Bruno Spengler and the rest of the DTM teams are back in action at the Norrisring after a 4 week break.
Munich, Germany – After a four-week break in race action, the 2014 DTM season resumes with the race on the Norisring (DE). On 29th June, the BMW drivers will do battle for points and places at the iconic street race in Nürnberg (DE). One driver in particular is looking forward to the fourth race of the year: Marco Wittmann (DE), who currently leads the Drivers' Championship with 50 points. He lives just 20 kilometres from the circuit in Fürth (DE). Just as the local favourite leads the Drivers' Championship, BMW Team RMG also occupies first place in the team competition. Team Principal Stefan Reinhold's (DE) outfit tops the standings with 58 points.
The 2.3 kilometre Norisring is regarded as the Monaco of the DTM. Similar to the way Formula One drivers weave their way through the narrow streets in the Mediterranean principality, the DTM drivers also come within a whisker of the walls on the tight street circuit in Nürnberg. They must complete the stop-and-start circuit around the Dutzendteich 83 times before they see the chequered flag.
Last year the Norisring, which is made race-ready each year by volunteers, proved to be relatively difficult terrain for BMW Motorsport. After an eventful race in extreme heat, which also included two safety car periods, Bruno Spengler (CA) came home sixth as the best-placed BMW driver. In total, four BMW drivers finished in the top ten. Over the course of the weekend, 126,000 spectators followed the action on the Norisring, where BMW has five DTM wins to its name. These included the first ever DTM race in Nürnberg back in 1984, when Winfried Vogt (DE) triumphed in a BMW 323i.
On Sunday, fans can look forward to a very special highlight before the fourth round of the season gets underway – the BMW Motorsport "Pit Stop Chain". Together with the many BMW employees in Nürnberg, the fans will form a human chain from the ITR stage to the BMW Z4 GT3 of BMW Brand Ambassador Alessandro Zanardi (IT), who will also be making a guest appearance at the Norisring. They will pass the four tyres for the pit stop, one after another, to the pit crew, who will then perform the tyre change. Zanardi will then head out onto the track with the BMW Z4 GT3.
A new addition to the weekend format awaits DTM fans in Nürnberg on Saturday. For the first time this season, the eight BMW M4 DTMs will go on track for two 60-minute practices. ARD will broadcast the subsequent qualifying at the Norisring live from 14:35 on Saturday. TV viewers will join the action live from 13:15 on Sunday, when the BMW drivers set off in pursuit of more points in the fourth race of the season.
Three BMW DTM drivers are travelling straight from the "Green Hell" to Nürnberg: Wittmann, Maxime Martin (BE) and Martin Tomczyk (DE) were all in action at the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE) last weekend. While both Wittmann and Martin failed to finish with BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS, Tomczyk and his team-mates came home sixth in the number 20 BMW Z4 GT3 for BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
"The new BMW M4 DTM's debut has been very successful for us so far. Two pole positions, two wins and 118 points from three races are a more than positive yield. Furthermore, in Marco Wittmann we also have the leader in the Drivers' Championship among our ranks. So, we have enjoyed a good start to the season with the new BMW M4 DTM. However, we will not make the mistake of resting on our laurels. You have to work hard for every single success in the DTM, and a weekend of hard work awaits us in Nürnberg this weekend. The Norisring is the perfect venue to return from the four-week break with one of the real highlights of the season. The unique atmosphere that the fans generate in the paddock and the stands is enough to give you goose-bumps. I am particularly looking forward to the many BMW employees who will be at the circuit and give us fantastic support this weekend. We will do our best to give them and all the other BMW fans further cause for celebration in Nürnberg."
Charly Lamm (Team Principal, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"After the intense start to the season, with three races within a matter of weeks, the short breather before our home race at the Norisring in Bavaria has done us all good. Especially having gone into the break on the back of a success like Bruno Spengler's third place in Budapest. We are looking forward to the outing at the Norisring. The street circuit in Nürnberg has a long tradition and is definitely a special event for us."
Bruno Spengler (car number 9, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"The Norisring is very technical and very challenging, as you have to brake late. Because the cars pass very close to the walls, you cannot afford to make any mistakes. I have always been very successful at the Norisring. The atmosphere there is always amazing, so I am really looking forward to driving there in the DTM again."
Martin Tomczyk (car number 10, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"After the scorching race last year, which included two safety periods and was utter chaos at times, I am intrigued to see what surprises the Norisring has in store for us this time. Driving there is always a big challenge. I hope I can produce another good performance in front of the many BMW employees and fans."
Joey Hand (car number 4, BMW Team RBM):
"Where we would normally drive off into a gravel trap at other circuits, you are straight into a wall at the Norisring. I think this really changes how people race. It is fantastic to race on a track in the middle of the city, because we are bringing the racing right to the fans. The race at the Norisring will be a great show."
Statistics ahead of the race at the Norisring:
Circuit / Date
Norisring, 29th June 2014
Laps / Distance
83 laps, 2.3 km
2013 Pole Time
Robert Wickens (CA), 48.384 seconds
2013 winner
- (Mattias Ekström disqualified)
2013 Fastest Lap
Christian Vietoris (DE), 48.572 seconds
Driver data
Drivers' Championship
1. Marco Wittmann (50 points), 2. Mike Rockenfeller (31), 3. Edoardo Mortara (27),
4. Miguel Molina (26), 5. Adrien Tambay (26), 6. Christian Vietoris (25), 7. Bruno Spengler (23), 8. Mattias Ekström (20), 9. Augusto Farfus (14), 10. Paul di Resta (12), 11. Timo Glock (10), 12. Maxime Martin (8), 13. Martin Tomczyk (8), 14. Timo Scheider (8), 15. Jamie Green (6), 16. António Félix da Costa (4), 17. Gary Paffett (4), 18. Joey Hand (1).
Team Championship
1. BMW Team RMG (58 points), 2. Audi Sport Team Abt (53), 3. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (46), 4. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (39), 5. Original-Teile Mercedes AMG (37), 6. BMW Team Schnitzer (31), 7. BMW Team RBM (15), 8. BMW Team MTEK (14), 9. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (6), 10. EURONICS / FREE MAN'S WORLD Mercedes AMG (4.).
Manufacturers' Championship
1. Audi (144 points), 2. BMW (118), Mercedes-Benz (41).
2014 calendar:
4th May – Hockenheim (DE), 18th May – Oschersleben (DE), 1st June – Budapest (HU), 29th June – Norisring (DE), 13th July – Moscow (RU), 3rd August – Spielberg (AT), 17th August – Nürburgring (DE), 14th September – Lausitzring (DE), 28th September – Guangzhou (CN), 19th October – Hockenheim (DE).
About the DTM.
The German Touring Car Masters – DTM for short – is the most popular touring car series in the world. Last season, over 700,000 spectators flocked to renowned racetracks in Germany and around Europe to watch the ten races live. The series pits the three premium automobile manufacturers BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz against each other in a sporting contest. BMW fielded its first works teams from 1984 to 1992, during which time it claimed 49 race victories and won the Drivers' Championship on three occasions (1984, 1987 and 1989). In 2012, the manufacturer returned to the DTM with the BMW M3 DTM, three teams and six drivers. BMW promptly won five races and topped the driver, team and manufacturer standings at the end of the season. In 2013, BMW Motorsport managed to defend the Manufacturer's title with four teams and eight drivers. The 2014 DTM calendar once again consists of ten races. The schedule includes four trips abroad, to Budapest (HU), Spielberg (AT), Moscow (RU) and Guangzhou (CN). The season traditionally ends in Hockenheim (DE) on 19th October. TV station ARD is broadcasting each qualifying and every race live. Tickets for all the DTM races are available here: http://www.bmw-motorsport.com/en/fan-area/dtm-tickets.html