The BMW Z4 # 77 finished the Main Race on the podium for the 4th time this season. Cacá Bueno and Sérgio Jimenez had everything to fight for the podium also, after the 4th place in Qualifying Race. But a touch early in the 2nd race and a puncture ended the chances of the BMW Z4 # 0
The two races of the fourth round of the 2015 season of the Blancpain Sprint Series, held on Saturday (4th) in the Moscow Raceway, had a mix of emotions for the BMW Team Brazil. In the Qualifying Race, Cacá Bueno and Sérgio Jimenez started in the tenth position and achieved an excellent fourth place with the BMW Z4 # 0. The teammates Valdeno Brito and Átila Abreu also made a great recovery race and were seventh after started in the 15th place with the BMW Z4 # 77.
With the two cars starting in the Top-10 in the Main Race, the expectations were the best possible for the Brazilian team. And the result was confirmed by Brito and Abreu, who got another podium and finished in second. Bueno and Jimenez were touched at the start and had a flat tire, which ended the chances of the duo.
The winners of the races were Vincent and Maximilian Buhk of Bentley Team HTP, in the Main Race, and Albert von Thurn und Taxis and Nick Catsburg, Reiter Engineering Team, in the Qualifying Race. The leaders Robin Frijns and Laurens Vanthoor (Belgian Audi Club Team WRT) were unlucky in the first race with a flat tire, but recovered and finished fifth in the final race. The duo has 78 points in the Sprint Series standings, against 63 of April and Buhk and 59 of Abreu and Brito.
The Russian round was also special for the BMW Team Brazil for another victory in the Pit Stop Challenge, the competition between the mechanics at the Pit Stop. The Brazilian team won the competition again, with the fastest pit of the double round.
It is the fourth podium of the BMW Z4 # 77 in six races in the Sprint series this year. Valdeno and Abreu have already gotten three second places and a third. The BMW Team Brazil still has another second and a win with Dirk Müller and Maxime Martin, who raced as guests in Nogaro stage (Fra). The Brazilian team is runner-up in the Blancpain Sprint Series team championship, behind Belgian Audi Club Team WRT.
Quotes
Valdeno Brito – BMW Z4 # 77
“The weekend started difficult for us in practices and in qualifying where we not found the ideal set up. We started in 15th, but did not give up and were improving the car. In the first race, we finished in seventh and, for the second, I made a good start and early took the second place, which was decisive for the podium. Átila also well handled the pressure of other cars in the second part of the race and we just have to thank the whole team who did a brilliant job and kept us there firmly in the battle for the best championship position.”
Átila Abreu – BMW Z4 # 77
“It was a very interesting weekend. We had a performance below what we expected in practice and classified 15th. We modified the car set-up for the first race to try something different and the car responded well. We did a little change for the final race and the car improved again. Valdeno made a great start and we were lucky to go clear in the first turn. When we stop to pit stop, we were third, being pressed for the fourth. The team again made a great pit stop, which gave us the award for best pit in the weekend. Back to the track, the Audi # 6 squeezed me into the wall at the exit of the pits and took a drive thru for the maneuver. In my stint, the car behaved very well and even being hard pressed by Ferrari, I could keep up and defend the position. In the end, the second place tasted like a victory. I want to thank all the team for the great work”.
Sérgio Jimenez – BMW Z4 # 0
“We started in tenth position in the first race and raced very well, coming fourth. In the second race, Cacá started well but took a touch and we had a puncture. It was a pity. Our car was very good. Today was our day … Anyway, now it is time to think in the next race”.