BMW Motorsport News - Issue 41/2017.

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.
 
VLN: Michael Schrey repeats overall victory.
Successful title defence: a thrilling final race in the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring saw Michael Schrey (GER) defend his title in the overall standings. The Bonk Motorsport Team driver, who competed in both the Cup5 and TCR classes in the finale, is the first driver in almost ten years to win the VLN in successive seasons. The last driver to achieve the feat was Alexander Böhm (GER) in a BMW 325i in 2008 and 2009. Schrey finished just 0.2 points ahead of the competition to secure a fifth VLN overall victory for the Bonk team, making this the 15th time that a BMW team has claimed first place. There were top ten finishes for Walkenhorst Motorsport in the SP9 class, as Jordan Tresson (FRA) and Jonathan Hirschi (SUI) claimed sixth place in the BMW M6 GT3, while Peter Posavac (GER) and Alex Lambertz (GER) crossed the line in eighth in the BMW Z4 GT3. The Falken Motorsports BMW M6 GT3 driven by Peter Dumbreck (GBR) and Stef Dusseldorp (NED), finished in tenth position in the class.

BMW M235i Racing Cup: Second title for Michael Schrey.
In addition to his overall victory, Michael Schrey (GER) also triumphed in the BMW M235i Racing Cup to repeat his 2016 title win. Schrey started the 42nd DMV Münsterlandpokal race 50 points ahead of his nearest rival. Although he did not finish the race in the Cup5 class, his competitors were unable to close the gap. Victory in the final race of the BMW M235i Racing Cup season went to Yannick Fübrich (GER) and David Griessner (AUT) from the Pixum Team Adrenalin Motorsport in the #675 car. Thomas Jäger (AUT) and Rudi Adams (GER) from the Scheid-Honert Motorsport team finished second, securing them second place in the BMW M235i Racing Cup ahead of Griessner in third in the overall standings. Yannick Mettler (SUI) and Patrick Hinte (GER) from FK Performance crossed the line in third place. Schrey’s Bonk Motorsport team had already secured the title in the team championship in the penultimate race of the season.

FIA GT World Cup: DTM Trio to start in Macau.
The 2017 DTM season is over – but at least three BMW works drivers will meet again on the racetrack in November when they will contest this year’s FIA GT World Cup in Macau (CHN). Marco Wittmann (GER), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Tom Blomqvist (GBR) will take on the challenge of the legendary “Guia Circuit”. Wittmann, DTM Champion in 2014 and 2016, will be behind the wheel of one of the BMW M6 GT3s with the FIST Team - AAI Motorsports. “I have been to Macau several times and love this track. It is very demanding and doesn’t allow for even the smallest of mistakes,” said Wittmann. “With its demanding mix of fast and very narrow sections, it really gets the pulse rate of every driver going. I enjoyed great success there in Formula 3 in particular, and made it onto the podium. My GT experience there so far has been in the BMW Z4 GT3. I’m excited to see how the BMW M6 GT3 fares on the narrow streets. I’m really looking forward to my final race of the year and hope that my win at the DTM finale in Hockenheim will spur me on in Macau.” Farfus will take charge of the 18th BMW Art Car, designed by Cao Fei (CHN), in competition for BMW Team Schnitzer. Blomqvist will contest the race in another BMW M6 GT3 for the ROWE Racing team.
 
Young Driver Test: Eriksson and Eng in tests at the Lausitzring.
Next week, BMW Motorsport Junior Joel Eriksson (SWE) and BMW works driver Philipp Eng (AUT) will have the opportunity to take to the track in the BMW M4 DTM as part of the DTM Young Driver Tests at the Lausitzring (GER). Eriksson, who has been part of the BMW Motorsport Junior programme since 2016, enjoyed success in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship this year, and with seven wins celebrated second place in the overall standings. Eng contested the ADAC GT Masters for BMW Team Schnitzer and clinched a total of four podium positions, including a win at the season opener in Oschersleben (GER). He was also in action for ROWE Racing in the Blancpain GT Series.

ELMS: Brabham BMW BT52 at the season finale at Portimão.
The season finale of the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) took place this weekend at Portimão (POR) and witnessed the appearance of an historic and successful car from the BMW Group Classic pool: Pedro Piquet (BRA), son of the three-time Formula 1 world champion Nelson Piquet (BRA), completed a few laps of the “Autódromo Internacional do Algarve” in the Brabham BMW BT52. The Brabham BMW BT52 caused a stir when it appeared in Formula 1 in 1983, as Piquet won the title for BMW.