The BMW Z4 models suffered from the changes in the Balance of Performance in endurance, but the Brazilian team was the best representative of the manufacture in three-hour race at the Italian track. Bueno / Jimenez / Fraga was 18th overall and Brito / Abreu / Sperafico finished in 32nd
There weren´t the expected results, but the BMW Team Brazil left the circuit of Monza, in Italy, with a positive learning in its debut in the Blancpain Endurance Series on Sunday (12th), when was disputed the first season round, with 3 hours duration. Cacá Bueno, Sérgio Jimenez and Felipe Fraga, aboard the BMW Z4 # 0, were 18th overall and 12th in the category Pro Cup, after started in 36th overall. Valdeno Brito, Átila Abreu and Ricardo Sperafico, in the BMW Z4 # 77, finished 32nd overall and 18th in the Pro Cup (the trio started from the 44th place in the grid).
The Brazilian cars were the best BMW in the race but couldn´t find against the other teams, due to the Balance of Performance for endurance, which modified the restrictor of the BMW Z4. Without power, the car lost a lot of speed on the straight and could not keep the cars of other brands, which was aggravated by the Monza track characteristics, which has four long straights.
The trio Andrew Palmer, Fabio Babini, Jeroen Mul, GRT Grasser Racing Team, got the victory, but the result isn´t official yet. After the race, the car was excluded from the meeting after the stewards deemed the refueling restrictor to be in breach of the regulations. GRT Grasser Racing Team has appealed against that exclusion. Fifty-eight cars competed in the race.
Despite the difficulties, the Brazilian drivers are satisfied. The team already competes for three years in the Sprint Series, which has shorter races and even won last weekend in France. The goal now is to work to achieve good results also in the endurance series.
The BMW Team Brazil will be back to the track at Brands Hatch (England) on May 10th for the second round of the Sprint Series. In the endurance, the next round will be on 24th of May in Silverstone, also in England.
Drivers´ Quotes
Sergio Jimenez (BMW Z4 # 0)
“The race was okay. We recovered several positions. We started from the36th position and finished 18th overall, but we didn´t have a good performance on the straights. We took 14 km in the straights against the fastest car. So, it is impossible to compete as equals. Our pits, again, had a great work of the mechanics. Now, let’s hope a little changing in the Balance of Performance, for us to be more competitive here in the endurance, which has all the cars´ brands”.
Caca Bueno (BMW Z4 # 0)
“It was a good experience. We evolved during the race. It’s not an easy track. It’s a tricky track for us. We managed to escape of accidents, finish the race, which was one of the goals. Of course we expected more, maybe finish in the top ten. The other tracks are best for us and we need to improve some other things, because it is very different from the sprint race.”
Felipe Fraga (BMW Z4 # 0)
“It’s a track that does not favor the BMW, but all the team did a good job. I think the team is to be congratulated, because we can recover many positions in the race. We were evolving every practice and this is positive.”
Valdeno Brito (BMW Z4 # 77)
“The expectation for this circuit was not the best. Among the 58 cars, our cars were the last and penultimate in the straight speed and here only has straights. There are four long straights, with over a mile, and it looks like we were with the handbrake on, close to the other cars. It is not fault of the team, is a matter of the equalization of the cars. In the next races on circuits with more turns and shorter straight, our expectation is fighting for the top positions”.
Ricardo Sperafico (BMW Z4 # 77)
“It was our debut race in endurance, so it was all new for the whole team. Unfortunately, our cars hadn´t a favorable condition in this track. What we did was to try to do the right pit stop and stay on track. I believe that from now the next rounds will be more favorable and we will try to develop and further improve the car. The final was positive because the two cars have finished, despite being below our expectations, but Brazilian never gives up, then let’s go to the next race”.
Átila Abreu (BMW Z4 # 77)
“It was a cool, interesting experience, although the result was not what we expected. But the team worked well, we had some problems during the race, especially the loss of performance with the problem on the floor, but I started well, I gained more than ten positions at the start. The car behaved well, we learned a lot about the car’s durability for upcoming races of three, six hours and 24 hours, among other things. The learning was important and will give us an advantage to be able to fight for better results in the future”.