Jerez de la Frontera. BMW M Motorsport heralded the critical
phase of preparations for the 2019 DTM season with the first test of
the year at Jerez de la Frontera, Spain
. The three-day test, from Tuesday to Thursday, saw BMW
engineers continue their work on the BMW M4 DTM, which has been
newly developed in accordance with Class 1 regulations. Timo Glock
(GER) and Bruno Spengler (CAN) were the men behind the wheel.
At the heart of BMW’s 2019 DTM season race car is the
newly-developed, highly-efficient two-litre V4 turbo engine, which
generates over 600 hp. It continues the success story of BMW Turbo
Power in motorsport which began in 1969, exactly 50 years ago. Many
areas of the BMW M4 DTM have been redesigned for the new turbo engine,
including the exhaust system, front end and cooling vents. Changes
were also made to the front splitter and rear wing, while the rear
diffusor was lowered.
The next test is scheduled for 15th to 18th
April at the Lausitzring (GER). All six BMW DTM drivers will be in
action at this official ITR test. The season-opener takes place at
Hockenheim (GER) from 3rd to 5th May.
Quotes from the DTM test in Jerez de la Frontera.
Timo Glock: “After the long winter, I could hardly
wait to get back behind the wheel and was very excited about our new
turbocharged BMW M4 DTM. I have to say that it lived up to all my
expectations. You can really feel the extra engine power and torque.
The modifications to the aerodynamics mean that the car behaves
differently. These are things that we, as drivers, must adapt to, and
for which we must fine-tune our driving style. However, after my first
days of testing, I can confirm that the new BMW M4 DTM is great fun.
Although the weather was generally far from ideal, it was a very
productive test. We made more progress with the development of the new
car and will continue this work in April at the Lausitzring.”
Bruno Spengler: “Although the unsettled weather meant
the conditions could have been better, we were able to work through
many points on our test programme and made further progress with the
development of the car. It is great fun to be involved in the
development of a car like this, as you can see the progress being made
over the course of the winter tests. We still have a bit more work to
do between now and the start of the season, but we will have plenty of
opportunity for that out on the track at the Lausitzring test. We will
go into greater detail there, in preparation for Hockenheim, and will
continue to optimise the car for the opening races. The whole team has
worked hard over the winter and done a great job to give us the best
car possible. We now head to the Lausitzring for the final phase of
preparations, then it is already time for the first races.”