Great qualifying by BMW drivers at Hockenheim

Hockenheim (DE), 19th October 2013. BMW Motorsport produced its strongest qualifying of the year at the finale of the DTM season in Hockenheim (DE). For the first time since the manufacturer returned to the series in 2012, four BMW M3 DTMs made it through to the top-four shoot-out. Pole position went to Bruno Spengler (CA) from BMW Team Schnitzer, who set the fastest time of 1:33.443 minutes in the BMW Bank M3 DTM – 0.303 seconds faster than his team-mate Dirk Werner (DE) in the SAMSUNG BMW M3 DTM.

While Spengler celebrated the 16th pole position of his DTM career, Werner’s second place was the best grid position of his DTM career. Andy Priaulx (GB) at the wheel of the Crowne Plaza Hotels BMW M3 DTM and Timo Glock (DE) in the DEUTSCHE POST BMW M3 DTM qualified third and fourth to complete the fantastic team result for BMW at the Hockenheimring.

Spengler’s pole marked the 39th for BMW and the 30th for the BMW M3 on its final appearance in the DTM. BMW Team Schnitzer has now started from the very front of the DTM grid on 13 occasions. Like Werner, Priaulx and Glock also claimed the best qualifying results of their careers to date in the popular touring car series.

With six drivers in the top ten, BMW Motorsport had already demonstrated by the start of Q3 that the BMW M3 DTM would be a force to reckon with at the tenth DTM race weekend of the year. The BMW drivers also achieved this feat in qualifying ahead of the race at Brands Hatch (GB). Marco Wittmann (DE) qualified sixth in the Ice-Watch BMW M3 DTM, while Augusto Farfus (BR) will start from tenth in the Castrol EDGE BMW M3 DTM.

Martin Tomczyk (DE) in the BMW M Performance Parts M3 DTM narrowly missed out on the top ten, qualifying 11th. He was just 52 thousandths of a second off progressing to Q3. In contrast, Joey Hand (US) had to settle for 22nd in the BMW M3 DTM.

Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director): “That was an absolutely sensational qualifying for us – the best since our return to the DTM. Four BMWs in Q4, seven in the top 11, a front-row lock-out for BMW Team Schnitzer, the best DTM qualifying of their careers for Dirk Werner, Andy Priaulx and Timo Glock, and the 16th pole position for Bruno Spengler: I am incredibly proud of my team. It is also the 30th pole position for the BMW M3 in the DTM, and on its final appearance in this series. This obviously puts us in a very good position ahead of tomorrow’s race, in which the Manufacturers’ and Team titles are still up for grabs. Despite this, I expect an exciting Sunday. There is little to choose between the cars, and it is a long race. The priority for us now is to find the best possible strategy for tomorrow, and then to implement it. First and foremost, however, congratulations to the entire team.”

Charly Lamm (Team Principal BMW Team Schnitzer): “It does not get any better than that! I am incredibly proud we qualified with both cars on the front row today. I am delighted for Bruno Spengler and Dirk Werner. The past few races have not been particularly easy for us. That makes it all the more satisfying for us to bounce back in this way. BMW has produced a fantastic qualifying result here. You can sense how everyone wants to do their bit and help BMW win the Manufacturers’ title. We have taken the first step in that direction. However, we will not take our foot off the gas, but will continue to focus on our preparations for the race.”

Bruno Spengler (car number 1, BMW Team Schnitzer, 1st on the grid): “After the difficult races we have had of late, this pole position feels particularly good. My team never shied away, but kept on working hard to get back on top. For this reason, it is unbelievable to be back on pole position here in Hockenheim. We have pulled off an awesome team result for BMW. Four BMWs on the front four places on the grid – for the first time since the return to the DTM. We will obviously celebrate that a bit today, before we focus fully on tomorrow’s race. This is a good starting position from which to defend the Manufacturers’ title for BMW.”

Dirk Werner (car number 2, BMW Team Schnitzer, 2nd on the grid): “Hockenheim seems to suit me. This is the scene of my best race results so far in the DTM. That is the first time I have made it through to Q4. I would obviously have liked to qualify on pole, as I did not have that opportunity very often this year. Despite this, I am delighted with my second place in qualifying – particularly as the individual sessions were all very fiercely contested. It is also a sensational day for BMW Team Schnitzer. This is the first time both drivers have occupied the front row of the grid since BMW made its comeback in the DTM. We should enjoy this moment.”

Andy Priaulx (car number 16, BMW Team RMG, 3rd on the grid):

“To be in Q4 is very special. I have made a big change in my driving and changed back to right foot braking. Immediately my pace came back to where I had expected to be. If you can't aim for the podium from third on the grid, then when can you aim for it? I would like to have a solid race, but first of all our goal is to score the most points possible for BMW in the Manufacturers’ Championship. We have four cars on the front two rows, so it must be possible to pick up some big points.”

Timo Glock (car number 22, BMW Team MTEK, 4th on the grid): “This is a dream result for BMW – particularly given the battle in the Manufacturers’ Championship. I am obviously also very happy with my own result, with the fastest time in Q3 and fourth on the grid. I am delighted for the entire team. We have moved in one definite direction in terms of the set-up both here and in Zandvoort. That has paid off. I am now looking forward to tomorrow.”

Marco Wittmann (car number 21, BMW Team MTEK, 6th on the grid): “I am a bit disappointed with sixth. When you have been on pole the race before, you always want the very best. However, after making a good start to qualifying, I had found it increasingly difficult to find any speed out on the track from one session to the next. However, we have achieved a fantastic team result. Six BMWs in the top ten is incredible.”

Augusto Farfus (car number 7, BMW Team RBM, 10th on the grid): “BMW has shown a very strong performance here, but unfortunately I could not get the car on the sweet spot today. The car is okay and should be good for the race, but it was not good on the new tyres. Despite this, my season has been a dream and this qualifying has not changed that. We have had very strong performances during the year and now I am looking forward to finishing tomorrow on a high.”

Martin Tomczyk (car number 15, BMW Team RMG, 11th on the grid): “This doesn't look that bad when you see my other results in qualifying, but certainly I can't be happy with 11th when I see all the other BMWs in front of me. That is still something we can work on. I hope I can finish this season tomorrow with a good race. We still have to win the Manufacturers’ Championship and that is my main goal for tomorrow. I hope I can be part of that game.”

Joey Hand (car number 8, BMW Team RMG, 22nd on the grid): “I wish I knew what was wrong, as we basically struggled all day. The car is so hard to drive right now and is very loose for me, especially in quick corners. That is what we have been trying to figure out. The car has been like this since I got here. The BMW Team RBM boys tried to work out a set-up, but it didn’t come off. This is not how I saw the last race going, but I shall just go out tomorrow and try my best.”

BMW Group