Bruno Spengler, the 2012 Lausitzring winner and top BMW finisher last year, is looking to move up the championship ladder from his current 5th place.
Munich, Germany – The 2014 season enters the finishing straight with the eighth round of the year at the Lausitzring (DE) on 14th September. The race at the 3.478-kilometre circuit could actually determine the winner of this year's Drivers' Championship: after claiming his fourth win of the season at the latest race at the Nürburgring (DE), Marco Wittmann (DE) of BMW Team RMG now has 120 points to his name – 64 more than Audi drivers Mattias Ekström (SE) and Edoardo Mortara (IT).
Like Wittmann in the Drivers' Championship, BMW Team RMG also leads the team competition with three races remaining this season. Team Principal Stefan Reinhold's (DE) outfit tops the standings with 159 points after the home win in the Eifel Mountains. BMW is also sitting pretty at the top of the Manufacturers' Championship with 302 points.
Last season's race at the Lausitzring ended in disappointment for BMW Motorsport. BMW Team Schnitzer driver Bruno Spengler (CA) was the only BMW driver to finish in the top ten, coming home seventh. In 2012, the Canadian made history at the Lausitzring: BMW made its first appearance on the top step of the DTM podium after only the second race of its comeback season. Spengler started from pole position and, after 52 laps of racing, crossed the finish line first at the wheel of the BMW Bank M3 DTM. This success laid the foundations for Spengler's title win at the season finale in Hockenheim (DE). It was also BMW's 50th victory in the DTM. Augusto Farfus (BR) finished third to complete a successful weekend for BMW.
The Lausitzring hosts the DTM for the 16th time this season. With ten different layouts, the circuit 130 kilometres south of Berlin (DE) is, along with the "Moscow Raceway", the track with the most variants on this year's calendar. The DTM will race on the 3.478-kilometre layout, which features twelve corners. The circuit has been a permanent fixture on the calendar since 2000. The Lausitzring is driven in an anti-clockwise direction, with the BMW drivers tackling 52 laps before they see the chequered flag.
This season, for the first time, the International German Motorcycle Championship (SUPERBIKE*IDM) lines up on the same bill as the DTM at the Lausitzring. The starting field will feature many BMW riders on BMW S 1000 RR and BMW HP4 bikes, including reigning champion Markus Reiterberger (DE).
ARD will broadcast the DTM qualifying at the Lausitzring at 16:40 on Saturday. Fans watching on TV will be able to follow the race action live from 13:15 on Sunday, when the eight BMW drivers go in search of more points.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
"The race at the Lausitzring heralds the business end of the 2014 season. It is a special place for us. In 2012, it was here that we claimed our first DTM victory since returning the series. Last year was a different story, when we did not look particularly good from a sporting point of view. Only Bruno Spengler finished in the points back then. With these memories in the back of our mind, we know that it is far from a given that Marco Wittmann will be able to take this opportunity to win the title with races still to come. Let's wait and see how strong everyone is there this year. It goes without saying that the current situation with the performance weight will not make it easy for our eight drivers."
Charly Lamm (Team Principal, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"It is obviously very special for us to race at the Lausitzring. In 2012 we claimed BMW's first victory since making its comeback here with Bruno Spengler. In contrast, this season has not panned out so well for us so far. At least we have finished in the points at each of the last three races. In total we have scored points at six of the seven rounds. We want to improve this record at the Lausitzring – and, if possible, get back towards the front of the field."
Bruno Spengler (car number 9, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"The Lausitzring has always been one of my favourite circuits. I obviously have fond memories of 2012: the 50th win for BMW, the first victory for the BMW M3 DTM, and the first success of the comeback season. That was very special. As such, I always really look forward to returning to the Lausitzring. The fans are great, and the atmosphere is electric."
Martin Tomczyk (car number 10, BMW Team Schnitzer):
"I am looking forward to getting going again. It has been a long break. We have tanked up on energy again for the last three races. The Lausitzring is a fascinating track. It is difficult to predict what our performance will be like there. As such, we will just wait and see. We know the circuit well and know that we can be quick there. Now it is just a case of putting everything together."
Joey Hand (car number 4, BMW Team RBM):
"I am pleased to be back racing after the long break. I don't actually need any holidays, and could drive every weekend. We want to end the DTM season strongly. The Lausitzring is the kind of circuit we would call a 'roval' in the USA – a combination of a round circuit and an oval. I have often raced on tracks like this at home, and really enjoy them. Hopefully we can produce a good performance in the Lausitz region."
Lausitzring, 14th September 2014
52 laps, 3.478 km
Christian Vietoris (DE), 1:17.715 minutes
Gary Paffett (GB), Mercedes
Mike Rockenfeller (DE), 1:18.268 minutes
DTM Standings After 7 Of 10 Races
1. Marco Wittmann (120 points), 2. Mattias Ekström (56), 3. Edoardo Mortara (56), 4. Mike Rockenfeller (53), 5. Bruno Spengler (42), 6. Christian Vietoris (41), 7. Maxime Martin (39), 8. Adrien Tambay (36), 9. Augusto Farfus (33), 10. Timo Glock (33), 11. Jamie Green (28), 12. Robert Wickens (27), 13. Miguel Molina (26), 14. Paul di Resta (24), 15. Martin Tomczyk (24), 16. Timo Scheider (19), 17. Pascal Wehrlein (15), 18. Daniel Juncadella (10), 19. Nico Müller (10), 20. Joey Hand (7), 21. António Félix da Costa (4), 22. Gary Paffett (4).
1. BMW Team RMG (159 points), 2. Audi Sport Team Abt (92), 3. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (82), 4. Audi Sport Team Phoenix (72), 5. BMW Team Schnitzer (66), 6. Original-Teile Mercedes AMG (65), 7. BMW Team RBM (40), 8. Audi Sport Team Rosberg (38), 9. BMW Team MTEK (37), 10. EURONICS / FREE MAN'S WORLD Mercedes AMG (31) , 11. gooix Mercedes AMG (15), 12. Petronas Mercedes AMG (10).
1. BMW (302 points), 2. Audi (284), Mercedes-Benz (121).
4th May – Hockenheim (DE), 18th May – Oschersleben (DE), 1st June – Budapest (HU), 29th June – Norisring (DE), 13th July – Moscow (RU), 3rd August – Spielberg (AT), 17th August – Nürburgring (DE), 14th September – Lausitzring (DE), 28th September – Guangzhou (CN), 19th October – Hockenheim (DE).
About The DTM
The German Touring Car Masters – DTM for short – is the most popular touring car series in the world. Last season, over 700,000 spectators flocked to renowned racetracks in Germany and around Europe to watch the ten races live. The series pits the three premium automobile manufacturers BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz against each other in a sporting contest. BMW fielded its first works teams from 1984 to 1992, during which time it claimed 49 race victories and won the Drivers' Championship on three occasions (1984, 1987 and 1989). In 2012, the manufacturer returned to the DTM with the BMW M3 DTM, three teams and six drivers.
BMW promptly won five races and topped the driver, team and manufacturer standings at the end of the season. In 2013, BMW Motorsport managed to defend the Manufacturer's title with four teams and eight drivers. The 2014 DTM calendar once again consists of ten races. The schedule includes four trips abroad, to Budapest (HU), Spielberg (AT), Moscow (RU) and Zandvoort (NL). The season traditionally ends in Hockenheim (DE) on 19th October. TV station ARD is broadcasting each qualifying and every race live. Tickets for all the DTM races are available here: http://www.bmw-motorsport.com/en/fan-area/dtm-tickets.html
Canadians In BOLD