Norisring. In scorching heat and in front of more than 100,000 enthusiastic fans, Schubert Motorsport achieved great success during the third DTM race weekend of the season at the Norisring in Nürnberg (GER). On Saturday, the reigning DTM champion Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) secured his first victory of the year from pole position, with René Rast (GER) completing a Schubert one-two finish in second place. On Sunday, despite success ballast, both BMW M4 GT3 cars from the team made it to the podium. Rast claimed pole position this time and finished second in the race again, while van der Linde took third place. Marco Wittmann (GER) was celebrated by the fans at his home event and finished ninth and 13th in the Project 1 #11 BMW M4 GT3.
In the driver standings, van der Linde is in second place with 78 points after his successes in Nürnberg, trailing behind Sunday’s race winner, Thomas Preining (AUT / Porsche). Rast is seventh with 54 points, despite missing the race weekend at Zandvoort (NED) due to a scheduling conflict. Wittmann is currently in eleventh position with 35 points. In the team standings, Schubert Motorsport is only one point behind Manthey EMA in second place. In the manufacturer standings, BMW is also in second place with 157 points, trailing behind Porsche.
Wittmann, as the local hero, was celebrated by his home fans in the grandstand. Before each race, the two-time DTM champion took the time to visit his supporters in the stands and express his gratitude for their support.
BMW M took advantage of the DTM highlight event to present the new BMW X1 M35i xDrive (Fuel consumption in l/100km combined in WLTP cycle: 8.0 – 8.5 CO2 emissions in g/km combined in WLTP cycle: 192 – 181) in the paddock, which will be available in Germany from November. On Saturday, BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel and Marco Wittmann introduced the car to the numerous visitors, and on Sunday, Sheldon van der Linde inspected the new model and, like Wittmann the day before, signed autographs for the fans.
Reactions to the DTM weekend at the Norisring:
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “A fantastic weekend for us here at the Norisring! In the DTM, we achieved four out of six possible podium finishes. The BMW M4 GT3 showed what it’s capable of on this track. Everyone at BMW M Motorsport can be proud of that. Sheldon van der Linde and René Rast’s results are also great for the championship standings. Many thanks to Schubert Motorsport for their excellent work! Unfortunately, things didn’t go optimally for Marco Wittmann and Project 1. He had bad luck in qualifying on Saturday but managed to fight his way forward in a strong race. On Sunday, qualifying was better, but he couldn’t make progress in the race. So, we still have some homework to do in terms of the rest of the season, but I’m confident that we’ll soon see Marco return to the front. Finally, a big compliment to the organiser and the fans for yet another great event here in Nürnberg.”
Sheldon van der Linde (#1 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “I’m super happy about this weekend, which I never expected beforehand. To be on the podium twice at the Norisring, where I’ve never done well before, is fantastic. Of course, first place on Saturday was an absolute highlight, but the third place on Sunday feels like a victory to me. I didn’t think I could defend the podium spot despite my success ballast. Now, I’ve achieved three podiums in the last four races and made a big leap in the championship. I would like to carry this momentum into the next DTM race weekends.”
René Rast (#33 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “It was a very good weekend for me personally and for the whole team. If someone had offered me two second-places and a pole position beforehand, I would have signed immediately. I collected a lot of points, which is always the most important thing in the DTM. However, on Sunday, I would have liked to win from pole position, but in the second half of the race, we simply didn’t have the necessary pace anymore. Thomas Preining’s overtaking manoeuvre was, from my perspective, very tough and surprised me at that moment. After that, my car had slight damage, and I couldn’t follow him anymore. Ultimately, I think we extracted the maximum from this weekend.”
Marco Wittmann (#11 BMW M4 GT3, Project 1): “From a sporting perspective, it was a tough weekend. We simply couldn’t find the pace to keep up with the frontrunners. It’s evident that, as a new team, we still need to find our footing, and that takes time. However, the absolute highlight was the incredible atmosphere at my home event and ten-year DTM anniversary here at the Norisring. The numerous autograph sessions, interactions with the fans, the Green Wall by Schaeffler in the grandstand – all of that gave me goosebumps. These positive feelings make this weekend unforgettable for me.”