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eddiejpoplar · 6 years ago

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BMW M8 GTE finishes fourth and seventh in the GTLM class at the 12 Hours of Sebring

After the spectacular win in Daytona this year, BMW Motorsport returned to racing with their M8 GTEs. Following a second-place finish for BMW Team MTEK in the FIA World Endurance Championship’s (WEC) race on Friday at Sebring, it was BMW Team RLL’s turn to send two BMW M8 GTE cars into action for the 12-hour endurance classic held at Sebring International Raceway. After 330 laps, car #24 crossed the line fourth in the GTLM class. The second BMW M8 GTE finished seventh.

Over the course of the race, John Edwards (USA), Jesse Krohn (FIN) and Philipp Eng (AUT) alternated at the wheel of the #24 machine. Their team-mates Connor De Phillippi (USA), Tom Blomqvist (GBR) and Colton Herta (USA) were on duty driving the sister car.

While rain had caused a thrilling final hour during the WEC race, it was responsible for a start behind the safety car on Saturday. After more than 40 minutes the Florida GT marathon went green in wet conditions. Both BMW M8 GTEs quickly formed part of the GTLM field top group and were involved in some good fights with other cars. Ultimately the two BMW crews had to make do with fourth and seventh. The #911 Porsche secured victory.

Turner Motorsport raced in the GTD category with the #96 BMW M6 GT3. Bill Auberlen, Dillon Machavern and Robby Foley (all USA) were fighting for a podium over long stretches of the races, before being forced to retire with just 15 minutes to go due to a technical issue. It was Auberlen’s 26th start at the Sebring 12 Hours and the 413th start in his career as BMW driver.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director): “Following Friday’s WEC thriller, this race was slightly more relaxed. Apart from rain in the opening stage, this year’s 12 Hours of Sebring saw no major incidents involving our two BMW M8 GTE cars, however this time BMW Team RLL wasn’t rewarded with a podium for their great efforts. Congratulations to Porsche on the victory. We had to make do with P4 and P7. More wasn’t possible today. Nevertheless, our sporting performance this weekend was very positive. The BMW M8 GTE left a strong impression when finishing second in WEC’s LM GTE Pro class. As was the case in Daytona, we were competitive again in the IMSA series, too. This makes us head into the next races anticipating more strong outcomes – in North America as well as in the World Championship. In any case, ‘Super Sebring’ was good for all of us. Twenty years after our overall win with the BMW V12 LMR we put on a good show again for the fans here at Sebring.”

Bobby Rahal (Team Principal BMW Team RLL): “It started out very well and the guys in the team all did a great job. It looked like it was going to rain more which would have been a good thing for us but in the end it didn’t. We, of course, wanted to do better but we just didn’t have the pace of the leaders. We go to Long Beach now and we’ll see what we can do there.”

John Edwards (#24 BMW M8 GTE, fourth place): “I think it was clear pretty early on that we didn’t have a car to win so we focused on the podium, but even that was going to be tough. We had a slightly shorter fuel stint than our competitors so we had to save a lot and still try and push. It meant I had to lose a place to the Corvette and miss out on the podium. But, we got some points in the bag for the championship and, as we saw last year, you don’t need to win races to take the title.”

Jesse Krohn (#24 BMW M8 GTE, fourth place): “It was a flawless race from the team, which did a really amazing job with strategy and keeping the car together. There was also a really strong performance from my team-mates in some very tough conditions. Today our competitors made it onto the podium but we did the best with what we had.”

Philipp Eng (#24 BMW M8 GTE, fourth place): “A podium would have been nice after our hard work and strong performance. The whole team did a faultless job again today – we were good on strategy and I think we maximised what we had. It was cool to be in the #24 BMW M8 GTE and I hope we can get on the podium next time.”

Connor De Phillippi (#25 BMW M8 GTE, seventh place): “We have some positives to take away and we learned a few things that I think will benefit us in the season. Overall, the guys worked hard during the weekend, so not to get on the podium was a little disappointing, but now we will move on to the next round at Long Beach.”

Tom Blomqvist (#25 BMW M8 GTE, seventh place): “Obviously, it was not the race result we would have liked. That said, it was a good start with the wet conditions and we had a really strong pace. We managed to get into the lead for a little bit and we were one of the quickest fighting at the front, but for some reason we really struggled in the dry today.”

Colton Herta (#25 BMW M8 GTE, seventh place): “It was a long but very exciting race. We fought hard and gave it our all. By the middle of the race we were looking okay but we just kept dropping back. For me, right now, its not about results but about learning and doing everything right.”

The article BMW M8 GTE finishes fourth and seventh in the GTLM class at the 12 Hours of Sebring appeared first on BMW BLOG

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jesusvasser · 7 years ago

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BMW DTM one-two-three in the Saturday race at Zandvoort

Timo Glock (GER) claimed his fourth DTM victory in race eleven of the 2017 season. Starting from pole position, he crossed the finish line first in the DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM after 37 laps of racing. He was followed home by fellow BMW drivers Marco Wittmann (GER) and Maxime Martin (BEL), who finished second and third to complete an all-BMW podium. This was the twelfth BMW one-two-three in the history of the DTM. Augusto Farfus (BRA) also finished in the points in sixth place. Bruno Spengler (CAN) ended the 150th DTM race of his career in 14th place, while Tom Blomqvist (GBR) failed to finish.

The qualifying session:

The 20-minute session began in sunshine, and the BMW drivers went well in the first half of qualifying. Timo Glock set the fastest time of 1:27.823 minutes in the DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM, followed by fellow BMW drivers Augusto Farfus (Shell BMW M4 DTM), Marco Wittmann (Red Bull BMW M4 DTM) and Maxime Martin (SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM). A shower over the circuit in the dunes shortly after the halfway point of qualifying prevented anyone from improving their lap times, nobody therefore able to deny Glock his third pole position in the DTM. First, second, third and fourth place on the grid represents the best qualifying result for the BMW drivers since the Saturday race at Oschersleben in 2015. Tom Blomqvist also makes it into the top ten, qualifying seventh in the BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM. Bruno Spengler starts his 150th DTM race from 17th place.

The race:

Prior to the start of the race, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt presented Bruno Spengler with a cake to mark his 150th race in the DTM. Spengler ended this milestone race in 14th place after 37 laps. At the front of the field, the action was dominated by the four BMW M4 DTMs that started the race from the front two rows of the grid. Timo Glock led Marco Wittmann and Maxime Martin, who overtook Augusto Farfus in the first few corners. Tom Blomqvist came in for his mandatory pit stop after just one lap. 17 laps later, an issue with his car forced him to retire from the race. Meanwhile, Glock, Wittmann and Martin produced a flawless display to secure the one-two-three for BMW. Martin successfully fended off attacks from Audi drivers Mike Rockenfeller (GER) and Jamie Green (GBR) in the closing stages. Farfus dropped back through the field a little after his pit stop, but still finished sixth to pick up valuable points.

The reactions:

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “It was a great race here in Zandvoort. We had an outstanding qualifying, taking the first four places, although we were obviously a little fortunate with the weather. However, the guys did an absolutely wonderful job of finishing the job in the race, coming home first, second, third and fourth. This is a superb result for us. We did everything right. Tyre management was a real challenge here, and they handled it perfectly. I am delighted for Timo, Marco and Maxime. Augusto also scored more valuable points – absolutely great stuff. Congratulations also to Bruno Spengler on his 150th DTM race. It is a shame that he was unable to make it into the top ten from 17th on the grid.”

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG): “Today was a superb day for us. Yesterday it was clear that that we had to manage the tyres well today, and we faced an anxious wait until the end of the race to see whether we had done that. They guys did a perfect job and drove superbly. Praise must also go to our engineers, who analysed everything precisely again between yesterday and today, in order to ensure that the performance was spot on. We also witnessed excellent pit stops. As such, I would like to say a huge thank you to the whole team and, of course, BMW.”

Marco Wittmann (#11, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 3rd place, race result: 2nd place – 67 races, 8 wins, 18 podiums, 8 pole positions, 614 points, 2 drivers’ titles): “It was a good race for me, with second place and a podium finish. I did not get away perfectly at the start, but then braked late on the outside and was able to take second place. After that, I ultimately spent the race behind Timo. We had very good pace and the car was well balanced. I am obviously happy with the points. Timo did a superb job today, starting with qualifying. This is a great success for BMW.”

Augusto Farfus (#15, Shell BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 2nd place, race result: 6th place – 77 races, 4 wins, 12 podiums, 5 pole positions, 361 points): “It was a good race, in which we scored a lot of points for BMW. Sixth place is a good start to the weekend for us, but we still have another race tomorrow. The goal is to build on today’s result and do even better tomorrow.”

Timo Glock (#16, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 1st place, race result: 1st place – 67 races, 4 wins, 8 podiums, 3 pole positions, 311 points): “I am obviously very happy with the way the race turned out. I started from pole and, to a certain degree, controlled the race from the front. It may have looked easy, but it was not, as the front-left tyre is put under extreme stress here. The car was very good in the first stint. Strangely, I then had a bit of bouncing on the front axle in the second stint, which resulted in me having a flat spot on the front-right tyre. It was really tough after that. In the end, I finished the job. It is nice for BMW to get a one-two-three. BMW Team RMG had two drivers on the podium. That is fantastic.”

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM): “Congratulations to BMW on a great one-two-three, and to Timo, Marco, Stefan Reinhold and everyone at BMW Team RMG on this result. We had a good race with Maxime. It was not easy, as we were the last BMW in the leading group. Maxime tried to stay in the DRS window behind Marco, whilst at the same time defending against the cars behind him as well as possible. He did that superbly, although it was rather close at times, and fully deserves his place on the podium.”

Bruno Spengler (#7, BMW Bank BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 17th place, race result: 14th place – 150 races, 15 wins, 48 podiums, 18 pole positions, 819 points, 1 drivers’ title): “Firstly, congratulations to BMW on the one-two-three. Personally, I would obviously have hoped for a better result in my 150th DTM race. We must make sure that we do better tomorrow.”

Tom Blomqvist (#31, BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM – Grid position: 7thplace, race result: DNF – 47 races, 1 win, 5 podiums, 2 pole positions, 193 points): “I don’t know exactly what was going on. My start was very good, and I then came in early for my stop. Then the tyre suddenly degraded dramatically. After that, I had a really strange feeling in the final corner. I had massive understeer and no longer really had a feel for the car. It was simply dangerous to continue. We must analyse it and find out what was wrong before tomorrow.”

Maxime Martin (#36, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 4th place, race result: 3rd place – 57 races, 3 wins, 10 podiums, 3 pole positions, 324 points): “I had a good start and was able to overtake Augusto. After that, we settled into a good rhythm. The Audis were really strong towards the end of the race, and I had to push really hard to hold them off. I am very happy and pleased for BMW. I scored some important points today, and we will now look to continue in the same vein.”

The standings:

Drivers: 1. René Rast (114 points), 2. Mattias Ekström (113), 3. Lucas Auer (99), 4. Timo Glock (98), 5. Jamie Green (97), 6. Maxime Martin (93), 7. Marco Wittmann (91), 8. Mike Rockenfeller (85), 9. Gary Paffett (65), 10. Bruno Spengler (61), 11. Paul di Resta (59), 12. Robert Wickens (58), 13. Edoardo Mortara (41), 14. Nico Müller (37), 15. Maro Engel (29), 16. Tom Blomqvist (21), 17. Augusto Farfus (16), 18. Loic Duval (0).

Teams: 1. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (211 points), 2. BMW Team RBM (154), 3. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (150), 4. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT (140), 5. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me (123), 6. BMW Team RMR (119), 7. BMW Team RMG (107), 8. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy (88), 9. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (85).

Manufacturers: 1. Audi (446 points), 2. BMW (380), 3. Mercedes (351).

The article BMW DTM one-two-three in the Saturday race at Zandvoort appeared first on BMW BLOG

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robertkstone · 7 years ago

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BMW DTM one-two-three in the Saturday race at Zandvoort

The qualifying session:

The race:

The reactions:

The standings:

Manufacturers: 1. Audi (446 points), 2. BMW (380), 3. Mercedes (351).

The article BMW DTM one-two-three in the Saturday race at Zandvoort appeared first on BMW BLOG

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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BMW M8 GTE finishes 7th and 8th in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen

BMW Team RLL finished the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in seventh and eighth positions in GTLM class. The No. 25 BMW M8 GTE finished seventh with Bill Auberlen, Connor De Phillippi and Alexander Sims sharing the driving duties after a problem-free race. The No. 24 BMW M8 GTE, of Tom Blomqvist, John Edwards and Jesse Krohn, finished 27 laps down in eighth after a challenging race. The race was won by the No. 66 Ford GT.

BMW Customer Racing Team Turner Motorsport fought through a tough and competitive field in IMSA’s GTD class to take the top podium spot after qualifying in 13th position. The winning Turner BMW M6 GT3 was co-driven by Dillon Machavern, Markus Palttala and Don Yount.

Tom Blomqvist, driving the No. 24 BMW M8 GTE, and Connor De Phillippi, driving the No. 25 BMW M8 GTE, took the green flag to begin the fifth round of the IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship from their seventh and eighth place GTLM class starting positions.

Both crews were prepared for a very hot day that had been forecast and the team was ready for everything but the bad luck that struck the No. 24 M8 GTE on the very first pit stop, 27 laps into the race. Running over a piece of pit equipment at the end of the stop, Blomqvist was returned to the pits by the stewards for a drive-through penalty. He returned to the race one lap down, completing his second stint 33 laps later. Jesse Krohn took over, but the car refused to start and was ultimately pushed to the paddock twice for repairs, dropping another 25 laps to the GTLM field after the replacement of the starter motor. Now 27 laps in arrears the car completed the remainder of the race in the eighth position.

The No. 25 M8 GTE drivers put in a workmanlike day, cycling from De Phillippi to Bill Auberlen to Alexander Sims to race in the seventh position for almost every lap of the race.

“We knew it was going to be a tough race for us before we came, so we did everything we could to operate as cleanly as we could.” said Brandon Fry, BMW Team RLL Technical and Racing Operations Director. “If any opportunities for a good result opened up for us we wanted to be there to take advantage but unfortunately the race didn’t work out that way. It turned out to be a long race for us, but in the end, we tried out some different things and I think we learned a little bit as a team.”

Ford GTs of Richard Westbrook and Joey Hand held onto their qualifying 1-2 ahead of the Corvettes of Tommy Milner and Antonio Garcia. Behind the Fords, Laurens Vanthoor in the #912 Porsche beat out the #4 Corvette with Oliver Gavin at the wheel.

Bill Auberlen, driver No. 25 BMW M8 GTE (P7): “It was great to be back behind the wheel of the BMW Team RLL M8 GTE. The team did a really great job, but today was obviously not our day.”

Connor De Phillippi, driver No. 25 BMW M8 GTE (P7): “Obviously, during the first stint of the race you’re just trying to play it safe. Six hours is a long one so we just tried to keep a clean car. The race developed as expected; the first lap was a little crazy with some crashes but we made it through. It was clear that we were missing pace compared to our competitors. We tried to run a strategic race and that went as planned but we weren’t able to capitalize on it in the end. All the guys on the team worked really hard and we move on to Mosport looking for a better result.”

Alexander Sims, driver No. 25 BMW M8 GTE (P7): “We clearly didn’t have the pace today, we experimented with strategy at the end and had to do some fuel saving.. Credit to the team for working as hard as they could, and trying to find any possible advantage, but yeah, this was not our weekend.”

Tom Blomqvist, driver No. 24 BMW M8 GTE (P8): “Watkins Glen was a fun experience! It is obviously a great shame we never had the pace to fight for a proper position in this race, and we ran into some troubles that hindered our end result, but the track was fun. I enjoyed racing with the BMW Team RLL guys, everyone was really welcoming, and I hope to be back here racing sometime in the not too distant future.”

John Edwards, driver No. 24 BMW M8 GTE (P8): “We weren’t really fighting for a podium position so it was just a matter of lapping to finish the race after we had the issue with the starter early on. We tried to make the time useful however, practicing some fuel saving measures, but ultimately it is hard to look at the positives on a day like today.”

Jesse Krohn, driver No. 24 BMW M8 GTE (P8): “It’s a shame about being out of it because of early problems when there’s nothing you can really do but finish the race and get the points. Even if we wouldn’t have had problems today, we did not have the pace. You just need to improve and there’s not much we can do with what we have but hopefully it will change.”

Next up for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship is a trip north of the border to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario for the Mobil 1 SportsCar Grand Prix on July 8th.

The article BMW M8 GTE finishes 7th and 8th in the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen appeared first on BMW BLOG

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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MS&AD Andretti Formula E misses out on points in Uruguay

In the sixth race of the season in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, the MS&AD Andretti Formula E team narrowly missed out on points. António Félix da Costa (POR) finished the Punta del Este E-Prix (URU) in 11th place. His team-mate Tom Blomqvist (GBR) finished in 16th position. Victory went to Techeetah driver Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA). The Punta del Este E-Prix marked the half-way point of the current Formula E season. After six races overseas, the series now heads to Europe where the next race will be held in Rome (ITA) on 14th April.

The qualifying Before qualifying got underway, Tom Blomqvist had a scary moment in the second free practice session. He lost control of his car on the kerb of a right-hand turn and skidded into the tyre wall on the opposite side. While the team repaired his car, Blomqvist continued the practice session in the other car. Then, in qualifying, he was in the first of four groups where he set a lap time of 1:16.424 minutes. António Félix da Costa took to the track in the second group, and recorded a time of 1:14.973 minutes. Félix da Costa finished in 13th and Blomqvist in 17th place in the qualifying rankings. After qualifying, the stewards awarded penalties to some of the drivers, which worked in Félix da Costa’s favour and saw him move up to 11th place on the grid. Blomqvist, on the other hand, was moved to the back of the grid because the gearbox had to be changed after his accident.

The race Félix da Costa moved up a position at the start, claiming tenth place. In the thrilling race, characterised by numerous changes of position, the Portuguese driver worked his way up the field into eighth place. As the race went on, however, Félix da Costa lost ground and finished the race in 11th place after 37 laps. Blomqvist attempted to catch up from behind, but had to make do with 16th place in the end.

António Félix da Costa, MS&AD Andretti Formula E: “There were some good lessons learned today. It was a bit of an average day and we finished just outside the points. I feel like it was a bit of a bittersweet weekend as we had the ability to score points. The MS&AD Andretti team learned a lot of lessons and we keep working hard to improve. Now we go back to Europe and get ready for the second half of the season.”

Tom Blomqvist, MS&AD Andretti Formula E: “Overall it was not a very good weekend. It was going okay and I quite enjoyed the track during the first free practice but I made an error in free practice two, had an accident and destroyed the gearbox. It’s another tough one but I’ll live and learn from it. Hopefully when we get back in Europe to Rome, things will go a bit smoother for us.”

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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Pole position and podium for BMW driver Glock at Hockenheim

Timo Glock (GER) and the Hockenheimring (GER) once again proved to be a lucky combination for BMW Motorsport in the 17th race of the DTM season. Having shone at the season-opener on the same track back in May, the BMW Team RMG driver impressed again in the penultimate race of the year. At the wheel of the DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM, Glock initially secured the fourth pole position of his DTM career, before finishing third to take his place on the podium at the end of a hard-fought race. Maxime Martin (BEL) qualified second to make it an all-BMW front row, but narrowly missed out on a podium finish in fourth place. Bruno Spengler (CAN) picked up one point for tenth place. Marco Wittmann (GER), Tom Blomqvist (GBR) and Augusto Farfus (BRA) were 13th, 15th and 17th.

Before the race, fans at the Hockenheimring were treated to a unique spectacle, as three cars from the manufacturers currently represented in the DTM took to the track alongside a Nismo and a Lexus racing car. The Japanese guests had previously completed a number of demonstration laps.

The qualifying:

In glorious autumn sunshine, Timo Glock set the fastest time of 1:30.648 minutes in the DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM. In doing so, he secured the fourth pole position of his DTM career and the eighth of the season for BMW Motorsport. Maxime Martin, in the SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM, was just 0.037 seconds slower than Glock in second place, and joined his fellow BMW driver on the front row of the grid. Glock received three points towards the Drivers’ Championship for his pole position, while Martin picked up two points for second place. Marco Wittmann was eighth in the Red Bull BMW M4 DTM, while Bruno Spengler qualified 12th in the BMW Bank M4 DTM. Augusto Farfus (Shell BMW M4 DTM) and Tom Blomqvist (BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM) were 14th and 16th.

The race:

Timo Glock made a good start from pole position and immediately pulled clear of the pack on the opening lap. Maxime Martin lost second place to Jamie Green (GBR, Audi). Green then steadily reeled in Glock, and the pair became embroiled in a spectacular duel for the lead, with Green coming out on top in the end. Martin briefly conceded third place to Edoardo Mortara (ITA, Mercedes), but retook the position once the two cars had made their pit stops. The second half of the race saw Mike Rockenfeller (GER, Audi) work his way through the field, overtaking first Martin and then Glock. The two BMW drivers ultimately crossed the finish line in third and fourth place. Glock claimed the ninth podium of his career. Bruno Spengler overtook Mattias Ekström (SWE, Audi) shortly before the finish, and was rewarded with one point for tenth place. Marco Wittmann, Tom Blomqvist and Augusto Farfus came home 13th, 15th and 17th.

The reactions:

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “As expected, that was a tough race today. We had a very good qualifying, but our guys had to fight for every position in the race. In the end, third and fourth for Timo Glock and Maxime Martin, and tenth place for Bruno Spengler, were the most we could get out of the race. We will definitely give it everything and push hard again tomorrow.”

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG): “We did not really expect to end the race in the same positions as after qualifying but Timo did a super job. Unfortunately, we had a technical issue during Augusto’s pit stop. In Marco’s case, we have to do everything we can to find more pace tomorrow. There is definitely room for improvement.”

Marco Wittmann (#11, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 8th place, race result: 13th place – 73 races, 8 wins, 19 podiums, 9 pole positions, 657 points, 2 drivers’ titles): “Unfortunately, we were simply lacking pace today. The car was slightly damaged by a bump with Mike Rockenfeller on the opening lap. I then found myself dropping back through the field instead of making up positions. All in all, it was a disappointing race, and I hope we have a better day tomorrow.”

Augusto Farfus (#15, Shell BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 14th place, race result: 17th place – 83 races, 4 wins, 12 podiums, 6 pole positions, 374 points):“We obviously expected more than that. My start was good, but we then lost too much time during the pit stop. These things happen in motorsport. Who knows, we could have been on for a top-ten finish otherwise.”

Timo Glock (#16, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 1st place, race result: 3rd place – 73 races, 4 wins, 9 podiums, 4 pole positions, 346 points): “That was quite a race. My reaction time at the start was awesome, and I was able to pull away from the field at first. After that, it soon became apparent that Jamie Green simply had far more pace over the race distance. He overtook me, although I did try to fend him off – but that only worked for a while. He was ultimately far quicker than me. Losing another place to Rocky on the final lap obviously hurts a bit, but I had no grip left and could do nothing about it.”

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM): “I think we did as well as possible. We finished fourth with Maxime, which is a good result. Unfortunately, the start was not ideal. However, we gave it our all, fought hard, and tried to defend our positions. Bruno came through from the back-end of the grid to finish in the points. All in all, it is not a bad result for us but we will try to do even better tomorrow.”

Bruno Spengler (#7, BMW Bank BMW M4 DTM – Grid position:12th place, race result: 10th place – 156 races, 15 wins, 48 podiums, 18 pole positions, 833 points, 1 drivers’ title): “Before the race we knew that it was going to take quite an effort. And we definitely fought hard. Fortunately, we were able to do a long first stint. That meant I had fresh tyres at the end, and was able to go on the attack again. That was very important, as I was able to pick up a point that way. I would obviously have liked to pass Gary Paffett too, but he shut the door on me. To score a point from 12th place on the grid is okay.”

Tom Blomqvist (#31, BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM – Grid position: 16thplace, race result: 15th place – 53 races, 1 win, 5 podiums, 2 pole positions, 194 points): “That was not a good race. There was not really much we could do today starting from that far back. We tried to stay out as long as possible but that did not help us either. We will go again tomorrow, and will push hard again.”

Maxime Martin (#36, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 2nd place, race result: 4th place – 63 races, 3 wins, 10 podiums, 3 pole positions, 355 points): “It was a tough race, and we fought hard, however Audi is simply too strong at the moment. We did our best, but that is about as much as we can hope for at present. We’ll see what we can do tomorrow when we will obviously try to score as many points as possible again.”

The standings:

Drivers: 1. Mattias Ekström (172 points), 2. Jamie Green (163), 3. René Rast (159), 4. Mike Rockenfeller (152), 5. Lucas Auer (135), 6. Marco Wittmann (134), 7. Timo Glock (133), 8. Maxime Martin (124), 9. Robert Wickens (119), 10. Paul di Resta (99), 11. Gary Paffett (90), 12. Nico Müller (81), 13. Bruno Spengler (75), 14. Edoardo Mortara (59), 15. Maro Engel (51), 16. Augusto Farfus (29), 17. Loic Duval (22), 18. Tom Blomqvist (22).

Teams: 1. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (322 points), 2. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (253), 3. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me (209), 4. BMW Team RBM (199), 5. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT (194), 6. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (174), 7. BMW Team RMG (163), 8. BMW Team RMR (155), 9. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy (150).

Manufacturers: 1. Audi (749 points), 2. Mercedes (553), 3. BMW (517).

The article Pole position and podium for BMW driver Glock at Hockenheim appeared first on BMW BLOG

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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Marco Wittmann and Timo Glock finish in the top ten for BMW in Spielberg on Sunday

Marco Wittmann (GER) in sixth place and Timo Glock (GER) in seventh were the two best-placed BMW drivers in the Sunday DTM race at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (AUT). Maxime Martin (BEL) was on course for a points finish in the 16th race of the year, but fell back to eleventh place in the closing stages. Augusto Farfus (BRA) was 12th, followed by Tom Blomqvist (GBR) in 13th while Bruno Spengler (CAN) came home 16th.

In the Drivers’ Championship, Wittmann is now fifth with 134 points ahead of the finale in Hockenheim (GER). Trailing championship leader Mattias Ekström (SWE, Audi) by 38 points, he still has a mathematical chance of defending his title. Victory on Sunday went to Audi driver René Rast (GER).

The qualifying: Marco Wittmann, in the Red Bull BMW M4 DTM, was once again the man challenging for a start position at the front of the field. His fastest time of 1:22.156 minutes landed the reigning champion third place – 0.201 seconds behind Jamie Green (Audi, GBR), who secured pole position. A further three BMW drivers – Timo Glock (DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM) in seventh, Tom Blomqvist (BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM) in ninth and Bruno Spengler (BMW Bank M4 DTM) in tenth – qualified in the top ten places. Maxime Martin (SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM) and Augusto Farfus (Shell BMW M4 DTM) were eleventh and twelfth fastest.

The race:

Wittmann defended third place at the start, while Blomqvist climbed to seventh, followed by Glock and Spengler. Farfus (end of lap one) and Blomqvist (after lap three) came in for early stops. Wittmann lost a position on lap nine, but came straight in for his tyre change. As he returned to the track on cold tyres, he was able to fend off Ekström. His next battle then began on lap 21 with Ekström’s fellow Audi driver Nico Müller (SUI), who Wittmann was ultimately unable to keep behind him. Glock was the last BMW driver to come into the pits after 24 laps. The BMW M4 GTS DTM Safety Car made an appearance on lap 29, after Lucas Auer (Mercedes, AUT) hit the crash barriers following contact with Spengler. The BMW driver was given a drive-through penalty for his part in the incident. The ensuing safety car phase saw the field bunch together again. There was some jostling for position at the restart, and Wittmann dropped back a number of positions. The race stewards wasted little time in deciding that Ekström had to allow Wittmann back in front of him, however, as he had forced him too far off the track at the restart. Wittmann eventually crossed the finish line in sixth place after an eventful final few laps, closely followed by Glock in seventh. Martin, Farfus and Blomqvist were eleventh, 12th and 13th, while Spengler finished 16th.

The reactions:

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “On the whole, it was a tough weekend for us in Spielberg. On Saturday, the podium positions were out of reach for us. At least three of our drivers were able to pick up points. Sunday’s race was also hard work for us. Marco Wittmann was blocked several times, and ruined his tyres in the process which meant he had to settle for sixth place in the end. Despite this, a big compliment has to go to Marco, who kept his nerve and came away with eight points. The rest of the guys also fought for every point. On the whole, I cannot understand why the opposition is still playing such unnecessary tactical games, although they clearly are ahead in terms of performance. The situation in the overall standings may look relatively straightforward now, but we are still looking forward to the grand finale in Hockenheim. We will try to end the season with another good result, and to put on a great show for the many BMW fans there.”

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG): “We were a bit stronger in qualifying today than we were on Saturday. Unfortunately, we were unable to convert our start position into a good race result. Marco lost valuable places at the restart. He was forced off the track, for which there was a penalty. However, once your tyres are dirty, you have a clear disadvantage in terms of performance, which you cannot make up for. The team did the best job possible this weekend.”

Marco Wittmann (#11, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 3rd place, race result: 6th place – 72 races, 8 wins, 19 podiums, 9 pole positions, 657 points, 2 drivers’ titles): “I am disappointed and angry. Following the changes to the weight situation, Audi now clearly has the car with the best race pace in the field. If you still feel it necessary to block the opposition, then that is not on. I am the kind of racing driver who wants to see hard but fair racing. Unfortunately, that was not the case today.”

Augusto Farfus (#15, Shell BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 12th place, race result: 12th place – 82 races, 4 wins, 12 podiums, 6 pole positions, 374 points):“Our early stop did not pay off. The tyres degraded too quickly. We stopped again during the safety car phase. That was a clever tactical move, but we were unable to capitalise on it at the restart. We will now concentrate on Hockenheim.”

Timo Glock (#16, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 7th place, race result: 7th place – 72 races, 4 wins, 8 podiums, 3 pole positions, 328 points): “It was generally a difficult race. I put my faith entirely in the team when it came to the strategy, but unfortunately the pit stop was not the smoothest. I then found myself behind Marco after the safety car phase, and eventually came home seventh.”

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM): “That was a disappointing day for us. Maxime Martin struggled with back problems, which meant it was not an easy race for him. Our strategy actually worked really well. Maxime was on course to finish in the points. They were also within reaching distance for Bruno Spengler and Tom Blomqvist. However, the Indycar start was a lottery. The tyres on all our cars collected a lot pick-up and we were unable to defend our positions. We will try to do better at Hockenheim.”

Bruno Spengler (#7, BMW Bank BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 10th place, race result: 16th place – 155 races, 15 wins, 48 podiums, 18 pole positions, 832 points, 1 drivers’ title): “I had an unfortunate situation in the race. I out-braked Paul di Resta, and Lucas Auer suddenly appeared in the turn at that very moment. I hit the back corner of his car and he spun off. It was unlucky, and I was given a drive-through penalty. A points finish was definitely possible today.”

Tom Blomqvist (#31, BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM – Grid position: 9thplace, race result: 13th place – 52 races, 1 win, 5 podiums, 2 pole positions, 194 points): “I had a good start, but then came into the pits really early. That did not pay dividends. After a certain point in the race, my tyres were finished. I then dropped back through the field like a stone. The restart was okay – but the third and fourth turns were not. The rest of the race and the result were disappointing.”

Maxime Martin (#36, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 11th place, race result: 11th place – 62 races, 3 wins, 10 podiums, 3 pole positions, 341 points): “It was a tough race. I actually looked odds-on to pick up a few points, but I then lost places at the restart. I was forced offline in turn one but never mind, I am still happy. I have struggled with back pains since yesterday, but was able to finish the race. I only just missed out on the points in eleventh place. It was definitely a tough fight.”

The standings:

Drivers: 1. Mattias Ekström (172 points), 2. René Rast (151), 3. Jamie Green (137), 4. Mike Rockenfeller (134), 5. Marco Wittmann (134), 6. Lucas Auer (131), 7. Timo Glock (115), 8. Robert Wickens (113), 9. Maxime Martin (110), 10. Paul di Resta (99), 11. Gary Paffett (88), 12. Nico Müller (81), 13. Bruno Spengler (74), 14. Maro Engel (51), 15. Edoardo Mortara (49), 16. Augusto Farfus (29), 17. Loic Duval (22), 18. Tom Blomqvist (22).

Teams: 1. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (288 points), 2. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (253), 3. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me (201), 4. BMW Team RBM (184), 5. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT (180), 6. BMW Team RMG (163), 8. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (156), 8. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy (150), 9. BMW Team RMR (137).

Manufacturers:1. Audi (697 points), 2. Mercedes (531), 3. BMW (484).

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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BMW DTM one-two-three in the Saturday race at Zandvoort

The qualifying session:

The race:

The reactions:

The standings:

Manufacturers: 1. Audi (446 points), 2. BMW (380), 3. Mercedes (351).

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