all the BMW drivers will make a stop in Munich (DE). The official car launch of all the eight BMW M3 DTMs in the BMW Welt, on Saturday from 14:00hrs CEST (13:00hrs BST), is one of the highlights of all the preparations for the start of the season.