GT4 European Series: Victory and podiums for BMW M4 GT4 at season opener.
The new BMW M4 GT4 got off to a great start at the season opener of the GT4 European Series at Monza (ITA). In the race on Sunday, Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Schrey (GER) were victorious in the Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport #2 car. Third place on the podium went to the #12 BMW M4 GT4 of Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport with Berkay Besler (TUR) and Tom Edgar (GBR) at the wheel. The two teams also made it onto the podium in the first race on Saturday. Besler and Edgar finished second, ahead of Piana and Schrey. Yağız Gedik (TUR) and Enzo Joulie (FRA) in the second car of Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport finished fifth in both races. This season, a fourth BMW M4 GT4 is being fielded by W&D Racing Team in the Am category. Davide Meloni and Massimiliano Tresoldi (both ITA) finished fourth in their class in both races.
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24h Nürburgring Qualifiers: Final preparations for the highlight of the season.
The 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers at the weekend were the final preliminary event for the 24-hour race that marks the highlight of the season, scheduled to take place on 20th/21st May. In the absence of many top teams and drivers, as they were competing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe at Monza (ITA) that was held at the same time, the BMW M4 GT3 brought home top-ten results. In the two-hour race on Saturday, the BMW M works drivers Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Erik Johansson (SWE) in the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG finished seventh. In the four-hour race on Sunday, the BMW M works drivers Jesse Krohn (FIN) and Jens Klingmann (GER), and Andy Soucek (ESP) in the #102 BMW M4 GT3 of Walkenhorst Motorsport crossed the finish line in sixth place. The BMW M4 GT3 won the previous three preliminary events forming part of the Nürburgring Endurance Series. Victories in the Qualifiers in the SP8T, VT2 rear-wheel drive, and BMW M240i categories went to Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing (BMW M4 GT4), Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec (BMW 330i, BMW M240i Racing), and SRS Team Sorg Rennsport (BMW 330i).
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Sim racing: Fanatec GT Pro Series and SRO Esports SIM Pro Series at Monza.
At the season opener of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe at Monza (ITA), real-world racing met the virtual world of Esports once again. A double-header was held in the simulators at the Fanatec Arena in the paddock. On Saturday, the real-world GT3 racing drivers competed to secure championship points for their teams in the Fanatec GT Pro Series race. On Sunday, the sim racers contested the first race of the new SIM Pro Series of SRO Esports. The races were hosted on the platform Assetto Corsa Competizione.
In the Saturday race between GT3 drivers, BMW M works drivers Dries Vanthoor (BEL) representing BMW M Team WRT and Max Hesse (GER) representing ROWE Racing contested the Pro class. Vanthoor finished in third place, while a collision that was no fault of his own forced Hesse to retire. In the Gold category, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (FRA) finished third for Team WRT. They received support from the two BMW M sim racers Arthur Kammerer and Gregor Schill (both GER).
On Sunday, Kammerer and Schill took over the steering wheels and contested the new SIM Pro Series for BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION. Kammerer finished the first race of the season in tenth place, Schill finished 21st.
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Sim racing: BMW M SIM Cup and ESL R1.
The third round of the BMW M SIM Cup was held at the Road America track on Sunday. After Daytona and Sebring, some of the best sim racers and sim racing teams in the world went head-to-head on another iconic American track in two classes in the virtual BMW M Hybrid V8 and BMW M4 GT3. After two hours of racing, the top-three lock-out with the BMW M Hybrid V8 went to URANO Esports Team, who continued their dominance in the top category of the BMW M SIM Cup. In the GTD category, Team Redline in the BMW M4 GT3 were victorious, fending off BS+COMPETITION and the second Redline crew.
This weekend also marked the seventh round of ESL R1, held on the virtual track at Spa–Francorchamps. For BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION, Ibraheem Khan in the virtual BMW M4 GT3 qualified for the semi-final on the sim racing platform Rennsport. He was fourth in qualifying but then was 11th in the race after a time penalty and missed the finale.
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BTCC: Podiums at season opener.
The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season got underway at Donington Park (GBR) at the weekend. In the first three races, the BMW representatives brought home two podiums with the BMW 330e M Sport. In the first race, Jake Hill (GBR) crossed the finish line in second place for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport. In the second race, Adam Morgan (GBR) finished second for Team BMW. In the third race, Hill in fourth finished with another good result at the season opener, which saw him take third place in the drivers’ standings. Colin Turkington’s (GBR) best result was fifth place in the third race; Stephen Jelley (GBR) got his best result of the weekend when he finished fourth in the second race.