Magny-Cours 2011, Silverstone 2011, Monza 2012, Silverstone 2012. Four races, four wins for the Marc VDS Racing BMW Z4 GT3 in the Blancpain Endurance Series. Which means that since last autumn Maxime Martin and his team mates Bas Leinders and Markus Palttala are quite simply unbeaten in this competition this year which brings together some… fifty odd GT3 cars!
This last Sunday at Silverstone, the Marc VDS Racing team once again worked hard at bringing the Z4 GT3 to the top of the rankings. ” With the first pit-stop our car went from 7th up into 2nd spot, and when I rejoined the track after the second stop, we managed to get the better of the Audi which was in the lead when going into the pits, Maxime explained. I believe that the two last seasons spent in the World FIA GT1 Championship offered the Marc VDS Racing team the opportunity to impose themselves as one of the most hardened and efficient teams on the grid! »
Once in the lead, Maxime once again proved his speed on a rain soaked track, as had been the case at Monza. Not only did the Brussels-based driver experience any immediate pressure from his nearest rivals, but took the chequered flag with near on a one minute lead on the first of the two Audis which completed the podium. ” And one more victory! It goes without saying that the rain suits us perfectly, because as compared to some Pro/Am teams, it is always far more fulfilling to prove the difference in a noticeable fashion. As for the rest, Marc VDS Racing’s strength lies in the fact that the entire team is 200% concentrated on the Blancpain Endurance Series this season. I’m fully aware that the other teams are waiting for us around the corner, but at this given moment in time, we’re succeeding pretty well. Since last year’s 24 Hours of Spa, where we competed for the first time with the BMW Z4 GT3, I clocked up the pole at Francorchamps, prior to winning all the Blancpain races since then. No further comment required.”
Next weekend Maxime will be at the wheel of the official Alpina B6, competing in the ADAC GT Masters 2012, the highly official German Grand Touring competition. Objective: perform brilliantly in order to recover the lead in this competition. “The race is being held at the very interesting Sachsenring circuit. And from there I will be heading off for the Sarthe region, Maxime Martin continued. It will then be high time to take on the 24 Hours of Le Mans week, which I can’t wait to tackle. The Judd Oak Racing LMP2 Morgan, which I will be sharing with Bas Leinders and David Heinemeier Hansson clocked up the best lap time in its category this last Sunday during the preliminary test sessions, at the hand of Olivier Pla. This goes to show that she is truly competitive. And a good omen for what is to come … »
In truth Maxime Martin is in the throws of a fascinating, challenging and quite exceptional season when it comes to results. And it’s far from over .
Source : Maxime Martin