Whether in the DTM, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, or countless other
championships: Week after week BMW teams and drivers around the
world do battle for points, victories and titles. Away from the
track too, members of the large BMW Motorsport family around the
world are also creating headlines. The “BMW Motorsport News” allows
us to regularly summarise all the action for you in a compact and
informative manner. This way, you are always up to speed.
BMW Motorsport Junior Programme: Fitness camp in Viareggio.
Just a few weeks after the BMW DTM drivers completed their fitness
camp at Formula Medicine, the BMW Motorsport Juniors class of 2018
visited Viareggio (ITA) to prepare both physically and mentally for
the coming season. Ricky Collard (GBR), Mikkel Jensen (DEN), Dennis
Marschall (GER), Nico Menzel (GER) and Beitske Visser (NED) completed
various forms of training for body and mind under the direction of Dr.
Riccardo Ceccarelli’s (ITA) team of experts. Reaction and
concentration exercises were interspersed with strength training and
endurance training, including boxing, climbing and mountain biking. In
addition to fitness, there was also a focus on teambuilding in
Viareggio. Over the course of the three days, the BMW Motorsport
Juniors spent a great deal of time together and got to know each other
a lot better. “The Formula Medicine fitness camp is totally different
to anything I have ever experienced before,” said Marschall. “The
great importance placed on mental and concentration training sessions
is incredibly valuable to me and makes the camp something very
special. The diverse physical challenges are enormous. They were
definitely the three most exhausting days of my season so far. In our
group of Juniors, we always motivated and encouraged each other and
the challenges were a great deal of fun.”
WEC: Final test for the BMW M8 GTE before the prologue at Le Castellet.
This coming week, the BMW M8 GTE will complete its final endurance
test at Aragón (ESP) ahead of the FIA World Endurance Championship
(WEC) official prologue which takes place at Le Castellet (FRA) on
7th April. This will be the first time that the BMW M8 GTE
will meet the GTE Pro class rivals that will be the competition in the
coming months, including at the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA). BMW works
drivers Philipp Eng (AUT), Augusto Farfus (BRA) and Martin Tomczyk
(GER), as well as BMW Motorsport Junior Mikkel Jensen (DEN), will be
on site at the Aragón test. It will be Jensen’s first appearance in
the BMW M8 GTE programme, and a good opportunity to familiarise
himself with how things work at the racetrack. Jensen will be on site
as a reserve driver at all WEC races in 2018.
DTM: Bruno Spengler in action in Seefeld, Maisach and South Africa.
BMW DTM driver Bruno Spengler (CAN) has had a week away from the
racetrack that has been as intensive as it has been diverse. It all
started last weekend with the BMW X Challenge in Seefeld (AUT), an
action event organised by BMW Deutschland and BMW Motorsport Premium
Partner BMW Bank. Spengler was involved in a team competition in three
disciplines against BMW brand ambassador Magdalena Neuner (GER), BMW
biathlon ambassador Fritz Fischer (GER) and Olympic luge winner Georg
Hackl (GER). The eight-member teams of Spengler, Neuner, Fischer and
Hackl and their team-mates, who secured their places by winning a
competition, competed in a biathlon with fat bikes, in luge with a
four-person wok and in a BMW Driving Experience. Team Spengler was the
overall winner of the three challenges. “This event is simply
fantastic, because it makes for a real team experience,” said
Spengler. “We are only able to achieve something together, which is
why we all get along really well. It was great fun for everyone involved.”
After a pit stop at the BMW and MINI Driving Academy premises in
Maisach (GER), where there was a film shoot with BMW running
ambassadors Anna and Lisa Hahner (both GER), Spengler flew to South
Africa to attend the World Final of the BMW Golf Cup International. He
played a few rounds at Fancourt Resort in George (RSA) alongside the
amateur golfers from around the world who had qualified for the final
of the major international tournament series. “This was the first time
that I was able to attend the World Final,“ said Spengler. “I’m
impressed, and not just because I am a keen golfer. I know the passion
and perfection that BMW puts into organising events from motorsport.
So it was fantastic to be able to experience this at this unique golf
tournament. Being able to share this experience with people from so
many different countries makes it even better. That’s how sport should be.”
DTM: BMW Motorsport presents the BMW M4 DTM to all fans in 3D.
BMW Motorsport offers its more than 2.7 million Facebook fans a
totally innovative look at the BMW M4 DTM, one that only engineers had
seen up to now. The computer data for the car was used to generate a
3D model, which every user on the BMW Motorsport Facebook page can
look at in detail. They can turn the BMW M4 DTM in every direction and
in doing so look at it from any conceivable perspective. The objective
is to bring the technology behind the car as close to fans as possible.
Follow this link to see the 3D model: https://www.facebook.com/BMWMotorsport/posts/1717520508287103.
Pirelli World Challenge: Grahovec on the podium in the BMW M4 GT4.
The new Pirelli World Challenge season began at the weekend with two
races in St. Petersburg (USA). This year, four drivers are competing
with the new BMW M4 GT4 in the GTSA class. In Sunday’s second race,
Toby Grahovec (USA) delivered proof of the potential of the BMW
Customer Racing car and reached the podium with a second-place
finish. He also recorded the fastest race lap. Grahovec was the best
BMW driver in Saturday’s race, finishing fifth in his class.
24h Silverstone: Class win for the BMW M235i Racing.
The Hofor Racing powered by Bonk Motorsport BMW M235i Racing claimed
victory in the A3 class at the 24-hour race in Silverstone (GBR). It
was a very special triumph for the #131 car, due to handicapped and
non-handicapped drivers sharing driving duties in the cockpit as part
of the “Mission Possible – Racing with Handicap” project. VLN overall
winner Michael Schrey (GER), Martin Kroll (SUI) and the two Austrian
drivers Gustav Engljähringer and Michael Fischer completed 386 laps,
finishing three laps ahead of Team DUWO Racing, who also competed in a
BMW M235i Racing.