BMW Places Two on the Podium at Norisring DTM

[Jason]

BIMMERPOST NEWS

BMW Places Two on the Podium at Norisring DTM

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BMW drivers Tomczyk and Spengler on the podium at the Norisring – Weather adds to the excitement in the fifth round of the DTM.

01.07.2012

Norisring, 1st July 2012. A dramatic race at the Norisring (DE) saw Martin Tomczyk (DE) and Bruno Spengler (CA) celebrate another two podium finishes for BMW in the 2012 DTM season. In front of the very enthusiastic fans who numbered 135,000 over the weekend, Tomczyk crossed the finish line after 78 laps and the maximum race time of 75 minutes as runner-up his BMW M Performance Parts M3 DTM, just 0.687 seconds behind winning Mercedes driver Jamie Green (GB). Spengler followed in third place at the wheel of the BMW Bank M3 DTM. This is the second time this season BMW has had two of its drivers on the podium, with the first being the race at the Lausitzring (DE). Tomczyk repeated his excellent result from Spielberg (AT), where he finished second four weeks ago.

Rain started to fall heavily just before the start of the race. The surface did dry out for a while before another shower soaked it again shortly before the halfway mark. Tomczyk led the fifth race of the season on a wet track right until the final lap. However, the reigning DTM champion was ultimately unable to hold off the challenge of Green, who had moved into second place by overtaking Spengler on lap 76. Green launched the decisive attack on Tomczyk in the Dutzendteich corner on the 78th lap and secured victory just metres from the finish. Although the two BMW drivers narrowly missed out on the second triumph for BMW this year, they were able to increase the number of podium finishes claimed by the BMW teams to six.

Andy Priaulx (GB, Crowne Plaza Hotels BMW M3 DTM) and Dirk Werner (DE, E-POSTBRIEF BMW M3 DTM) also enjoyed a successful race, despite the difficult conditions on the iconic circuit in Nürnberg (DE): Priaulx finished seventh to pick up his first points since the season-opener in Hockenheim (DE). Werner was pleased to score his first point in the DTM having crossed the line in tenth. Four BMW drivers finished in the points for the first time since the manufacturer’s return to the series.

Joey Hand (US, SAMSUNG BMW M3 DTM) finished 14th in BMW’s first appearance at the Norisring for 20 years. Augusto Farfus (BR), who started the race from third on the grid in his Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM, had to retire after just 15 laps following a collision shortly after the start.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):

“I am very happy with our first outing at the Norisring for 20 years. Despite extremely difficult conditions, we had two drivers on the podium and four cars in the points this time. We would obviously have liked to celebrate our second win this year with Martin Tomczyk – especially in this unique atmosphere – but that is just how it goes sometimes in motor racing. Jamie Green was simply quicker in the closing stages. All the same, second and third for Martin and Bruno is a very good result. I am also pleased for Andy Priaulx and Dirk Werner: Andy had a few difficult races and returned to the points thanks to a good performance here in Nürnberg. Dirk broke the spell and scored his first DTM point in the fifth race. This round showed once again that we have a very good squad of drivers. We are now really looking forward to our home event in Munich’s Olympic Stadium.”

2012 Calendar:
29th April – Hockenheim (DE), 6th May – Lausitzring (DE), 20th May – Brands Hatch (GB), 3rd June – Spielberg (AT), 1st July – Norisring (DE), 15th July – Munich (DE), 19th August – Nürburgring (DE), 26th August – Zandvoort (NL), 16th September – Oschersleben (DE), 30th September – Valencia (ES), 21st October – Hockenheim (DE).


Driver Reactions:

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal, BMW Team RMG):

“I have mixed feelings about this result. We produced a fantastic race and claimed another great result for BMW. On the other hand, Martin and the team would obviously have liked to have won. However, the whole team can be proud of the second place. The mechanics and Martin put in a fantastic performance.”

Charly Lamm (Team Principal, BMW Team Schnitzer):

“After our mediocre qualifying, we came away from our return to the Norisring with a good result. That is the first time both drivers have finished in the points. Bruno Spengler has stood on the podium every time he has completed a race. I am very happy about this. After the congestion in the first corner, Dirk Werner fought back brilliantly and was rewarded with his first DTM point. The team also deserves praise. All four pit stops were really good today.”

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal, BMW Team RBM):

“Another mixed result. We had a superb qualifying yesterday from both cars, and especially Augusto Farfus. Unfortunately he was unlucky in the famous first corner, where he was pushed into another car. We tried to continue, but we didn’t have the potential in the car due to the damage to the front right so decided to retire. Andy had a good race and kept out of trouble at the start. This was a good race for him and, after the races he missed in Spielberg and Brands Hatch, it was important to get a full race for him. Thank you to the team and congratulations to BMW for another double podium finish.”

Martin Tomczyk (car number 1, BMW Team RMG, 2nd):

“It is obviously no fun for a racing driver to miss out on a possible victory on the final lap. I had already noticed that Jamie Green had been catching me consistently in the closing stages. He then managed to overtake me shortly before the finish. Immediately after the race I was extremely disappointed to have thrown the victory away. I am quite happy now though: that is my second podium in a row. I finished runner-up here in difficult conditions, just as I did in Spielberg. Today we proved we are also competitive in the rain. That is very encouraging for the rest of the season.”

Bruno Spengler (car number 7, BMW Team Schnitzer, 3rd):

“It was a long and tough race. After qualifying seventh I am very happy with third place in the race. On the other side, it is obviously bitterly disappointing to miss out on a BMW one-two on the final lap. As early as the warm-up I noticed we could also be very quick in the rain. The track conditions were extreme. The fans created a great atmosphere. For them it was exciting – for us drivers it was also very tiring. Overall we have produced another fantastic result that we can be proud of for BMW this weekend.”

Andy Priaulx (car number 15, BMW Team RBM, 7th):

“I had a good to average start. In the first corner I was up there having picked up some places, but then in the exit of turn four I spun, maybe with a little help or maybe just due to zero traction. For me to finish seventh is great. I think it could have been slightly higher up, but I will take that as a good positive performance. The team was flawless. We had two brilliant stops, a really good strategy, I can’t fault anything, so a big thank you.”

Dirk Werner (car number 8, BMW Team Schnitzer, 10th):

“That is a huge load off my mind, as it is the first time I have finished in the points this season. I got off to a good start – the best I have had so far in the DTM. Then came the inevitable chaos in turn one. A car suddenly came to a stop across the track, right in my path, and I was unable to avoid it. As a result, I dropped a long way back. After the safety car phase and the restart I pushed too hard at first. As a result I took one corner too wide and lost more ground. After that, however, my car went like a rocket and I was able to fight my way through the field. The race was a strange one, but it was quite good fun. Overall, BMW has achieved a super result this weekend, with four cars in the top ten.”

Joey Hand (car number 2, BMW Team RMG, 14th):

“Today wasn’t that great for me. I am definitely not happy with the result, as it was a struggle all day, and in fact it has been a struggle all weekend. My biggest thing was just to try and find traction. The start was a mess but I got through and then tried to hunt for some grip. The rear tyres started to go off. We put another set on I thought were better, but I still couldn’t go very fast. The same thing happened with the final set. It is not the result I am looking for. I race to win and racing for 14th is very difficult for me. However, I am still learning every weekend.”

Augusto Farfus (car number 16, BMW Team RBM, DNF):

“There was a domino effect before the collision in the first corner, in which my Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM was damaged. I was pushed by another driver. I was completely locked up but couldn’t stop the car and collided with the car in front. It is a shame I could not do any better from third on the grid.”





DTM standings after 5 of 10 races.

Drivers‘ standings.

1. Gary Paffett (95 points), 2. Jamie Green (69), 3. Bruno Spengler (58), 4. Martin Tomczyk (54), 5. Mattias Ekström (47), 6. Mike Rockenfeller (39), 7. Edoardo Mortara (31), 8. Christian Vietoris (24), 9. Augusto Farfus (16), 10. Timo Scheider (16),…, 16. Joey Hand (2),…, 18. Dirk Werner (1).

Team standings.

1. THOMAS SABO / Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG (119 points), 2. Mercedes AMG (76), 3. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (63), 4. BMW Team Schnitzer (59), 5. BMW Team RMG (56), 6. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (47), 7. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (39), 8. BMW Team RBM (30), 9. DHL Paket / stern Mercedes AMG (16).

Manufacturer standings.
1. Mercedes-Benz (211 points), 2. Audi (149), BMW (145).

[bimmerjph]

Damn I thought BMW had been doing better this season in regards to the manufacturer standings. Maybe they can change that in the next race.

[drjoe66]

I was at the race. Great stuff. But the way BMW lost the race was ridiculous. They just let Green though. No fight whatsoever. Very disappointing.

[Dackelone]

Originally Posted by drjoe66

I was at the race. Great stuff. But the way BMW lost the race was ridiculous. They just let Green though. No fight whatsoever. Very disappointing.

I was there too. Last lap, last turn... Green made his move!


I think BMW had the wrong tires or race setup. I think they thought the track would not be so wet.


Dack

[mapezzul]

Originally Posted by drjoe66

I was at the race. Great stuff. But the way BMW lost the race was ridiculous. They just let Green though. No fight whatsoever. Very disappointing.

Tires were shot- they had no grip whatsoever according to both drivers and Martin had some radio issues on the last few laps.... Martin actually thought Green was on slicks because the track was drying out and he had so much more grip- it turned out that Green just had more rain tires left for one reason or another.

These guys fight- If you could have seen Bruno yesterday after qualifying you would have a different opinion. I have never seen someone so intense in racing over missing the top by a few tenths of a second.

He literally missed his line by an inch or so and it put him in 7th... his worst ever at the track and was furious.

[Kayani_1]

For coming in this year with brand new car. You have to give them a break. The MB and Audi have been in the game longer with more development and experience under their belt. For that BMW's are doing great.

None the less it is disappointing that they had two car and did not come up with a plan to hold up MB on last few laps.

Originally Posted by bimmerjph

Damn I thought BMW had been doing better this season in regards to the manufacturer standings. Maybe they can change that in the next race.

[antzcrashing]

link to full race video?

[Slapshot9]

Nice pics and nice job BMW DTM team! Those BBS F1 rims are delightfull!!!!!!

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by Kayani_1

For coming in this year with brand new car. You have to give them a break. The MB and Audi have been in the game longer with more development and experience under their belt. For that BMW's are doing great.

None the less it is disappointing that they had two car and did not come up with a plan to hold up MB on last few laps.

I meant I just thought they had done better this year. Because it seems like every race they have a podium finish. I didn't mean that I expected more of them. But yeah they are doing very well, especially for their first season.




Also is DTM shown in the states on TV? Or is there any web streaming that we could watch live?

[az34]

great result! this is a tough serie and it proof how serious BMW is involve too win the title.

[roadmax]

This is a disaster for BMW, not good. When will BMW again repeat the success of E30 and E36 M3 era.

[bastiN54]

I wouldn't call that a disaster.
As mentioned, its the first Season with a new car.

[zvvbmw]

This is NOT a disaster! To be honest I didn't expect BMW to do so well in DTW in their first season. But I must say that yesterday's race was a disapointment.
Tomczyk and Spengler leaded almost the entire race and at the last lap they were overtaken by Green...
The thing I did not understood is why did Tomczyk took the outside line of the corner and left the inside open for Green.

Nonetheless good race...2 BMWs on podium.

[mapezzul]

Originally Posted by zvvbmw

This is NOT a disaster! To be honest I didn't expect BMW to do so well in DTW in their first season. But I must say that yesterday's race was a disapointment.
Tomczyk and Spengler leaded almost the entire race and at the last lap they were overtaken by Green...
The thing I did not understood is why did Tomczyk took the outside line of the corner and left the inside open for Green.

Nonetheless good race...2 BMWs on podium.

Read my post above... he had no grip and the slip angle carried him wide.

[zvvbmw]

yes...you have a point...checked that part again and he did slide a bit wide there...thing is he couldn't get that grip to blast his way out of the corner.

Overall the cars are competitive...but this proves once again that in order to win a race you got to have a good strategy.

[mapezzul]

Originally Posted by zvvbmw

yes...you have a point...checked that part again and he did slide a bit wide there...thing is he couldn't get that grip to blast his way out of the corner.

Overall the cars are competitive...but this proves once again that in order to win a race you got to have a good strategy.

Which is all about experience for teams and BMW is still new to this... they did have some of the fastest pitstops which shows a great deal. I also am not sure if it was strategy or setup- BMW has limited time testing in the rain with this version of the car so they were not sure how the tires would wear. The other question was the tires themselves.

Joey Hand pitted early at first because he couldn't find grip once the tires started to wear down- Martin and Bruno had the same issues after their second pit. Was it the tires? Or was it the suspension setup causing wear- not sure but other manufactures had inconsistent tires as well... Audi off the record complained they had tire problems and MB did as well. But Jamie's second set was well faster than everyone else's.

[mapezzul]

Originally Posted by roadmax

This is a disaster for BMW, not good. When will BMW again repeat the success of E30 and E36 M3 era.

You should look at that era's results again, you may be surprised a bit. For the first season they are doing much better than even they could have hoped for. They are completely new to this and have to gain confidence and experience.
1984

The history of the DTM begins with the first race in Zolder on 11th March 1984. BMW celebrates victory as well as the top four places, with Harald Grohs crossing the finishing line first in a BMW 635 CSi. It is Volker Strycek of Team Gubin, however, who finishes fifth at the finale at the Nürburgring to secure the first title for BMW.

1985

Harald Grohs ends the second season of the DTM third in the drivers’ standings, making him the best-placed BMW driver. He wins again at the wheel of the BMW 635 CSi in Zolder, while Winfried Vogt wins at Mainz-Finthen in a BMW 323i.

1986

Both Kurt König and Volker Strycek finish in the top five of the drivers’ standings with the BMW 635 CSi. König also picks up the only BMW victory of the year – the Grenzland-Preis in Zolder.

1987

The BMW M3 makes its DTM debut – and is immediately the car to beat. Harald Grohs, Marc Hessel, Olaf Manthey and Fabien Giroix claim five victories in total. The title, however, goes to BMW driver Eric van de Poele, who finishes in the points at nine of the ten races.

1988

Markus Oestreich, in a BMW M3, is in the title race right up until the end of the 1988 season. After the last of the 24 rounds, however, he has to settle for fourth place overall.

1989

Touring car World and European champion Roberto Ravaglia starts the season with two victories in Zolder – and goes on to finish on top after the finale in Hockenheim. As well as the Italian (three victories), Steve Soper (two) and Johnny Cecotto also win in the BMW M3.

1990

BMW, Audi and Mercedes produce a thrilling three-way battle for the title. BMW claims victory at eight of the 22 races. Despite this, Johnny Cecotto narrowly misses out on the fourth title, having to settle for runner-up.

1991

Fourth-placed Johnny Cecotto is once again the best-placed BMW driver at the end of the year. The Venezuelan wins three races, while fellow BMW driver Steve Soper occupies the top step of the podium on four occasions. Joachim Winkelhock also joins the list of winners in Wunstorf.

1992

BMW lines up with a works team in the DTM for the last time for a while: Johnny Cecotto again finishes fourth in the Drivers’ Championship to end the season as the number one BMW driver. Roberto Ravaglia provides a magical moment at the season finale in Hockenheim on 11th October

1992: he claims two victories in the BMW M3’s last works outing in the DTM.

[Silver E90]

Originally Posted by antzcrashing

link to full race video?

Try www.speed2.com. If you have access they have the full race and every other race this year.

[Terraforce1]

I love the lights on the cars