BMW vows to keep fighting in Zandvoort
BMW Motorsport heads to Zandvoort, host of the fourth round of the 2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season, in a mildly optimistic mood after their step ahead two weeks ago in Norisring. The Bavarian manufacturer hopes that the special characteristics of the Dutch track will favour the M4 DTM, on their road to the competitive path.
Norisring saw a BMW on the podium for the first time this season, thanks to the battling efforts of Bruno Spengler. The team now heads to Zandvoort, a circuit where the manufacturer has accumulated good results in the recent years.
The Dutch date starts the European leg of the DTM season, which will visit Austria and Russia afterwards, before returning to Germany for the final three races.
Zandvoort presents unique characteristics, starting by being an old school track, with ups and downs. It’s also rather bumpy and its proximity to the beach, with the consequent presence of sand on the track. The tarmac offers good grip, but also a good level of degradation, so managing the tyres will be key this weekend.
Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director, is happy by the confidence boost achieved at the Norisring, where all the manufacturer’s teams scored points, but remains realistic about the targets ahead: “We are well aware that we must continue to improve. The circuit basically suits the BMW M4 DTM, with one win and two podiums in the last two years have shown this. However, we will have to wait until we get there to see what the current balance of power is.”
Marco Wittmann, who was crowned champion at Zandvoort last year, is looking forward to being competitive again: “It is always nice to come to Zandvoort. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the circuit, with its many corners, is exciting. In the past we have always had really good results there. Last year we were on the podium. I think the track will suit us better than the previous ones this year. As such, we are quite optimistic and looking forward to it.”
Bruno Spengler, whose performance in Norisring put him as the best placed BMW driver in the standings, is realistic with regards to the work that needs to be done to ensure a good result: “Our goal for Zandvoort is to find the best possible set-up for the weekend in free practice. Both qualifying sessions are very important in Zandvoort, because there are limited overtaking opportunities in the races. We will strive to do as well as possible in qualifying. That is going to require some hard work, but we will be ready.”
Action in Zandvoort starts this Friday, with the first practice session taking place at 15:45 CEST (GMT + 2).
