DTM: Kelvin van der Linde wins at Zandvoort, podium for Marco Wittmann after magnificent comeback.

Zandvoort. First DTM victory for Kelvin van der Linde (RSA) with BMW M Motorsport! On the second weekend of the season at Zandvoort (NED), the BMW M works driver triumphed on Sunday in the #3 Shell BMW M4 GT3 EVO, breaking the spell after a disappointing start to the season. He retired from the race on Saturday. Marco Wittmann (GER) delivered a magnificent comeback on Sunday in the #11 Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3 EVO, moving up from 13th on the grid to third place thanks to a good strategy and strong overtaking manoeuvres. As a result, after four out of 16 races, he is now third in the drivers’ standings.

Van der Linde bounced back strongly after a setback on Saturday and celebrated all the more exuberantly on the podium. On Saturday, his car suffered an oil leak in qualifying, forcing him to start the race from the very back. Although he managed to make up a few places, he ultimately had to retire the car early due to a technical problem. Sunday, however, went perfectly. With a very strong lap, he secured his second pole position of the season. He initially defended the lead in the race but temporarily dropped to second place. Thanks to an excellent final pit stop, he regained first place and confidently brought home the victory. The fans voted him “Driver of the Day.”

Wittmann had claimed that title at the Red Bull Ring (AUT) – and he would have deserved it again for his performance on Sunday. After collecting a few points with a twelfth-place finish in a difficult race on Saturday, things didn’t look promising for a podium on Sunday, starting from 13th on the grid. However, in the race, he worked his way forward place by place with some impressive moves in the final stages and was able to celebrate third place in the end.

With 52 points, Wittmann is in third place in the drivers’ standings, while van der Linde, after his victory, is seventh with 41 points. In the team standings, Schubert Motorsport is second with 87 points.

ADAC GT Masters: Celebration among BMW M Motorsport teams.

There was also reason to celebrate for the BMW M Motorsport teams in the ADAC GT Masters. In Saturday’s race, FK Performance Motorsport and Schubert Motorsport secured a one-two finish. Tim Zimmermann (GER) and Leyton Fourie (RSA) won ahead of brothers Sandro and Juliano Holzem (both GER). On Sunday, FK Performance Motorsport managed to get two cars onto the podium. Zimmermann and Fourie finished second this time, ahead of their teammates Fabio Rauer (GER) and Storm Gjerdrum (NOR). In the overall standings, Zimmermann and Fourie are in second place.

Quotes after the race weekend:

Torsten Schubert (Team Principal, Schubert Motorsport): “The race on Sunday went smoothly and just as we had hoped from our side. I’m especially happy for Kelvin, after he had some unlucky races at the Red Bull Ring and here on Saturday. I’m even more delighted that we were able to celebrate a double podium with Marco as well. To move up from 13th to third place is excellent. The team did a great job and kept calm, delivering all the pit stops flawlessly. This result is a huge step for us in the team standings.”

Kelvin van der Linde (#3 Shell BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 1st place): “It’s fantastic. My first win with BMW M Motorsport in the DTM is just something special, it was a great race. After the retirement on Saturday, it was also necessary. We knew we had to start collecting points if we wanted to have a say in the championship fight. That’s why this victory was an important sign that we’re in the game. We want to attack and be up front. Now it’s important to build the necessary consistency for the rest of the season.”

Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Race 1: 12th place, Race 2: 3rd place): “The Sunday race went perfectly. To go from 13th to third place is a great success. We got everything right in terms of strategy and tyre management and worked our way forward step by step. Overall, we achieved a strong team result with Kelvin’s win and me on the podium behind him. Nevertheless, we need to improve our Saturdays. It was similar in Spielberg: we struggled on Saturday, but were strong on Sunday. I hope that in the future we can have better performance on Saturdays as well. Ultimately, though, we’re satisfied with the outcome and have picked up important points.”