BMW Motorsport News - Issue 18/2019.

Whether in the DTM, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the ABB FIA Formula E 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.

FIA WEC: Dress rehearsal for the BMW M8 GTE at Le Mans.

BMW Team MTEK returned to the Circuit de la Sarthe (FRA) this Sunday for the official 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) test day and ran both cars for the full eight hours with only minor interruptions for set-up changes. By the end of the day, the BMW M8 GTE had completed more than 2,200 kilometres of running and the team is feeling prepared for the race in two weeks’ time. “It was great to be back at Le Mans and I think we are as prepared for race week as we can be,” said Philipp Eng (AUT), driver of the #81 BMW M8 GTE. “Myself, Nicky Catsburg and Martin Tomcyzk are fairly happy with the balance and, after today, we are sorted in terms of set-up. We’ll return next week ready to take on the challenge.”

The official session comes six weeks after the team completed a 30-hour private test at Magny Cours (FRA), also without any issues, giving the crew and drivers confidence in the reliability of their endurance machine. António Félix da Costa (POR), who will race alongside Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Jesse Krohn (FIN) in car #82 explained: “Last year, we all came here to our first Le Mans with only one World Endurance Championship round under our belt, so we were on the backfoot. This year, the difference is huge with the team and the car so we’re really looking forward to returning and seeing what we can do.”

DTM: Marco Wittmann meets his fans in Nürnberg.

About a month before his DTM home event at the Norisring (GER), Marco Wittmann (GER) had the opportunity to get close to fans in his home city of Nürnberg (GER). First up on Saturday, he was on hand for interviews with numerous media representatives as part of the official advance press conference. Then he headed to an autograph session at Main Market Square in Nürnberg city centre, where a beach volleyball tournament was taking place, as part of the “Techniker Beach Tour”. Wittmann and his fellow DTM driver Nico Müller (SUI, Audi) made the most of the opportunity and took on German national players Sandra Ittlinger and Maja Rosko. “It was a fantastic event here in my home city,” said Wittmann. “There was a great throng of fans at the autograph session and I really enjoyed meeting them in such a great atmosphere ahead of my DTM home races. On top of that, I had so much fun on the beach volleyball court as part of the event. After this taster, I’m even more excited for my home event, when lots of my friends, my family and my fan club will be there.” In addition to Wittmann and Müller, BMW Motorsport Junior Beitske Visser (NED) was also part of the event. She will compete at the Norisring, in the W Series.

GT4 European Series: Triple win for the BMW M4 GT4.

The MDM Motorsport BMW Customer Racing Team was the big winner of the race weekend in the GT4 European Series at Le Castellet (FRA). In the first race at the ‘Circuit Paul Ricard’ on Saturday, Simon Knap (NED) and Alec Udell (USA) headed up a BMW triple win. After 26 laps the duo was victorious in the BMW M4 GT4, ahead of Ricardo van der Ende (NED) and Euan McKay (GBR) of Team Ekris Motorsport and MDM Motorsport team-mates Mark van der Aa and Koen Bogaerts (both NED). In the second race on Sunday, Knap and Udell continued their winning streak and won again in the #25 BMW M4 GT4. First place in the Pro-Am class on Sunday went to Massimiliano Tresoldi (ITA) and Paolo Meloni (SMR) in the W&D Racing Team BMW M4 GT4.

GT4 Scandinavia: Victory for the BMW M4 GT4 at Anderstorp.

A BMW Customer Racing Team also had reason to celebrate at the GT4 Scandinavia: Oliver Söderström and Robert Serwanski (both SWE) won the Sunday race at Anderstorp (SWE) for the Förenade Bil/Lestrup Racing Team in their BMW M4 GT4. The duo started from pole position and crossed the finish line in first place with a lead of around six seconds. Söderström and Serwanski finished in sixth place in the first race on Saturday.