Tag Archives: Zandvoort

BMW

BMW M Team WRT Shines at GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Finale

The final weekend of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup at Zandvoort was a successful one for BMW M Team WRT. The team’s crews achieved multiple podium finishes throughout the weekend, with impressive performances from BMW M works drivers Valentino Rossi and Maxime Martin. On Saturday, Rossi and Martin made a fantastic comeback to secure a third-place finish. On Sunday, Charles Weerts and Dries Vanthoor took second place in an epic race, joined on the podium by Niklas Krütten and Calan Williams in third. Krütten and Williams were crowned Champions in the GTWC Gold Cup and GTWC Sprint Gold Cup.

Saturday’s race saw the BMW M Team WRT’s four BMW M4 GT3s starting in the middle of the grid after a difficult qualifying session. However, the drivers managed to avoid trouble and gain positions. Rossi, driving the #46 BMW M4 GT3, made up five positions before a Safety Car interrupted the race. Martin then took over the car and showcased an excellent performance, making several daring overtakes to claim third place after starting from 15th. Vanthoor and Weerts in the #32 car finished in fifth place.

Sunday’s race was filled with action due to mixed weather conditions. The BMW M crews performed well in qualifying, securing the front row. Martin started from pole position in the #46 BMW M4 GT3, followed by Williams in the #30 car, who impressed with a second-place qualifying position.

Both drivers had a strong start, with Martin maintaining the lead comfortably. However, heavy rain poured down on the Zandvoort circuit, making track conditions challenging. The race was neutralized by a Full Course Yellow and a Safety Car. After the restart, Krütten took the lead with the #30 car, followed by Rossi in second, while Vanthoor advanced from further behind. The slippery track led to various position changes throughout the race. In the end, Weerts and Vanthoor secured second place, while Krütten and Williams took third place and the championship titles. Martin and Rossi finished the final race in seventh place. Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and Thomas Neubauer finished in seventh and 13th place, respectively, in WRT’s number 31 BMW M4 GT3.

Here are some quotes from the team after the Zandvoort races:

Vincent Vosse, BMW M Team WRT Team Principal: “Finishing the season with a double podium and winning the drivers’ championship in the gold class is a great feeling. Although we didn’t win the overall championship, we have learned a lot and will come back stronger next year.”

Valentino Rossi (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “Yesterday was very good, reaching our third podium of the season. It was a great race. Today we expected more as we started from pole position and Max was flying, especially in the dry. But unfortunately, heavy rain made me struggle with the wet tires. I made a mistake near the end and lost three positions. Nevertheless, the season was good, and I would like to thank Max and the whole team.”

Maxime Martin (#46 BMW M4 GT3): “It was a good final weekend. Yesterday’s podium was the highlight, starting from 15th and ending on the podium. Today was more unfortunate, but we still scored some points. We had a good sprint championship, and now we will see what next season brings.”

Charles Weerts (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “Overall, it was quite a difficult weekend for us. Coming here as title contenders and not winning the championship is a bit disappointing. But we did our maximum, and Dries’ great drive helped us secure a podium finish to end the sprint season.”

Dries Vanthoor (#32 BMW M4 GT3): “It wasn’t the weekend we hoped for, but ending on a positive note is good. Yesterday’s race eliminated our chances for the championship. Today we had nothing to lose, so we went all out and gave a P2 finish to the team. It was a nice Sunday for the whole team.”

Calan Williams (#30 BMW M4 GT3): “The day started fantastic with qualifying and then a podium finish. It’s amazing! Well done to Niklas as well. We were behind in the championship, but we gave it our all.”

Niklas Krütten (#30 BMW M4 GT3): “Today’s race was quite interesting. Racing at the front was new to us, and we hadn’t performed well in previous rounds. But Calan changed everything this morning. I still can’t believe we are champions!”

BMW

Sheldon van der Linde and Schubert Motorsport Achieve DTM Podium Finish in Zandvoort

Zandvoort. The 2023 DTM season saw its first podium finish for the BMW M4 GT3, with Sheldon van der Linde and Schubert Motorsport securing second place in the first of two races in Zandvoort (NED). In the second race, Marco Wittmann from the Project 1 team fought hard for a podium spot but ultimately finished fourth by a narrow margin. Dries Vanthoor, standing in for René Rast at Schubert Motorsport, also had a solid performance, securing a top-ten finish in the opening race. This event took place at the dune circuit in Zandvoort, marking the second event of the season.

The weekend started well with a promising first qualifying session on Saturday morning. Van der Linde and Wittmann secured second and third fastest times, respectively, giving them good starting positions for race one. Vanthoor qualified 16th.

In race one, van der Linde posed the biggest challenge to Maro Engel, the eventual winner from the Mercedes team. Van der Linde’s impressive performance earned him second place, securing his first podium of the season. Wittmann initially stayed close to van der Linde but dropped two positions after the pit stop. He finished fifth, his best result of the season so far. Vanthoor showed determination, starting from 16th on the grid and finishing ninth in the #33 BMW M4 GT3.

The second qualifying session on Sunday was disrupted by two crashes, causing the remaining three minutes to become unpredictable. Wittmann qualified seventh for race two, Vanthoor 14th, and van der Linde had to settle for 17th position.

Wittmann and van der Linde demonstrated their skills in race two, thrilling spectators with daring overtakes and impressive comebacks. Wittmann fought his way to fifth place and climbed to fourth after the pit stop. He continued battling for a podium spot until the end, narrowly missing the top three. Nevertheless, fourth place was his best result of the season. Van der Linde climbed from 17th to tenth place. Unfortunately, Vanthoor had to retire due to a puncture caused by a collision at the start. The race was won by Ricardo Feller from Audi.

The third race weekend of the 2023 DTM will take place from 7th to 9th July at the Norisring (GER).

Reactions from the DTM weekend in Zandvoort:

Sheldon van der Linde (BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “I am thrilled to be back on the podium yesterday, which was definitely the highlight of our season so far. It was unexpected, which makes it even sweeter. This result puts us back in the championship mix, although it’s still early days. It demonstrates that we have a strong package and motivates us to strive for more podium finishes. I can’t wait for Norisring in two weeks.”

Marco Wittmann (BMW M4 GT3, Project 1): “It was a much better weekend for us compared to the season opener in Oschersleben. We collected some good points with fifth and fourth place finishes. As a new team, we need to keep working hard to challenge for podiums and be at the front. Our battles in the races showed that we have found a positive race pace with a great balance and setup. There are areas where we still need to improve, but overall, it was a step forward with two strong results. We fought hard and gave it our all.”

Dries Vanthoor (BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport): “Overall, it was a fun weekend, and I was delighted to make my DTM debut. While the results weren’t what we expected, we did our best to fine-tune the car for my performance. It’s challenging to join a different racing series and team and immediately deliver a good performance. However, we had a fantastic race yesterday, coming back from 16th to 9th. Unfortunately, today’s qualifying was disrupted, forcing us to start from the back. I suffered an early puncture due to a touch in the race, but that’s part of racing. I had a great time working with the team and enjoyed the weekend with Sheldon.”