BMW M Motorsport Teams Miss Podium at Nürburgring
BMW

BMW M Motorsport Teams Miss Podium at Nürburgring

BMW M Motorsport Teams Miss Podium at Nürburgring

The BMW M Motorsport teams concluded an impressive series of podium finishes at the Nürburgring in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe. In the 6th event of the season, none of the BMW M4 GT3 cars made it to the top 3 in the overall standings for the first time this season. In previous races, the teams had secured wins and podium finishes, but this time, the best result was a 7th place finish.

In challenging weather conditions, the WRT drivers Charles Weerts, Dries Vanthoor, and Sheldon van der Linde started 17th on the grid but fought their way up to 7th place. The BMW Junior Team, consisting of Dan Harper, Max Hesse, and Neil Verhagen, also showed a strong performance by moving up from 31st to 11th place.

On the other hand, the Spa winners Philipp Eng, Marco Wittmann, and Nick Yelloly had an unfortunate race. Wittmann faced multiple incidents, including being boxed in and colliding with a spinning Lamborghini. As a result, their car suffered damage, and they finished in 15th place. This loss in points cost them the lead in the overall standings for the Endurance Cup.

Unfortunately, Augusto Farfus, Maxime Martin, and Valentino Rossi had to retire due to radiator damage caused by a collision with a lapped car.

While no BMW M4 GT3 cars reached the overall podium, there was a podium finish in the Gold Cup. The WRT team’s BMW M4 GT3, driven by Niklas Krütten, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer, and Calan Williams, secured third place in their class. In addition, the BMW M4 GT3 driven by Jens Klingmann, Darren Leung, and Lewis Proctor finished in sixth place in the Bronze Cup.

After the race, driver reactions varied. Dries Vanthoor expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance despite the challenging start, while Dan Harper acknowledged the lack of pace compared to previous races but praised the team for their flawless work. Marco Wittmann was disappointed with the race outcome and the damage sustained by the car. Maxime Martin lamented the collision with a lapped car and called for stricter penalties for ignoring blue flags.