BMW Motorsport News – Issue 14/12.
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” now allows us to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.
Technology ends Priaulx ’ s campaign at the Race of Champions.
This year’s Race of Champions was ill-fated for BMW DTM-Pilot Andy Priaulx (GB). On Saturday, Priaulx and his Team Great Britain team-mate David Coulthard (GB) narrowly missed out on progressing to the knock-out phase in the Bangkok’s (TH) Rajamangala Stadium. Priaulx was also out of luck in Sunday’s individual competition. After defeating Ho-Pin Tung (CN), he went up against Tom Kristensen (DK) in the final race of the preliminary round for a place in the quarter-finals. However, the accelerator pedal on Priaulx’s car stuck as he braked into the first corner of the narrow stadium circuit. There was nothing the three-time World Touring Car Champion could do to prevent the ensuing crash. “I know that these things happen in motorsport,” said Priaulx. “I had fun as always, however, and will be back again next year to try again.” Priaulx was making his seventh appearance at the Race of Champions and had previously reached the final of the Nations Cup twice and the semi-final of the individual competition on three occasions. In 2012, victory in the Nations Cup went to Team Germany, with Sebastian Vettel (DE) and Michael Schumacher (DE), for the sixth time in a row. The individual competition was won by Formula One driver Romain Grosjean (FR), who defeated Kristensen in the final.
BMW Team Brazil narrowly misses out on GT title.
Dramatic finale in the Brazilian GT Championship: despite winning the final race of the season in Sao Paulo (BR), BMW Team Brazil just missed out on the title by one point. Cacá Bueno (BR) and Cláudio Dahruj (BR), at the wheel of a BMW Z4 GT3, went into the final race three points off the lead in the overall standings. Starting from pole position, the pair got the win they needed, but second place for the Mercedes duo of Duda Rosa (BR) and Cleber Faria (BR) meant the two BMW drivers had to settle for second place in the Drivers’ Championship. In Saturday’s first race, Bueno and Dahruj had reduced Rosa and Faria’s seven-point lead by four points courtesy of a fourth place.
Farfus lines up at karting marathon in Brazil.
Augusto Farfus (BR) competed in the 500-mile Granja Viana kart race in his home country of Brazil for the second time in a row. The BMW DTM driver was in action in two cars for Team Itaipava/Caras. He shared karts number 71 and 72 with big names like Rubens Barrichello (BR) and Tony Kanaan (BR). “It is an honour for me to drive with such fantastic racing drivers and good friends,” said Farfus. Unfortunately Farfus and his team-mates missed out on the podium finish they had hoped for. After almost twelve hours and 650 laps of the circuit at the Kartódromo do Beto Carrero, car number 72 came home in eighth place.