Overall, the BMW M Motorsport teams faced a challenging DTM weekend at the Lausitzring. In Saturday’s race, defending champion Sheldon van der Linde finished in fifth place, his teammate René Rast in eighth, and Marco Wittmann in tenth, earning important points. However, problems during Sunday’s qualifying session forced the BMW M Motorsport drivers to start from the back of the grid. Despite this setback, Wittmann delivered an exceptional recovery performance. Additionally, Rast celebrated his 100th DTM race, a remarkable achievement that includes three title wins.

Although the BMW M4 GT3 struggled to keep up with the leaders at the Lausitzring, van der Linde, Rast, and Wittmann performed well in Saturday’s qualifying session, securing fifth, eighth, and tenth positions respectively for the race. Sunday’s qualifying session proved to be more challenging due to a red flag five minutes before its end. This interruption prevented the drivers from getting their tires to the right temperature for the restart, resulting in Rast starting from 15th, van der Linde from 21st, and Wittmann from 22nd on the grid. However, the BMW M works drivers demonstrated great determination during the race, delivering impressive recovery performances. Wittmann particularly stood out by advancing from 22nd to ninth place, although a post-race time penalty demoted him to tenth. Rast finished in eleventh place, while van der Linde claimed thirteenth. Sandro Holzem also had a solid performance in his second DTM weekend, securing seventeenth and eighteenth places driving the second BMW M4 GT3 from the Project 1 team

Here are some reactions to the DTM weekend at the Lausitzring:

Sheldon van der Linde (#1 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “I am particularly proud of our fifth-place finish on Saturday. Given the conditions we had with the BMW M4 GT3, I believe that was the best result we could achieve. Unfortunately, we lost a significant number of points on Sunday due to qualifying and some minor incidents during the race. It’s disappointing, but I’m still very much in the title race. Moreover, there are upcoming circuits where our car should perform better. We will keep pushing.”

René Rast (#33 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “I managed to score points in both races, but overall, the points gain was modest. I had hoped for more in my 100th race. It was clear that we didn’t have the competitiveness required this weekend. I was the highest-placed BMW driver in Sunday’s qualifying, starting from 15th, and I think that speaks volumes. I gained a few positions during the race, but there wasn’t much more I could do.”

Marco Wittmann (#11 BMW M4 GT3, Project 1): “I have mixed feelings about the weekend. I earned points in both races, and my race pace was really strong, especially on Sunday. However, my goal is to be fighting at the front, which we are currently not achieving. As a team, we lack experience with the individual circuits, and this becomes evident during practice sessions as we spend more time searching for the right setup compared to more experienced teams. Nevertheless, we are improving and able to reach the level of others for the race, delivering solid performances. Overall, there is still room for improvement as we look ahead to the upcoming races.”