BMW Motorsport News – Issue 15/14.

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.

DTM: Wittmann wins on the BMW M4 DTM’s debut.
BMW Motorsport opened the 2014 season with the historic maiden win for the BMW M4 DTM on the car’s debut. Marco Wittmann (DE) claimed his first DTM victory in the Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM at the Hockenheimring (DE). In doing so, he also presented BMW Team RMG with its first success in the series. The triumph was also BMW Motorsport’s 60th in the DTM.

Three questions for... Marco Wittmann.

Marco, how do you feel after this historic win?
Marco Wittmann: “It was just a perfect race for us. The Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM was superb. That was already the case during the tests in Hockenheim. We were able to seamlessly follow on from the good performances there. We won the very first race with the new BMW M4 DTM, it was the 60th triumph for BMW and the first for BMW Team RMG. I could not have wished for a better start to the DTM season.”

What was the key to your success?
Wittmann: “Firstly, it was very important to qualify second on the grid, and then to pass Adrien Tambay as early in the race as possible, thus giving me a clear track. That allowed me to make the most of the softer option tyres. I did not lose any time out on the track. That was crucial, and the reason I crossed the finish line with such a big lead.”

How were the final laps, when you looked like winning the race?
Wittmann: “I remained fully focussed in the final few laps, and was in close radio contact with my team, in order to ensure I always knew how big my lead was over the chasing pack. My main rivals in the second half of the race were on the softer, and thus quicker, tyres. Towards the end, I noticed that they were not actually going to get close enough. Then it was all about keeping cool, not making any mistakes, and bringing the win home. It feels absolutely fantastic.” 

Glock thrills hundreds of thousands of fans in Budapest.
With the start of the DTM season in Hockenheim (DE) just around the corner, Timo Glock paid Budapest (HU) a visit on Thursday. Against the impressive backdrop of the Danube, suspension bridge and parliament buildings, he put on a spectacular show for Hungarian fans in the 2013 DEUTSCHE POST BMW M3 DTM. The DTM returns to Budapest in 2014, where the Hungaroring will host the third round of the season on 1st June. This show event gave Hungarian fans a taste of things to come. Glock was one of many other racing drivers in action in a wide range of cars on a special “street circuit”: along the banks of the Danube and over the suspension bridge. It was a great spectacle for the fans, who turned up in their droves: in spring weather, about 450,000 spectators enjoyed a real motorsport festival in the Hungarian capital. “It was incredible. I am still surprised how many people turned out,” said Glock. “The circuit we drove on was about 4.5 kilometres long – and it was packed with people everywhere. It was great to drive in front of so many fans here, right in the city centre. I hope I put on a good show for them. Driving a racing car over the suspension bridge is something very special. You don’t get to do that every day, so it was a real highlight. The whole day was great fun, and I am now looking forward to returning to Budapest for the race weekend.”

Zanardi visits the DTM in Hockenheim.
Two weeks after making his motor racing comeback in Nogaro (FR), BMW works driver Alessandro Zanardi (IT) travelled to Hockenheim (DE) to support his BMW colleagues at the opening race of the DTM season. Zanardi was also on hand to sign autographs for his many fans, and answered journalists’ questions during a media breakfast on Sunday morning. “The DTM is a magnificent racing series – I was well aware of this even before this weekend,” said Zanardi. “But it is fascinating to see how much the cars have progressed again since my last visit in 2012. The technical level and strength in depth are extremely high.” The Italian’s next outing in the cockpit of his BMW Z4 GT3 is on 17th/18th May, when Brands Hatch (GB) hosts the second race weekend of the Blancpain Sprint Series.

BMW Motorrad supplies DTM drivers with zero-emission maxi scooters.
For the second year in a row, BMW Motorrad is providing BMW Motorsport with its maxi scooters for use in the DTM. However, the C 600 Sport model used in 2013 has been replaced with the new, electric C Evolution maxi scooter. BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt was presented the keys for the bikes in Hockenheim (DE) by Henning Putzke, Head of BMW Motorrad Germany. BMW Team Schnitzer driver Martin Tomczyk (DE) had previously had the opportunity to ride the new maxi scooter in Barcelona (ES), and said: “Many thanks to BMW Motorrad, who have once again provided us with BMW scooters for this year’s DTM season. We discovered the benefits of the BMW C600 Sport maxi scooter last season. In 2014, we will be able to move about silently with the electric version of the BMW scooter. I was able to put the new BMW C Evolution through its paces at the international press launch. The conditions and the route were superb, and I had great fun riding the new BMW scooter. I am sure that an awful lot of fans will own this innovative scooter before too long. Anyone who has ridden the C Evolution will certainly be impressed by its qualities.”

DTM: Football World Champions visit BMW Motorsport in Hockenheim.
BMW Motorsport guests were joined by football dignitaries: ahead of Sunday’s opening DTM race of the season, 1990 World Cup winners Klaus Augenthaler (DE) and Guido Buchwald (DE) paid BMW Hospitality a visit. “When you come from Munich, as I do, you obviously have a special relationship with BMW,” said Augenthaler, who played his football at Bayern Munich. “I drive a BMW and find it incredibly exciting to take a look behind the scenes of the DTM here.” Buchwald added: “As a Swabian, I live very close to the Hockenheimring and have been here often. To experience for yourself the amount of effort that goes into being successful in the DTM is fascinating.” Before Augenthaler and Buchwald accompanied the BMW DTM drivers on the driver parade, they revealed their tips for the forthcoming World Cup in Brazil. “I think the German team will reach the quarter-finals or semi-finals,” said a sceptical Augenthaler. Buchwald was more optimistic: “I believe that Germany can win the World Cup.”

Japanese Super GT: win number two in the second race for the BMW Z4 GT3.
Goodsmile Racing & Team UKYO continues to make a perfect start to the new season in the GT300 class of the Japanese Super GT Championship. Nobuteru Taniguchi (JP) and Tatsuya Kataoka (JP), at the wheel of a BMW Z4 GT3, claimed their second victory in the second race of the year in Fuji (JP). After three hours, the duo crossed the line one second ahead of the second-placed Mercedes. Jörg Müller (DE) and Seiji Ara (JP) of BMW Sports Trophy Team Studie narrowly missed out on the podium, coming home fourth. Taniguchi and Kataoka extended their lead in the Drivers’ Championship.

CTSCC: Edwards and Hindman triumph in the GS class.
John Edwards (US) already had his maiden win in Laguna Seca (US) in the bag even before the start of Sunday’s USCC race. The BMW works driver won the race in the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge (CTSCC) alongside Trent Hindman (US) in the number 46 BMW M3, which was run by the Fall-Line Motorsport team. The victory was the sixth of Edwards’ CTSCC career, while 18-year-old Hindman made his first appearance on the top step of the podium. Hindman had previously clinched pole position on Friday. After two second places in Daytona (US) and Sebring (US), the duo now holds a commanding lead in the Drivers’ Championship in the Grand Sport class.