Björn Lellmann, Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport:
“The 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers were the biggest event of the past weekend for our customer teams – and a major success. The BMW M2 Racing performed excellently under typically chaotic Eifel conditions and proved that it delivers everything we expect from our new entry-level race car. Many thanks to the team at FK Performance Motorsport, the drivers, and the BMW M Motorsport engineers for this strong and professional performance. With a total of 13 class victories, our teams have demonstrated that they are capable of winning with various BMW M Motorsport race cars – and will certainly play a leading role in the 24-hour race. That only increases my anticipation for the season highlight. Congratulations also to BMW Italia Ceccato Racing and Century Motorsport on their successes in the Italian GT and British GT. The ‘Crazy Month of June’ with three major 24-hour races in a row – along with many other customer racing highlights – can come!”
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24h Nürburgring Qualifiers: Baptism by rain for the BMW M2 Racing.
The BMW M2 Racing experienced the full toughness of the “Green Hell” last weekend at the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, passing its ultimate test ahead of the endurance classic in June with flying colors. The first of two four-hour races on Saturday evening in particular, held in pouring rain, put the new BMW M Motorsport entry-level race car, the FK Performance Motorsport team, and the three drivers – BMW M works drivers Ugo de Wilde and Charles Weerts (both BEL), along with motorsport journalist Michael Bräutigam (GER) – to the test. The BMW M2 Racing ran flawlessly however, and crossed the finish line second in its SP3T class. In Sunday’s race, the car emerged largely unscathed from an unavoidable collision and secured third place in class.
“The BMW M2 Racing completed both races without any technical problems,” said Weerts. “It’s a lot of fun to drive. It has a lot of mechanical grip, which allows for quite high cornering speeds. Even under Saturday’s extreme conditions with heavy rain, the car gave us a good feeling and performed strongly. On Sunday I was hit pretty hard by another competitor, but there was hardly any damage to the car, and we were able to finish the weekend successfully and gain a lot of insights.” De Wilde added: “It was my first time with the BMW M2 Racing on the Nordschleife – and it was a fantastic experience. I earned my permit with the BMW M240i Racing, and the differences to the new car are enormous. The BMW M2 Racing is easier to drive, the suspension and brakes are significantly improved. I felt very comfortable. For me personally, it was important to get to know the Nordschleife better – especially under crazy conditions. After this weekend, I understand why it’s called the ‘Green Hell’. Still, I’m really looking forward to the 24-hour race.”
The 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers were generally a great success for the BMW M Motorsport teams. With six class wins on Saturday and seven on Sunday, the teams had an impressive dress rehearsal for June’s season highlight. The new BMW M4 GT4 EVO dominated the SP8T class with quadruple victories on both days. First place on each occasion went to FK Performance Motorsport. A BMW M4 GT4 EVO also competed in the AT3 class, where the Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing team won both races. No BMW M4 GT3 EVO participated in the top SP9 class. ROWE Racing will return to action at the 24-hour race.
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Italian GT Championship: BMW Italia Ceccato Racing starts the Sprint season with a victory.
BMW M works drivers Jens Klingmann (GER) and Jesse Krohn (FIN), along with BMW Italia Ceccato Racing, made a strong start to the Sprint season of the Italian GT Championship at Vallelunga (ITA). Klingmann and the team led by Roberto Ravaglia (ITA) are defending champions, and Krohn has now rejoined as a full-time driver for the sprint races. In the first race on Saturday, the duo took victory in the #1 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. Due to regulations, they had to serve pit stop penalties in Sunday’s race but still managed seventh overall and fifth in the GT3 Pro class.
“Vallelunga was a very strong weekend for us,” said Klingmann. “With Saturday’s win, we’ve started our title defense mission for the third year in a row. That gave us and the team a lot of confidence that we’re competitive and can fight for the title again. On Sunday, we tried to make the most of the pit stop penalties, which are based on Saturday’s results, and to limit the damage. At the next sprint race at Mugello, we’ll be penalty-free again and ready to go all out. Our mission this year is clear: we want to defend the title. I’m very happy to have made a strong statement with Roberto Ravaglia’s team and my teammate Jesse.”
“I’m very happy to be back with BMW Italia Ceccato Racing in the Italian GT Championship, and it was great to start the season with a win,” said Krohn. “I’m here to help the team win a third title, and I’ll do everything I can to make that happen. I’m also thrilled to be racing with Jens again. He was one of my first teammates when I joined BMW M Motorsport eleven years ago.”
Their teammates William Alatalo (FIN) and Leonardo Caglioni (ITA) also started the Sprint season successfully in the #2 BMW M4 GT3 EVO. On Saturday, they finished third overall and took victory in the GT3 Pro-Am class. On Sunday, however, the duo retired early.
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British GT Championship: Century Motorsport wins with the BMW M4 GT4 EVO at Oulton Park.
Fans witnessed two dramatic races in the British GT Championship on Monday at Oulton Park (GBR). Branden Templeton and Chris Salkeld (both GBR) claimed their first win of the season in the #14 BMW M4 GT4 EVO from Century Motorsport after previously scoring two second-place finishes. They won the GT4 Silver class in the first race and took third overall among the GT4 cars. In the second race, which saw some rain-related chaos, they finished second in their class and returned to the podium.
Things took a dramatic turn on Monday for their teammates Ravi Ramyead and Charlie Robertson (both GBR) in the #71 BMW M4 GT4 EVO. After a win and a second-place finish earlier in the season, they arrived at Oulton Park as GT4 class leaders. In the first race, Ramyead built a solid lead in the GT4 field – but then suffered a heavy crash into the barriers. The good news was that Ramyead was uninjured. Unfortunately, the #71 was too badly damaged to compete in the second race of the day.
In the GT4 drivers’ standings of the British GT Championship, Ramyead and Robertson now sit in second place after four races, directly followed by Templeton/Salkeld in third.