BMW Motorsport News – Issue 16/15.

DTM: BMW teams kick off new season in Hockenheim.

After a six-month winter break, the BMW DTM teams got the 2015 season underway in Hockenheim (DE). For the first time since 2000, races were held on both Saturday and Sunday. Martin Tomczyk (DE, BMW Team Schnitzer) claimed the best individual result – crossing the finish line fourth in the BMW M Performance Parts M4 DTM in Sunday’s race. Maxime Martin (BE, BMW Team RMG) in the SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM was the best-placed BMW in Saturday’s race, finishing seventh. The next races take place on 30th and 31st May at the Lausitzring (DE).

Three questions for … Martin Tomczyk.

Martin, how would you sum up the first DTM weekend of the year?

Martin Tomczyk: “The new race format is definitely a positive thing. Not only for us drivers, but also for the spectators. It was a mixed race weekend for me personally. I had obviously hoped for more from the first race. We were not where we needed to be in qualifying. The second race had a bit of everything: dry conditions, rain, but above all a good grid position. And that paid off in the end, despite it being a difficult race. Unfortunately fourth was as good as I could hope for today. It was quite a tough race for me, but it was also great fun – as was the whole weekend.”

Will it be a different story at the Lausitzring?

Tomczyk: “I hope the balance of power does not stay as it was this weekend. Hockenheim basically reaffirmed what we suspected during the winter tests. We knew that Audi would be starting the season very strongly. They showed that emphatically here. Despite this, I think we can still improve. Today’s qualifying was something of a lottery. Because of this, we cannot read too much into the results. We have a positive attitude and will take this attitude into the second round at the Lausitzring.”

Your next outing comes at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. With what expectations do you go into this classic?

Tomczyk: “It is hard to say. We obviously travel to the Eifel Mountains as one of the favourites – and our goal is certainly to win the race. This is now my third year there with BMW. In 2014 it was extremely close, but you ultimately need that little bit of luck too. I hope we do not have any fun and games with the weather and that we have consistent conditions. Under these circumstances, I think we have a very good chance of challenging at the very front of the field.”

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DTM: Champion Wittmann receives a BMW M4 Convertible.

Bring on the summer: Marco Wittmann (DE) was at the BMW plant in Munich last week to collect his new company car: Stefan Weiss, Product Management BMW M Performance Parts, and Michael Däuschinger, Marketing BMW M Performance Parts Germany, presented the reigning DTM champion with the keys to his new BMW M4 Convertible. Among the features on this high-performance car are many BMW M Performance Parts, including the aerodynamic front bumper in matching colour with carbon air inlets, carbon rear diffusor, and BMW M Performance exhaust system with carbon tailpipe finishers. “I am really looking forward to driving the BMW M4 Convertible,” said Wittmann. “I just hope we have a great summer now, then I can enjoy driving it with the roof down.” 

DTM: “Germany’s most beautiful woman” visits Hockenheim.

Ramona Sedlmeier, winner of German TV casting show “Deutschlands schönste Frau” (Germany’s Most Beautiful Woman) visited BMW Motorsport in Hockenheim on Sunday. The 33-year-old was given an insight into what goes on behind the scenes and witnessed the crucial minutes before the start of the second DTM race of the year from the grid. “This was my first time at the DTM and I found it really exciting,” said Sedlmeier after her motorsport adventure. “The atmosphere was fantastic. I am now a DTM fan and will definitely be back for more.”

USCC: One-two on the grid for BMW Team RLL at Laguna Seca.

The United SportsCar Championship (USCC) is at Laguna Seca (US) in California this weekend. In qualifying for the GTLM class, BMW Team RLL were first and second. Dirk Werner (DE) and Bill Auberlen (US) secured pole position in the number 25 BMW Z4 GTLM. Their team-mates in the number 24 car, Lucas Luhr (DE) and John Edwards (US) are second on the grid for the race which starts late on Sunday evening European Time.

CTSCC: Hindman and Freiberg best-placed BMW drivers at Laguna Seca.

BMW Motorsport Junior Trent Hindman (US) and co-driver Ashley Freiberg (US), driving the number 46 Fall-Line Motorsports BMW M3, were the top-finishing BMW drivers in Saturday’s two-and-one-half-hour Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC) race at Laguna Seca (US), with a sixth-place finish in the Grand Sport class. In the Street Tuner class, Andrie Hartonto (US) and Tyler Cooke (US) finished sixth in the number 81 Bimmerworld Racing BMW 328i.

British GT: Attard/Sims win in Rockingham with the BMW Z4 GT3.

Defending champions Marco Attard (GB) and Alexander Sims (GB) claimed a dominant win at the second round of the British GT Championship in Rockingham (GB). Attard and Sims (GB) of Ecurie Ecosse secured pole position with the number 1 BMW Z4 GT3 on Saturday. In Sunday’s race, they crossed the finish line over ten seconds ahead of their closest rivals and also clocked the fastest lap. Lee Mowle (GB) and Joe Osborne (GB) came home sixth in the number 888 BMW Z4 GT3 of the Triple Eight Racing team. John Minshaw (GB) and Phil Keen (GB) of Barwell/Team Russia were eighth in the number 63 BMW Z4 GT3.

Japanese Super GT: ninth place for Müller and Ara in Fuji.

The Japanese Super GT Championship travelled to the “Fuji Speedway” (JP) for the second of eight rounds. Two BMW teams competed in the GT300 class: BMW works driver Jörg Müller (DE) and Seiji Ara (JP) finished ninth in the BMW Z4 GT3 run by the BMW Sports Trophy Team. Morio Nitta (JP) and Shigekazu Wakisaka (JP) of Team LM corsa came home 16th.