One driver among the BMW Motorsport ranks will celebrate a
special milestone when he lines up for Saturday’s race at “Circuit
Park”, which is located on the North Sea coast: Bruno Spengler
(CAN), the 2012 DTM champion, will contest his 150th DTM
race on the 4.307-kilometre track in the Dutch dunes.
The situation:
BMW Motorsport travels to the Netherlands on the back of a
successful weekend at the “Moscow Raceway” (RUS). Spengler secured
BMW’s 60th pole position in the DTM in qualifying for race
ten of the season on Sunday. He went on to take third place in the
race and finish on the podium for the third DTM event in a row. Marco
Wittmann (GER) and Tom Blomqvist (GBR) also picked up points in sixth
and seventh place. One day earlier, Wittmann had finished third to
take his place on the podium. Timo Glock (GER) was also in the points
in fifth. The best-placed BMW driver in the Drivers’ Championship
going into the races in Zandvoort is Maxime Martin (BEL), who lies
fifth with 78 points. BMW is currently third in the Manufacturers’
Championship with 308 points. Audi tops the standings with 421 points.
The expectations:
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “The 2017 DTM
season is approaching its business end, following a short summer
break. There are still a lot of points up for grabs. In the ten races
up to this point, we have had ten podium results, including two
victories. We must now remain fully focussed for the remaining eight
races and carry with us the momentum we gained in the final races
before the break. We have always done very well in Zandvoort in the
past. Only once we are there will we discover the balance of power
this year on the re-surfaced track.”
Stefan Reinhold (team principal, BMW Team RMG): “The
sun, sand and sea always create a holiday atmosphere for the races in
Zandvoort – for the fans, at least. It is obviously a very different
story for my team: We expect another hard-fought race weekend. We will
do everything we can to be among the front-runners again on the North
Sea coast. It is a really interesting circuit, which usually produces
exciting races.”
Marco Wittmann (#11, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM – 66 races, 8 wins,
17 podiums, 8 pole positions, 595 points, 2 Drivers’
titles): “I have very fond memories of Zandvoort, and have
enjoyed a lot of great success there in the past, including my first
pole position in the DTM, one race win and several podiums. I like the
circuit. It has a lot of fast corners and the surrounding dunes make
it a kind of natural racetrack. I hope to have another good weekend
there. We have definitely been on the up since the Norisring. Let’s
hope that continues in Zandvoort.”
Augusto Farfus (#15, Shell BMW M4 DTM – 76 races, 4 wins, 12
podiums, 5 pole positions, 351 points): “Zandvoort is the
coolest circuit of the year. I am really looking forward to it. The
track has been re-surfaced, so we still don’t know exactly what to
expect and are starting, more or less, from scratch. We saw in Moscow
that we have the necessary pace. We now want to build on that.”
Timo Glock (#16, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM – 66 races, 3 wins,
7 podiums, 2 pole positions, 283 points): “I mainly
associate Zandvoort with its location in the dunes – and this year
with the new asphalt. We will have to wait and see what effect that
has. I hope we have good pace in Zandvoort. We have always been
well-positioned there in the past, and are excited to see how we get
on this year.”
Bart Mampaey (team principal, BMW Team RBM): “The
whole team is looking forward to the two races at Circuit Park, which
is only about 200 kilometres from our headquarters in Mechelen, making
it something of a home track for us. There are few better surroundings
for a racetrack. It has its very own character. Zandvoort is an
old-school circuit with a lot of fast corners.”
Bruno Spengler (#7, BMW Bank BMW M4 DTM – 149 races, 15 wins,
48 podiums, 18 pole positions, 819 points, 1 Drivers’
title): “I am looking forward to Zandvoort. It is rather
special there. We are right on the coast and the atmosphere is always
great. An awful lot of fans come to the circuit, and they really love
motorsport. The track itself is very interesting and demanding. There
is always a lot of wind, which results in there being a lot of sand on
the racing surface. As such, the track can change from one lap to the
next. However, that is just part and parcel of racing in Zandvoort.”
Tom Blomqvist (#31, BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM – 46 races,
1 win, 5 podiums, 2 pole positions, 193 points): “Zandvoort
is a great track and a lot of fun to drive at, but it is also
demanding. There are a lot of fast corners. That really puts the car
and the driver through their paces. For me, it is definitely one of
the highlights of the season when it comes to enjoying driving out on
the track. BMW has been really successful there in the past, but the
cards will be reshuffled again this year.”
Maxime Martin (#36, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM – 56 races, 3 wins, 9
podiums, 3 pole positions, 309 points): “We will face
different challenges in Zandvoort to those we have encountered at the
previous circuits. It is not really possible to make any kind of
prediction this year. The current DTM season has shown that. I hope I
fare better here than last time out in Moscow.”
History:
“Circuit Park” in Zandvoort first hosted the DTM in 2001. The unique
circuit, nestled in the dunes on the North Sea coast, is a special
venue for drivers and fans alike. The drivers love the varied,
demanding and fast track, while fans can combine a trip to races
eleven and twelve of the season with a holiday on the Dutch North Sea
coast. Featuring well-known corners like the “Tarzanbocht”, the track
in Zandvoort has been a happy stomping ground for BMW Motorsport in
recent years. BMW drivers have emerged victorious there on three
occasions. The lap record for the 4.307-kilometre circuit dates back
to 28th September 2014 and is held by Marco Wittmann, who
clocked a time of 1:32.411 minutes in the BMW M4 DTM.
The media schedule:
Friday, 18th August
15:00-15:30, ITR Press Conference with Maxime Martin, Media Center
Saturday, 19th August
16:50-17:00, mixed zone interviews with all BMW drivers, Media Center
Sunday, 20th August
11:00-11:30, interview session with BMW Motorsport Director Jens
Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Team Hospitality
17:20-17:30, mixed zone interviews with all BMW drivers, Media Center