Photo: BMW Motorsport

BMW officially confirm DTM entry for 2012

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BMW Motorsport have today confirmed that they will enter the DTM in 2012, after previously agreeing to enter the championship alongside Mercedes-Benz and Audi in principle earlier this year.

BMW AG confirmed their participation from the Hockenheim circuit, which is host to this weekend’s round of the DTM championship.

Dr. Klaus Draeger of the Board of Management of BMW said:
“The return of BMW to the DTM is a fundamental part of the restructuring of our motorsport activities. With its increased commitment to production car racing, BMW is returning to its roots. The race track is the perfect place to demonstrate the impressive sporting characteristics of our vehicles against our core competitors in a high-powered environment. The DTM is the ideal stage on which to do this.”

BMW Motorsport Director Dr. Mario Thiessen said
“The entire team at BMW Motorsport is approaching this exciting project with absolute commitment. We began making technical preparations following our declaration of intent in April, and established parameters for a high-performance vehicle concept for deployment in the DTM. The positive decision of the BMW Board of Management means we can now shift up a gear and give the green light for development.”

“We welcome the decision by BMW to enter the DTM from 2012,” said Hans Werner Aufrecht of DTM promoter ITR.

“This is a further milestone for the future of our popular racing series, and proves that our efforts over the past few years have paid off. We laid the foundation for this in conjunction with the DMSB and the existing DTM manufacturers, namely Audi and Mercedes-Benz. Thus I would like to heartily thank all parties. I am personally looking forward to again seeing the three premium brands of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz competing against each other on the race track. Our fans have waited a long time for this.”

BMW have also confirmed the M3 will be the model they will use on their return to the championship, having run in the previous incarnation of the DTM. BMW report that discussions on the technical future of the DTM have been successful, and has resulted in their decision today to affirm their entry into the championship.