Bruno Spengler, at the wheel of the BMW Bank M3 DTM, claimed BMW’s 50th triumph in the DTM at the Lausitzring. Augusto Farfus finished the thrilling race in third place to become the first Brazilian in the history of the DTM to step onto the podium.
After two events in Germany, the DTM now moves on to Great Britain. The “Brands Hatch Circuit” is synonymous with the long tradition of British motor racing. At just 1.929 kilometres, the Indy variant of the circuit, located south-east of London, may be the shortest track on the race calendar, but it still represents a major challenge to the drivers. The winding roller-coaster demands great courage and is unforgiving of even the slightest mistake. The spectacular Paddock Hill corner is the circuit’s showpiece. Coming at the end of the start-finish straight, the drivers swing right into a dip at great speed.
One BMW DTM driver in particular cannot wait for the race at Brands Hatch: Andy Priaulx of BMW Team RBM. The three-time World Champion currently has eight points to his name. After a difficult race at the Lausitzring, the driver from the Channel Island of Guernsey is keen to go back on the attack in front of his home crowd. Brands Hatch is located near the town of Dartford, which is home to 60,000 residents, and Priaulx knows the circuit like the back of his hand: he won on the “Grand Prix Circuit” for BMW in the World Touring Car Championship in both 2007 and 2010. Farfus has also tasted victory there with the BMW 320si WTCC. The two BMW Team RBM drivers now return to the scene of their successes with the BMW M3 DTM.
Reigning DTM champion Martin Tomczyk also has good memories of Brands Hatch. He climbed onto the top step of the podium after last year’s 98-lap race, taking his total to three podium finishes at the circuit. Spengler finished sixth in 2011, having crossed the line in second place the year before.
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt says: “The DTM does not allow us to take a break – and that is a good thing. After the historic weekend for BMW Motorsport at the Lausitzring, everyone in the team is highly motivated to get to know Brands Hatch and celebrate a successful debut there with the BMW M3 DTM. We are well aware that we are entering uncharted territory at this circuit. However, the team is brimming with confidence and we are really looking forward to facing this challenge. The first two races have shown us that our BMW M3 DTM is competitive. In Brands Hatch, however, the balance of power may once again look completely different. After all, we are yet to drive a single metre there with a DTM car and still have no set-up data available. At the same time as our outing in Great Britain, we are also represented by a strong contingent at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Schubert and Vita4One between them are running four works-supported BMW Z4 GT3 cars, while many more BMW Customer Racing cars will also line up in a wide range of classes. Apart from myself, those responsible at BMW Motorsport will be on-site for this important race. Unfortunately it won’t be possible for me to follow the endurance classic in person due to logistical reasons, but I will obviously be following the action in the Eifel Mountains very closely from Brands Hatch. I will have my mobile phone switched on for all of the 24 hours.”
Source : BMW Motorsport