Whether in the DTM, the FIA World Endurance Championship, the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the ABB FIA Formula E
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.
Formula E: BMW i Andretti Motorsport testing with the BMW
iFE.18 after victory at the season-opener.
BMW i Andretti Motorsport, the BMW iFE.18 and BMW works driver
António Félix da Costa (POR) celebrated a perfect start to the season
in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. The entire team was naturally
delighted that the first race provided a rich reward for the months
and years of intensive development work. However, one day after the
triumph, the focus returned to preparing for the next races. BMW
Motorsport Junior Beitske Visser (NED) made her debut in the BMW
iFE.18 during testing in Ad Diriyah (KSA). She shared test duties with
Alexander Sims (GBR). “The BMW iFE.18 is a cool car, it feels very
stable,” said Visser. “Having spent the last two years driving in GT
and touring car racing, returning to formula cars did require a bit of
adjustment but I had fun and gained some valuable experience.”
Three questions for… António Félix da Costa.
António, now you have slept on your victory in Ad Diriyah, how
does it feel?
António Félix da Costa: “To be honest, it still feels unreal. When I
joined the Andretti team in Season 3, I always intended to reach this
point, however the last two years have seen plenty of difficult races
and tricky moments. I have been accompanied during these tough times
by many team members who were there to experience our win this time.
That is just a great story and I am unbelievably delighted about how
it went.”
How has the increased BMW influence affected the progress of
the team?
Félix da Costa: “The opportunities and the know-how provided by BMW
have taken the project in a completely new direction. I visited Munich
regularly during the preparation phase for the new season and I have
seen how the series developers go about their work. The BMW i
drivetrain that they have developed for us is simply fantastic.
Nonetheless, before the first race starts it is impossible to know
where you stand compared to the competition. We saw that we didn’t
have the fastest car in the field in Ad Diriyah. That motivates
everyone to work that bit harder. But we still managed to win the
race, because we made no errors as a team. That is why I have a very
good feeling about the rest of the season.”
How do you rate the new “ATTACK MODE” and the “FANBOOST”?
Félix da Costa: “From a strategic point of view, the ‘ATTACK MODE’ is
a big challenge, as it is very difficult to decide when and how to use
it correctly in the race. It makes the race less predictable, which is
more exciting for the fans. I am delighted that I received the
‘FANBOOST’ for the first time in my Formula E career. That shows that
I get plenty of support, not just from Portuguese fans but also from
BMW fans all over the world and Andretti fans in North America. That
is really cool. I think both of these boost ideas are great for the fans.”
—
BMW Customer Racing: BMW M4 GT4 enters its second sales phase.
The BMW M4 GT4 is a success story. In 2018, its first season in
action on the racetracks of the world, it claimed more than 30 class
wins and just short of 100 podium finishes on four continents in the
hands of BMW customer teams. It was consequently named “Race Car of
the Year”. In addition, sales of the car have been excellent. The
first batch of 80 cars has already been snapped up, prompting BMW
Motorsport to produce more cars, which will go on sale in 2019. This
means, as of the coming season, even more teams all over the world
will have the opportunity to compete in the booming GT4 category with
the technically sophisticated BMW M4 GT4, which has proven its self
under the toughest possible conditions in race action.
Anybody interested in purchasing a BMW M4 GT4 should please contact
us by E-mail at: M4GT4@bmw-motorsport.com
Potential customers in the USA, please contact:
M4GT4_NA@bmw-motorsport.com
British GT Championship: BMW M6 GT3 set to make its debut in 2019.
Century Motorsport is expanding its involvement in the British GT
Championship after winning the Driver and Team titles in the GT4
category in 2018. Next season, the team will field a BMW M6 GT3 in the
highest class of the British racing series, as well as a BMW M4 GT4.
This year’s GT4 champion Jack Mitchell (GBR) will share driving duties
in the BMW M6 GT3 with Adrian Willmott (GBR) in the Pro-Am category.
“I am very excited to start with the BMW M6 GT3 in British GT,” said
Mitchell. “Adrian and I will work very hard during the tests to be as
well prepared as possible for the season and to get the best possible
out of every lap.” It will be the first time that the BMW M6 GT3 has
been represented in the British GT Championship. In 2016, the AMD
Tuning and Rollcentre Racing teams each ran a BMW Z4 GT3. Century
Motorsport will also race in the GT4 class again in 2019, when it will
defend its title. The driver line-up for the BMW M4 GT4 will be
announced at a later date.
IMSA Series: Turner Motorsport to field the BMW M6 GT3 and BMW
M4 GT4 in Daytona in 2019.
Like Century Motorsport in the British GT Championship, Turner
Motorsport is also putting its faith in two BMW Customer Racing cars
in North America. As in previous years, Will Turner’s (USA) team will
run a BMW M6 GT3 in the GTD class of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship. The regular drivers for the full season are BMW of North
America Ambassador, Bill Auberlen, and Robby Foley (both USA). The duo
will receive support at January’s 24 Hours of Daytona (USA) from BMW
works driver Jens Klingmann (GER) and Dillon Machavern (USA). The
Michelin Pilot Challenge, the four-hour race in the Continental Tire
SportsCar Challenge, will also be held during the 24h Daytona weekend.
Turner Motorsport will be represented in that race for the first time
since 2014, with a BMW M4 GT4 in the GS class. Foley will be at the
wheel again. At his side will be the father-daughter duo of Bruce and
Sydney McKee (both USA), who will make their race debut for Turner Motorsport.
BTCC: Tom Oliphant to drive the BMW 125i M Sport in 2019.
Reigning champions West Surrey Racing have announced their first
driver for the 2019 British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Tom
Oliphant (GBR) is switching to the Sunbury-on-Thames (GBR) based team
and will take his place at the wheel of the BMW 125i M Sport next
season. 28-year-old Oliphant enjoyed a successful first BTCC season in
2018 and is looking forward to the new challenge. “To drive for West
Surrey Racing in the coming BTCC season is a dream for me,” he said.
“I am incredibly proud that Dick Bennetts and his team are putting so
much faith in me.” The team and its driver Colin Turkington (GBR) took
overall victory in the BTCC in 2018.
BMW works drivers in action during media launch of the new BMW
3 Series at Portimão.
During the break from racing, many BMW works drivers have been in
action as ambassadors for the BMW brand. During the media launch of
the new BMW 3 Series at Portimão (POR) in recent weeks, they offered
400 international media representatives the exclusive opportunity to
experience, before the actual market launch, how it feels to drive an
ultra-modern BMW road vehicle like the BMW M340i xDrive Sedan
(combined fuel consumption: 7.5 l/100 km; combined CO² emissions: 172
g/km*) at its sporting limit. At the racetrack, BMW works drivers
showed what the most dynamic variant of the new, 275-kW/374-hp sports
sedan is capable of. The journalists experienced the positive effects
that the comprehensively modified suspension technology, new damper
technology, reduced weight and lower centre of gravity have on the
handling of the BMW M340i xDrive, which was developed by BMW M GmbH.
The BMW 3 Series is now in its seventh generation. The models in this
series are the top-selling premium vehicles in the world, with more
than 15.5 million sold since 1975. Jens Klingmann (GER), Alexander
Sims (GBR), Marco Wittmann (GER), Tom Blomqvist (GBR), Bruno Spengler
(CAN), António Félix da Costa (POR), Philipp Eng (AUT), Timo Glock
(GER) and Augusto Farfus (BRA) were all present in Portugal.