Munich. We have known for a number of weeks that Walkenhorst
Motorsport and Schubert Motorsport will each run two BMW M4 GT3s in
the 2022 DTM. It is now time to unveil the designs of the four cars.
Each one bears the colours and logos of long-term BMW M Motorsport
partners who have remained true to the DTM in its GT3 era and play a
valuable role in supporting the BMW M Motorsport teams and drivers
in this prestigious series.
BMW M Motorsport thanks CATL, iQOO, PUMA, RoboMarkets,
Schaeffler and Shell.
“The face of the DTM may have changed after the end of the Class 1
era, but it has not lost any of its appeal when it comes to race
action, the impressive number of competitors signed up for this
season, and the high-class field of teams and drivers,” said Timo
Resch, Vice President Customer, Brand and Sales at BMW M GmbH. “I am
thrilled that, as we do, our long-term BMW M Motorsport partners
continue to recognise the huge potential of the DTM platform and have
decided to support the BMW M Motorsport teams – Walkenhorst Motorsport
and Schubert Motorsport – in 2022. I really like all the BMW M4 GT3
designs. They will be real eye-catchers in a large field. Thank you to
all the partners for their support!”
Two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann (GER) will once again be at the
wheel of the ‘Green Machine’ for Walkenhorst Motorsport. The striking
green in the livery has been the trademark of Schaeffler and Wittmann
since the 2019 DTM season. The BMW M4 GT3 now follows in the footsteps
of the BMW M4 DTM and the BMW M6 GT3 as the ‘Green Machine’. His
team-mate at Walkenhorst Motorsport, Esteban Muth (BEL), will drive a
BMW M4 GT3 adorned with the logos of BMW M Motorsport partners CATL
and iQOO.
“Schaeffler is looking forward to the continuation of a long and
successful partnership with BMW M Motorsport and, it goes without
saying, to seeing our Schaeffler brand ambassador Marco Wittmann back
on the grid for Walkenhorst Motorsport in the ‘Green Machine’, said
Sören Zinner, Director Sponsoring at Schaeffler. “Nowadays, it is hard
to imagine Schaeffler without the partnership with Marco. We are
certainly expecting an exciting DTM season in the new BMW M4 GT3 with
Schaeffler technology.”
As he did in the Class 1 era of the DTM, Sheldon van der Linde again
competes in Shell colours for Schubert Motorsport. As Premium
Technology Partner, Shell was heavily involved in the development of
the BMW M4 GT3. The car driven by van der Linde’s team-mate Philipp
Eng (AUT) features the RoboMarkets livery, which will also be familiar
from the BMW M4 DTM in the Class 1 era. PUMA is Official Supplier of
BMW M Motorsport race wear.
“Shell is proud to continue our long-standing Premium Technology
Partnership with BMW M Motorsport in DTM, enabling us to deepen our
RD collaboration with high-performance at its core”, said Marc
Bittner, Shell’s General Manager European OEMs. “Shell has been
working alongside BMW M Motorsport engineers in DTM to formulate a
Shell Helix Ultra race lubricant for use in the new BMW M4 GT3,
delivering long-lasting and improved engine performance and
efficiency. The learnings taken from this extreme testbed help to
develop new products and technologies, for the benefit of everyday
motorists on the road. Shell welcomes back Sheldon van der Linde to
once again race in our colours of Shell for Schubert Motorsport, and
we wish the team all the best for the new season.”
The 2022 DTM season gets underway on 30th April with the
opening race at Portimão (POR). Prior to this, official tests will
take place at Hockenheim (GER) and Portimão.