BMW Motorsport News – Issue 21/16.

Whether in the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar 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.

DTM: Wittmann second in the Drivers’ Championship after the Lausitzring.

BMW Team RMG driver Marco Wittmann (DE) climbed into second place in the overall standings with 55 points on the third race weekend of the 2016 DTM season at the Lausitzring. After six races, he trails leader Robert Wickens (CA) by just three points. Wittmann was the best-placed BMW driver in both races, finishing fourth on Saturday and sixth on Sunday. Maxime Martin (BE), Bruno Spengler (CA) and Timo Glock (DE) also picked up points. BMW was able to defend its lead in the Manufacturers’ Championship, as was BMW Team RMG in the Team competition. As well as the DTM, a further four championships thrilled fans at the Motorsport Festival at the Lausitzring. In total, 170 drivers and riders were in action in over 100 racing cars and on 25 motorcycles. The programme, which featured the ADAC GT Masters and SUPERBIKE*IDM, attracted 67,500 spectators to the Lausitzring. It was also a special weekend for Herbert Schnitzer, owner of BMW Team Schnitzer: he celebrated his 75th birthday on Sunday.

DTM: Bobsleigh athletes visit the Motorsport Festival at the Lausitzring.

The German bob stars were keen not to miss out on the largest motorsport spectacle of the year on German soil. Three-time world champion Francesco Friedrich (DE), Nico Walther (DE) and bob coach Gerd Leopold (DE) visited the Lausitzring. Walther, who finished runner-up in the four-man bob at the 2015 Bobsleigh World Championship in Winterberg (DE) and won the overall World Cup in 2016, and Leopold took the opportunity to take a ride in the DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM Race Taxi. “That was a fantastic experience,” said Walther. “I had a lot of fun. The lateral acceleration of the DTM racing car was particularly impressive. As bob athletes, we are not used to that. It is really astonishing how quickly you can corner in this car.” BMW has been Premium and Technology Partner of the German Bobsleigh, Luge, and Skeleton Federation (BSD) since 2010.

International GT Open: Victory and second place for BMW Team Teo Martín.

BMW Team Teo Martín continued its winning run in the International GT Open: the team won one race and finished runner-up at the third race weekend of the season, which took place on the “Paul Ricard” racetrack in Le Castellet (FR) in the south of France. Miguel Ramos (PT) and Roldan Rodriguez (ES) took their second win of the season in the number 1 BMW M6 GT3 in Saturday’s opening race. Their team-mates Gustavo Yacamán (CO) and Fernando Monje (ES), who failed to finish on Saturday, finished runners-up in Sunday’s second race to take their place on the podium. Ramos/Rodriguez came home eighth in race two.

ADAC GT Masters: Impressive display from Krohn and Delétraz at the Lausitzring.

The third race weekend of this season’s ADAC GT Masters took place as part of the Motorsport Festival at the Lausitzring (DE). Schubert Motorsport fielded two BMW M6 GT3s. BMW Motorsport Juniors Jesse Krohn (FI) and Louis Delétraz (CH) alternated at the wheel of the number 20 car. The duo started Saturday’s race from an outstanding third place on the grid. However, damage caused by a collision brought their challenge to a premature end. In race two on Sunday, the pair produced an impressive fightback from 17th place: at the end of an eventful race, they came home sixth in the BMW M6 GT3 to finish in the points. The two BMW Motorsport Juniors were coached by BMW works driver Jörg Müller (DE) throughout the entire weekend. The number 19 Schubert Motorsport BMW M6 GT3 was driven by Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and Niklas Mackschin (DE), who were both making their debuts in BMW’s new GT sports car. They retired from race one following a collision in an eventful opening phase, before finishing 20th in race two.

IWSC: Turner Motorsport at Detroit’s Belle Isle Park.

While the GTLM class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IWSC) takes a break until after the Le Mans 24 Hours (FR), the GTD class contested its fifth round of the season last weekend. The race took place at Belle Isle Park in Detroit (US). Bret Curtis (US) and BMW works driver Jens Klingmann (DE) finished ninth in the number 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M6 GT3. Their team-mates Michael Marsal (US) and Markus Palttala (FI) came home 11th in the number 97 car.

British Touring Car Championship: Victory and championship lead for Tordoff.

West Surrey Racing driver Sam Tordoff moved to the top of the overall standings in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) with a successful Sunday of racing at Oulton Park (GB). Tordoff won the second of the day’s three races in the BMW 125i M Sport. He finished runner-up in the other two races. This was sufficient to give him a one-point lead at the top of the Drivers’ Championship. Team-mate Jack Goff (GB) finished 12th, ninth and had a DNF. Rob Collard (GB) was 23rd, 25th and sixth in the third West Surrey Racing BMW 125i M Sport.