BMW Motorsport has successfully completed the final DTM test of the year. The BMW drivers covered over 5,000 kilometres at the “Circuito de Velocidad” in Jerez de la Frontera (ES), southern Spain.
Augusto Farfus (BR), Bruno Spengler (CA), Timo Glock (DE), Joey Hand (US), Martin Tomczyk (DE) and Maxime Martin (BE) were in action from Sunday to Thursday in the BMW M3 DTM. BMW driver Jens Klingmann, whose outings this year included the Nürburgring 24 Hours (DE) with BMW Team Schubert, made his debut at the wheel of a DTM car. Red Bull Junior, António Félix da Costa (PT), also enjoyed his first outing in the BMW M3 DTM.
The programme featured numerous functions, systems and chassis tests, as well as long runs on prime and option tyres. The engineers were also able to test several set-up variants, which they were unable to run during the 2013 season due to the limited practice time on race weekends.
Timo Glock (BMW works driver):
“After the season finale in Hockenheim and my first DTM win, it was a great feeling to get back in the car for the test. We had fantastic weather in Jerez and got through a lot of laps. I drove over 700 kilometres on Tuesday alone. We were able to try a lot of things out and make some valuable findings.”
António Félix da Costa:
“That was a very good experience. The standard in the DTM is incredibly high, and BMW Motorsport is extremely professional. That much was clear from the word go. The BMW M3 DTM is great fun – and is much quicker than I expected. It generates an awful lot of downforce for a car with a roof. That surprised me. We made progress with every stint, and I felt more and more at home. The conditions were perfect for getting to know a new car for the first time. The team made me feel very welcome and the engineers supported me really well. All in all, it was a really productive test.”
Jens Klingmann:
“I was obviously absolutely delighted to be given the chance to drive a DTM car. It required quite a big adjustment from the BMW Z4 GT3 to the BMW M3 DTM at first. However, you progress with every lap, so you improve step by step. The biggest difference was the carbon brakes. I had never driven with anything like that before. Therefore, I had to guess the braking points a bit at first. That aspect improved all the time, until I was actually very happy by the end of the day. After a time, you are then able to drive the car consistently and at a certain level. I have often been present at DTM races for BMW and am sure that made the test easier, as I already knew everyone in the team. To then climb in behind the wheel myself was a great experience.”
DTM:
The magic three letters “DTM” once stood for “Deutsche Tourenwagen-Meisterschaft” (German Touring Car Championship). Today, they are the trademark of the most popular international touring car racing series. Its history began in the 1984 season with cars that were close to the production versions and culminated in a worldwide series for high-tech touring cars in 1996. After a three-season break the DTM, in 2000, celebrated its successful comeback with a trendsetting concept – fascinating technology at reasonable costs. Today, the series is regarded as the “pinnacle” of touring car racing and one of Europe’s leading sports events.
