BMW Motorsport News – Issue 04/16.

DTM: Timo Glock talks about his move to BMW Team RMG.

With three months remaining until the start of the DTM season in Hockenheim (DE), the personnel plans of BMW Motorsport and the four works teams have been finalised. In 2016, the same eight drivers will compete in the BMW M4 DTM as in the previous season. However, three drivers will swap teams for the first time in their DTM careers. One of these is Timo Glock (DE). In an interview, Glock speaks about his time at BMW Team MTEK and the new challenges awaiting him at BMW Team RMG in 2016.

Three questions for... Timo Glock.

Timo, since you joined the DTM in 2013, you have always raced for BMW Team MTEK. You are now switching teams. What will you miss most?
Timo Glock: “When you drive for one team for three years, celebrating two victories together, but also going through some tough times, you develop a close bond. I obviously feel close to BMW Team MTEK, so it was not easy to move on. However, I am also looking forward to the new challenge that awaits me with BMW Team RMG. Therefore, I am extremely motivated to do well in the new season. From my point of view, changing teams is nothing out of the ordinary. As a racing driver, you always have to be ready for that kind of thing. In the past, BMW Motorsport has often made changes to the teams ahead of a season, in order to give fresh impetus and thus get the maximum out of the overall package. And the success it has enjoyed in the DTM shows that BMW Motorsport is spot on to do so.”

What are you particularly looking forward to at your new team?
Glock: “It is remarkable how small the motorsport world is. I still know a lot of the guys at BMW Team RMG from my time in Formula One. That definitely makes my move to the Eifel Mountains easier. Team principal Stefan Reinhold’s outfit has shown what it is capable of in recent years. The guys have grown into their roles in the DTM and, in winning the title in 2014, have shown that they are among the best of the best in this series. BMW Team RMG is strong. Hopefully we will be even stronger together in 2016.”

You are joining forces with an old acquaintance at BMW Team RMG, in the form of Marco Wittmann. You have been in the same team in the past. What are Wittmann’s greatest qualities as a team-mate? 
Glock: “He was crowned champion in 2014, in only his second year in the DTM. That alone tells you all you need to know. Marco is young, fast, and produces top performances when it counts. Young drivers usually learn from older ones in motor racing. This year, that will rather be the other way round.”

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DTM/24h: BMW M4 DTM and BMW M6 GT3 live on TV.
Every DTM race will once again be broadcast live and exclusively in Germany on “Das Erste” in 2016 and 2017. A contract has been signed between ARD and the ITR to this effect. The new DTM season kicks off in Hockenheim (DE) on 7th and 8th May and, like last year, consists of 18 races spread over nine weekends. As in 2016, one race will be held on Saturday and one on Sunday, both of which will be broadcast live on “Das Erste”. Fans will again be able to watch the qualifying sessions in live stream on dtm.com and sportschau.de, as well as on Einsfestival for the first time. Fans of the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE) also have reason to be pleased: the television reporting from the marathon in the “Green Hell” is set to be extended significantly. Media group RTL Deutschland has acquired television rights to the iconic ADAC Zürich 24h Race in 2016. RTL Nitro will show 25 hours of uninterrupted images from the endurance marathon on free-to-air TV. Furthermore, RTL Television will report on the start of the 24-hour race on Saturday 28th May and the finish on Sunday 29th May as part of its coverage of the Formula One Grand Prix in Monaco (MC). Furthermore, news broadcaster n-tv and the RTL Deutschland media group’s online platforms will also provide information on the popular motorsport event.

FIA Formula E Championship: the BMW i8 Safety Car in the streets of Buenos Aires.
The latest stop of the BMW i8 Safety Car’s world tour was Argentina: on Saturday, the streets of Buenos Aires (AR) hosted the fourth race of the season in the FIA Formula E Championship. BMW is involved in the innovative racing series for electric-powered single-seater racing cars as “Official Vehicle Partner”. After a technical problem, BMW DTM driver António Félix da Costa (PT), who had won last year’s race in Buenos Aires (AR), finished in P17. Victory went to Sam Bird (GB). The next round of the FIA Formula E Championship takes place in Mexico City (MX) on 12th March.