BMW Motorsport News – Issue 35/14.

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: Two reasons to celebrate for BMW Team RMG.
BMW Team RMG enjoyed another successful DTM weekend in Zandvoort (NL) – and added another two titles to its collection for the 2014 season. Both Marco Wittmann (DE) and Maxime Martin (BE) finished in the points, coming home second and sixth to open up an unassailable lead for the outfit from Niederzissen (DE) in the Team competition. Furthermore, Martin, who is currently sixth in the overall standings, is already assured of the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title. As well as the two BMW Team RMG drivers, Martin Tomczyk (DE) in third and Joey Hand (US) in tenth also finished in the points for BMW. Hand was promoted one position after the race, when Mercedes driver Daniel Juncadella (ES) was handed a time penalty for his part in a collision with Augusto Farfus (BR).

Three questions for… Maxime Martin.

Maxime, congratulations on the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title. Did you reckon on such an impressive showing in your first season in the DTM?

Maxime Martin: “Honestly? Not really. I come from a GT and endurance background. The DTM was something completely different. I certainly did not reckon with this. My goal was to improve consistently over the course of the season. The win in Moscow was an absolute highlight. To win only the fifth race of my first season was awesome. It is a good feeling to be ‘Rookie of the Year’. You only have one opportunity to be the best rookie in a racing series. We won the Team Championship this weekend, Marco Wittmann secured the Drivers’ title at the Lausitzring, and I am ‘Rookie of the Year’ – that is excellent. We now want to win the Manufacturers’ Championship in Hockenheim.”

You touched on the success enjoyed by BMW Team RMG. Was this team the perfect environment for your debut season in the DTM?

Martin: “Yes, it was fantastic for me to have Marco as my team-mate. He was just extremely strong this season. I was able to learn a lot and saw how everything works. The cooperation with Marco and everyone in the team really helped me progress. It is always difficult to do everything right in your first year. Every circuit is new to me, and I had a lot to learn. However, I am now sixth in the championship, ‘Rookie of the Year’, and the second best-placed BMW driver – that shows that I have been consistent.”

It was always a dream of yours to drive in the DTM. How did that dream feel as a reality in 2014?

Martin: “It is still a dream to appear in this series. For me, it is the pinnacle of touring car racing. I have spent my entire career driving racing cars with roofs – never in single-seater cars or karts. For this reason, I never dreamed of Formula One, but always of the DTM. It was awesome to win a race. To actually race for BMW in the DTM, and to be successful, is almost even better than I ever imagined.”

DTM: Champion livery for the Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM.
The new DTM champion Marco Wittmann (DE) had already achieved his main goal before the race in Zandvoort (NL). To mark this occasion, BMW Team RMG and BMW Motorsport had a special surprise in store for the 24-year-old when he arrived at the “Circuit Park”: his Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM raced on the North Sea coast with a special livery. This included the words “Mega Marco” in big letters on the roof of his car. Wittmann has won four of the season’s nine races so far and amassed 146 points, 65 more than his closest rival Mattias Ekström (SE).

BTCC: Three podiums for Turkington in Silverstone.
The title race in the 2014 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) is entering its crucial phase. Silverstone (GB) once again saw championship leader Colin Turkington (GB) of the eBay Motors team, at the wheel of the BMW 125i M Sport, embroiled in a thrilling duel with Jason Plato (GB), who is second in the overall standings in his MG5 Racing. Plato won races 25 and 26 of the season, with Turkington following him over the line in second place in both races. The third race of the weekend was won by Ford driver Mat Jackson (GB), while Turkington finished third to claim another spot on the podium. In the Drivers’ Championship, the BMW driver now has 417 points to his name and goes into the final BTCC Weekend of the year – in Brands Hatch (GB) on 11th/12th October – with a 50-point lead over Plato.

FIA ETCC: Fulín clinches TC2 title.

Petr Fulín (CZ) won the title in the TC2 class for the second year in a row at the final round of the FIA European Touring Car Cup (ETCC) in Pergusa (IT). He closed the season with another brace of wins in his class at the wheel of his BMW 320si. He also finished third overall to claim a place on the podium in both of Sunday’s races. Mato Homola (SK), who competes in a BMW 320 TC in the TC2T class, was second in both races to secure victory in the daily standings.