BMW Motorsport News – Issue 44/15.

Whether in the DTM, the United 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.

WTSCC: BMW M6 GTLM completes first public tests in Daytona.

The BMW M6 GTLM was presented to the public for the first time at the official IMSA test session in Daytona (US) last week. BMW works drivers Bill Auberlen (US), John Edwards (US), Lucas Luhr (DE) and Bruno Spengler (CA) completed an intensive programme of testing and prepared the car for its first racing action at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. At the same time, BMW works drivers tested the BMW M6 GT3, which will contest the GTD class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (WTSCC) for Team Turner Motorsport next season. Among those on site in Florida were BMW DTM drivers Marco Wittmann (DE) and Maxime Martin (BE).

Race of Champions: Andy Priaulx wins Nations Cup.

BMW works driver Andy Priaulx (GB) celebrated an acclaimed home victory alongside his fellow countryman Jason Plato (GB) at the “Race of Champions”. The duo was triumphant at the annual end to the season event for some of the best racing drivers in the world, the Nations Cup, held at the Olympic Stadium in London (GB). In the final at the stadium circuit, which the drivers had to complete in various vehicles in a direct duel, Priaulx and Plato prevailed over Team Germany with Formula 1 drivers Sebastian Vettel (DE) and Nico Hülkenberg (DE). In the individual competition on Saturday, Priaulx was eliminated in the quarter finals. This time the win went to Vettel.

F3 Macau Grand Prix: Alexander Sims on the podium twice.

Successful outing in Formula racing for BMW works driver Alexander Sims (GB). At the classic Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix, Sims finished third on the podium at the legendary Guia Circuit in both the qualifying race on Saturday and the main race on Sunday. Throughout the year, Sims had been convincing at the wheel of the BMW Z4 GT3 in the endurance classics at the Nürburgring (DE) and Spa-Francorchamps (BE), as well as in the British GT Championship. BMW Motorsport Junior Nick Cassidy (NZ) also started in Macau, but was unable to repeat his third place of last year. He finished 12th and 17th.