Media Information
DTM
8th August 2018
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Alessandro Zanardi has continued preparations for his guest
DTM start at Misano with a two-day Vallelunga test. - Technical modifications to the BMW M4 DTM working very well.
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Zanardi: “A lot is new, but I am coming to terms with it lap
by lap.”
Vallelunga. Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) reached another milestone
on the way to his guest DTM start at Misano (ITA) with a two-day
test in Vallelunga (ITA) on Tuesday and Wednesday. Over the course
of the two days, Zanardi completed 294 laps at the wheel of the BMW
M4 DTM, which has been specially modified to meet his requirements.
The main goal of the tests was to adapt as well as possible to the
driving behaviour of the BMW M4 DTM and the way the many
modifications in the cockpit function. Zanardi was very positive
when discussing his impressions after the first few laps.
“The test was great; all went really well and we are heading in the
right direction. A lot is new, but I am coming to terms with it lap by
lap. Thanks a lot to BMW – we´re getting ready for Misano,” was one of
Zanardi’s first comments after his initial test laps in the BMW M4
DTM. The 51-year-old will indeed be entering new territory in several
regards when he makes his guest start at the DTM race weekend at
Misano on 25th/26th August. It is not just the
racing series and the car that are new; to compete at the highest
level of motor racing as a double amputee, Zanardi’s car has undergone
cockpit modifications which are dramatically different to those of BMW
race cars he has driven in the past.
The biggest innovation is the brake system. For the first time,
Zanardi will brake using his hand, and no longer use a prosthetic leg
attached to the brake pedal in the footwell. In the eyes of the
Italian, this is a milestone in development. “The progress from the
previous system to the current one is massive,” said Zanardi. “Driving
a race car like the BMW M4 DTM is physically very demanding. For me,
it would be far more strenuous if I were to continue to brake with my
prosthesis as I have done up to now.”
Zanardi was initially slightly sceptical about the modification, but
that scepticism was soon overcome. “I admit that it felt very strange
to have a completely empty footwell with no pedal box in front of me
the first time I pulled out of the garage,” said Zanardi. “I thought:
‘That’s strange!’ But I have to say, the whole system worked very
intuitively for me. I am getting along excellently with it.”
Zanardi’s problem with the old system was primarily that he sweated
too much under the prosthetic leg. This not only led to him becoming
exhausted more quickly, but also to him losing a little of his feeling
for the right braking pressure. To solve this problem, he and the BMW
Motorsport engineers have been working hard on a more efficient
system, which should make life easier for Zanardi, particularly on his
long-distance outing at Daytona (USA) in 2019.
“It is completely different to what I was used to,” Zanardi confirmed
at the test. “I won’t be faster, but I wouldn’t had never accomplished
all I did at the two days in Misano with the old system. I completed
so many laps with a car that I had never driven before, the BMW M4
DTM, and after not having raced for nearly two years. That would just
have been impossible with the solution I had before. It’s like I am,
from a physical point of view, a different driver.”
On Zanardi’s “Road to Daytona”, the guest start in the DTM is now a
welcome test run for the new system, which has been integrated
virtually 1:1 in the BMW M4 DTM. However, his home outing at Misano is
obviously far more than just a test under competitive conditions. “It
is going to be a huge event for me – and probably one of the most
difficult tasks I have ever faced in my motor racing career,” said
Zanardi. “In my opinion, the DTM is currently the most
fiercely-competitive racing series in the world and the one with the
best field – even better than Formula 1. I will try to finish ahead of
at least one car. Let’s see whether I manage it. It is going to be
tough, but very interesting.”
The technology in comparison:
Note to editors:
In the coming weeks until Zanardi’s guest appearance at Misano, we
will release several features regarding technology, safety and other topics.