BMW hopeful of a good result in Oschersleben

The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters stages its seventh round of the 2015 season in Oschersleben this weekend. BMW, with an improved overall performance and a good track record in the German track, looking to continue with their ascending form.

The European leg of the season allowed the Bavarian manufacturer to get back on route to scoring points, even visiting the podium in three occasions. Marco Wittmann and Bruno Spengler were especially competitive in Moscow, allowing BMW to reduce their gap to the leaders in both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ standings.

Since their return to the DTM back in 2012, BMW has scored two pole positions and two victories at Oschersleben. The 3.696-kilometre track combines two long straights with twisted sections, making setup important as a compromise between speed and good handling has to be found.

The M4 DTMs will again be the lightest cars on track, after the application of the performance weights for round 7 of the season. Marco Wittmann, at 1,107.5 kilos, will be 30 and 22.5 kilos lighter than Audi’s Mattias Ekström and Mercedes’ Pascal Wehrlein respectively. The Bavarian manufacturer lies third in the standings, 95 points behind leaders Audi Sport.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt is looking forward to the series’ return to Germany for the last leg of the season, expecting the Motorsport Arena will once again deliver exciting races: “We are now looking forward to the final third of the season in front of our home fans. We have a good record in Oschersleben so far: two wins and two pole positions in three years is not to be sniffed at. We will certainly do our best to make life as difficult as possible for the opposition there again. The fans in the Magdeburger Börde can definitely look forward to an action-packed weekend, as the DTM is producing more exciting races and dramatic scenes than ever in 2015.”

BMW Team RMG is the best placed outfit for the Bavarian manufacturer in the Teams’ standings. Principal Stefan Reinhold hopes Oschersleben to be a place of reaping for his men: “Oschersleben suits us. We proved this last year with the pole position. After second place for Marco and fourth for Maxime Martin in Moscow last time out, I am confident that we will also have a word in who finishes on the podium in Oschersleben.”

Bruno Spengler is the best placed man for BMW in the Drivers’ standings in fifth place, 41 points behind Mattias Ekström. The Canadian is well prepared for one of the most difficult tracks in the calendar: “Oschersleben is a very demanding circuit, and that also goes for the fitness of the drivers, as there are a lot of corners, a lot of bumps, and few sections in which you can catch a breather. It is particularly important for the car to have very good traction there. Personally, I really like the atmosphere in Oschersleben, as the people in that region are real motorsport fans.”

Reigning champion Marco Wittmann returns to one of his favourite tracks, hoping to make up for last year’s problems: “I always enjoy returning to the circuit. Last year’s DTM weekend here started really well for me. I secured pole position and was enjoying a good race. However, I then made a slight mistake and was then stopped by a mechanical problem. I hope we can complete the races this time and, if possible, get on that top step of the podium.”

The on track action for the DTM in Oschersleben starts on Friday afternoon, with the first free practice session starting at 15:15 CEST (GMT + 2).