BMW Sports Trophy Teams experience disappointing 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps.

Spa-Francorchamps (BE), 28th July 2013. The 65th running of the 24-hour race at Spa-Francorchamps (BE) took a disappointing direction for the five participating BMW Sports Trophy Teams. None of the seven BMW Z4 GT3s made it to the chequered flag at the endurance classic in the Ardennes Mountains. Mercedes drivers Bernd Schneider (DE), Maximilian Götz (DE) and Maximilian Buhk (DE) secured the victory after 564 laps.

In the first half of the race, the Marc VDS Racing team especially had every reason to have high hopes of continuing BMW’s impressive success story of 21 victories to date at the “Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps”. However, during the night, both Maxime Martin (BE), Yelmer Buurman (NL) and Bas Leinders (NL) in the number 3 car, and team-mates, Nicky Catsburg (NL), Henri Moser (CH) and Markus Palttala (FI), in car number 4, were forced to retire due to technical problems. Earlier on, both cars had led the field. Dirk Müller (DE), Andrea Piccini (IT) and Jens Klingmann (DE) in the third Marc VDS Racing car had retired from the race on Saturday evening after suffering a drivetrain problem.

The other BMW Sports Trophy teams also experienced a difficult race. DKR Engineering’s number 188 BMW Z4 GT3 had retired after a few laps due to a technical failure. TDS Racing’s and ROAL Motorsport’s drivers had to park their BMW Z4 GT3 just before midnight due to an accident and puncture respectively. Frank Kechele (DE), Greg Franchi (BE) and Stefano Colombo (IT) from the Vita4One Racing team then were the sole BMW representatives, driving in the top-five for several hours. However, with a little more than one hour to go, last year’s third-placed team also suffered a dose of bad luck: Colombo headed back into the pits with the number 26 car and was also forced to retire.

Behind the BMW drivers is a turbulent endurance race with numerous incidents, safety-car periods and changeable weather conditions, with searing heat at the start and rain showers at night. Early on in the race the BMW Z4 GT3s settled into the leading group and fought some exciting battles with the competition. Five BMW cars competed in the top ten. Proof of how tough the race at the 7.004-kilometre track was, is highlighted by the list of retirements: Less than half of the 65 starters finished the race.

Again the 24-hour race in Spa-Francorchamps counted towards the Blancpain Endurance Series. Despite the retirements, Marc VDS Racing scored 21 points towards the standings in the Pro-class courtesy of good positions after six and 12 hours respectively, leading the team championship with 66 points. The season finale takes place on 22nd September at the Nürburgring (DE).

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):

“This has been a truly disappointing 24-hour race for us, and one which we had obviously planned would take a different direction. Marc VDS Racing led the field on numerous occasions during the first 12 hours, while the other BMW Sports Trophy teams were also doing well. However, Spa-Francorchamps then showed its merciless side, and up to dawn we lost six of the seven cars that started. Shortly before the end of the race Vita4One Racing also had to give up. To prevent this from happening again in the future, we will have a detailed look at the technical problems, which, in some cases, were responsible for the retirements. Congratulations to Mercedes for claiming victory at this extremely tough race.”