Munich. A spectacular motor racing show awaits tens of thousands of fans this Saturday, in the form of Red Bull Formula Nürburgring. The event, which forms part of the 12-hour race weekend in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), attracts big stars and legendary cars from all motorsport classes to the Eifel region of Germany. BMW M, BMW M Motorsport and BMW Group Classic will play big roles. Spectators will be able to marvel at vintage BMW race cars and BMW M safety cars on the track – including the Nordschleife. Among those taking their place behind the wheel will be BMW M works drivers Philipp Eng (AUT) and Jens Klingmann (GER).
The Müllenbachschleife at the Nürburgring (GER) will be the venue for 30,000 spectators watching Red Bull Formula Nürburgring – a show of superlative motor racing, combining big stars and show runs from iconic cars.
Historic BMW race cars will form an instrumental part of the event. Not only will they be in action on the Grand Prix circuit, but most of them also on the Nordschleife. The BMW V12 LMR, which won the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FRA) in 1999, will be driven by Markus Flasch, Senior Vice President Product Lines Rolls-Royce, BMW Luxury Class and BMW Midsize Class. HRH Prince Leopold of Bavaria will be at the wheel of the BMW M1 Procar, Jens Klingmann the BMW M3 E30 and Philipp Eng the BMW Z4 GT3 with the Michel Vaillant livery, which competed in the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BEL) in 2015. Ralf Schumacher (GER) will thrill fans with a drive in the BMW Williams FW25, with which he fought for the Formula 1 World Championship in 2003.
BMW M GmbH will present a number of cars from its spectacular fleet of MotoGP™ Safety Cars. BMW M is in its 25th season as “Official Car of MotoGP™” in 2023, and is taking BMW M4 Safety Cars from various generations, a BMW M3 Safety Car, a BMW M6 Safety Car and a BMW M8 Safety Car to the Nürburgring. The Red Bull Driftbrothers will also be part of the show with their BMW M4 cars, which have been specially set up for drifting.
Red Bull Formula Nürburgring is also bringing a host of Formula 1 legends to the Nürburgring – both cars and drivers. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel (GER) will be there, together with world championship runner-up David Coulthard (GBR) and current Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda (JPN).
Quotes ahead of the event:
HRH Prince Leopold of Bavaria: “I am thrilled to be involved in Red Bull Formula Nürburgring with BMW Group Classic, in collaboration with BMW M and BMW M Motorsport. It will be like a home outing for me. I am very familiar with both the Nordschleife and my car, a BMW M1 Procar, with which Carlos Reutemann was victorious in 1980. After competing in the Le Mans Classic a few weeks ago, this promises to be the next grand spectacle.”
Philipp Eng “It is definitely going to be a fantastic event, and I find it awesome that BMW M, BMW M Motorsport and BMW Group Classic are so heavily involved. Personally, I have always dreamed of driving the BMW Z4 GT3 on the Nordschleife. Unfortunately, when I became a BMW M works driver in 2016, the car was no longer in use so I am delighted to now have the opportunity to hear that raw V8 sound on the Nordschleife.”
Jens Klingmann: “Red Bull is always guaranteed to put on spectacular events, and I am certain that we will put on a great show for the fans with our BMW Group Classic cars. The BMW M3 E30 is iconic. I have had the pleasure of driving the car a few times in the past. The sound is legendary, and without ABS and traction control the BMW M3 E30 offers a pure racing experience. It is perfectly suited to the Nordschleife.”
Note to editors:
Photos of the BMW race cars will be available shortly after the event on the BMW Group Classic Media Download Server and on the BMW Group Pressclub: https://www.bmwgroupclassic-downloads.com/Events/2023/.