An interview with Tom Blomqvist: “I know what to expect in the DTM in 2016.”

Munich (DE), 12th April 2016. When the new DTM season gets underway in Hockenheim (DE) on 7th May, Bruno Spengler (CA), Marco Wittmann (DE), António Félix da Costa (PT), Timo Glock (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Tom Blomqvist (GB), Maxime Martin (BE) and Martin Tomczyk (DE) will take their seats in the eight BMW M4 DTMs for BMW Motorsport. In the run-up to the opening round of the season, we are taking the opportunity to introduce you to each of our BMW DTM drivers in a series of interviews.

Tom Blomqvist, BMW Team RBM, No 31 Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM.

Tom, on a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your debut season in the DTM in 2015?

Tom Blomqvist: “I would give myself a seven. The start of the season was tough for me. I first had to adapt to the dynamics, the very high standard and the aggressive driving in the DTM. When it came to working with the team, everyone involved had to get used to each other at first. The turning point for me came in Moscow. From that weekend on, I was always one of the top qualifiers. That is something I was very happy about. The absolute highlight of the year was obviously my win in Oschersleben.”

Were you relieved in Oschersleben to see that you could compete at the very front of the field in the DTM?

Blomqvist: “The win definitely came as a relief. However, I already knew that I had the pace required. It was just a case of everything coming together in one race. That was the case in Oschersleben, starting with qualifying. After the win, I was much more relaxed going into the remaining race weekends. It definitely helped me a lot.”

What surprised you most about the DTM?

Blomqvist: “How incredibly close it is. I was very surprised to see how even the tiniest gaps, even just half a tenth of a second, could make a big difference.”

Looking ahead to the coming season, in which areas are you looking to improve most?

Blomqvist: “I feel much better prepared than I did for last season. Back then everything was new to me. I now know what to expect in the DTM in 2016. The team and I have identified a number of areas, in which we want to improve. That is what we are working on. After all, you always have to keep improving.”

How do you like your new Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM?

Blomqvist: “I really like the Ice-Watch colours and think the youthful image of the Ice-Watch brand suits me very well. The Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM was very successful in recent years with Marco Wittmann at the wheel. Hopefully it will bring me luck too.”

As well as a new car, you also have a new team-mate. How are you getting on with Maxime Martin?

Blomqvist: “He is a very nice guy and I get on well with him. As well as that, he is extremely quick. He proved that emphatically last year, particularly towards the end of the season. After Augusto Farfus I now have another strong team-mate, from whom I am sure I will be able to learn a lot.”

You recently made your debut on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in the BMW M235i Racing in preparation for your start in the BMW M6 GT3 at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. How did it go?

Blomqvist: “I think that was exactly the right way to learn this extremely difficult track. There was no pressure on me, and I was able to just drive. I spent four hours non-stop at the wheel and got a lot of kilometres under my belt. It was an intense experience, as the circuit is a big challenge. However, it is also incredible fun.”

How did you prepare for the Nordschleife?

Blomqvist: “I spent some time in the simulator and watched on-board videos. To be honest though, that didn’t help me as much as I had hoped it would. Driving on this track, with its undulations and bumps, is a completely different world.”

You are now also driving in GT races for BMW Motorsport. How did that come about?

Blomqvist: “My focus was, and remains, the DTM. However, I wanted to take the opportunity to get more race experience. The more I drive, the better driver I can become. In the DTM, we only have limited opportunity to actually get behind the wheel of the car. Therefore, it was great to be given this chance by BMW Motorsport.”