Three questions for... Marco Wittmann

BMW Motorsport opened the 2014 season with the historic maiden win for the BMW M4 DTM on the car’s debut. Marco Wittmann (DE) claimed his first DTM victory in the Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM at the Hockenheimring (DE). In doing so, he also presented BMW Team RMG with its first success in the series. The triumph was also BMW Motorsport’s 60th in the DTM.

Marco, how do you feel after this historic win? “It was just a perfect race for us. The Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM was superb. That was already the case during the tests in Hockenheim. We were able to seamlessly follow on from the good performances there. We won the very first race with the new BMW M4 DTM, it was the 60th triumph for BMW and the first for BMW Team RMG. I could not have wished for a better start to the DTM season.”

What was the key to your success? “Firstly, it was very important to qualify second on the grid, and then to pass Adrien Tambay as early in the race as possible, thus giving me a clear track. That allowed me to make the most of the softer option tyres. I did not lose any time out on the track. That was crucial, and the reason I crossed the finish line with such a big lead.”

How were the final laps, when you looked like winning the race? “I remained fully focussed in the final few laps, and was in close radio contact with my team, in order to ensure I always knew how big my lead was over the chasing pack. My main rivals in the second half of the race were on the softer, and thus quicker, tyres. Towards the end, I noticed that they were not actually going to get close enough. Then it was all about keeping cool, not making any mistakes, and bringing the win home. It feels absolutely fantastic.”

BMW