BMW Motorsport opens DTM season with one-two – Farfus triumphs ahead of Werner, five BMW M3 DTMs in the points.

Hockenheim (DE), 5th May 2013. Fantastic start to the 2013 DTM season for BMW Motorsport: at the end of the 42 laps, Augusto Farfus (BR) won the opening race in Hockenheim (DE) at the wheel of the Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM. This was the BMW Team RBM driver’s second DTM victory, following his triumph in Valencia (ES) in 2012. A wonderful drive and a strategic tour de force saw BMW Team Schnitzer’s Dirk Werner (DE) fight back brilliantly from 20th on the grid to finish runner-up in the SAMSUNG BMW M3 DTM. In doing so, he completed the first one-two for BMW since the Bavarian manufacturer returned to the DTM in 2012. This is the 16th time in the history of the DTM that two BMW drivers have followed each other over the finish line in first and second. 

In a tumultuous race with many spectacular overtaking manoeuvres, reigning champion Bruno Spengler (CA) crossed the finish line fifth in the BMW Bank M3 DTM. Joey Hand (US, BMW M3 DTM) and Marco Wittmann (DE, Ice-Watch BMW M3 DTM) also finished in the points, coming home seventh and ninth respectively. Therefore, five BMW M3 DTM drivers ended the race in the top ten. Martin Tomczyk (DE, BMW M Performance Parts M3 DTM) and Andy Priaulx (GB, Crowne Plaza Hotels BMW M3 DTM) finished 13th and 17th. 

Timo Glock’s (DE) DTM debut came to a premature end. Prior to his retirement, the BMW Team MTEK driver had produced a strong performance. Starting from 15th on the grid, Glock worked his way towards the front of the field and was at one stage second. However, following his first pit stop, the rear-right wheel of his DEUTSCHE POST BMW M3 DTM came off, giving the debutant no choice but to retire from the race. 

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):

“That was a really awesome start to the season. I must pay a huge compliment to everyone in the team – particularly to Augusto Farfus and Dirk Werner, of course, who presented us with our first one-two since we returned to the DTM. Augusto did not make a single mistake, and BMW Team RBM got its strategy spot on. The same can be said of BMW Team Schnitzer, who helped Dirk climb from 20th to a remarkable second. His fightback was simply fantastic. I hope the first race of the years was as thrilling and exciting for the fans as it was for us. I feel sorry for Timo Glock. He was looking very good at the start and did a great job of cutting through the field. However, any new team is always on a learning curve, and that unfortunately includes set-backs. That makes me even more delighted that his team-mate Marco Wittmann finished in the points in his first race, having started from right at the back.”  

Facts and figures Hockenheim:    

Circuit / Date	Hockenheimring, 5th May 2013
Laps / Distance	42 laps, 4.574 km
2013 Pole position	Timo Scheider (DE), 1:35.918 minutes
2013 Winners	Augusto Farfus (BR)
2013 Fastest lap	Augusto Farfus (BR),1:34.504 minutes

 

Driver	SPE	WER	FAR	HAN	TOM	PRI	WIT	GLO
Country	CA	DE	BR	US	DE	GB	DE	DE
Car number	1	2	7	8	15	16	21	22
Team	BMW Team Schnitzer	BMW Team Schnitzer	BMW Team RBM	BMW Team RBM	BMW Team RMG	BMW Team RMG	BMW Team MTEK	BMW Team MTEK
Free Practice	12th	22nd	3rd	11th	5th	15th	18th	13th
Qualifying	7th	22nd	2nd	9th	11th	17th	21st	15th
Race	5th	2nd	1st	7th	13th	17th	9th	DNF
2013 points	10	18	25	6	0	0	2	0
Current position	5th	2nd	1st	7th	-	-	9th	-

 

2013 calendar: 

5th May – Hockenheim (DE), 19th May – Brands Hatch (GB), 2nd June – Spielberg (AT),
16th June – Lausitzring (DE), 14th July – Norisring (DE), 4th August – Moscow (RU),
18th August – Nürburgring (DE), 15th September – Oschersleben (DE), 29th September – Zandvoort (NL), 20th October – Hockenheim (DE).