GT4 European Series: Victory and podiums for BMW M4 GT4 at
season opener.
The new BMW M4 GT4 got off to a great start at the season opener of
the GT4 European Series at Monza (ITA). In the race on Sunday,
Gabriele Piana (ITA) and Michael Schrey (GER) were victorious in the
Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport #2 car. Third place on the podium went
to the #12 BMW M4 GT4 of Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport with Berkay
Besler (TUR) and Tom Edgar (GBR) at the wheel. The two teams also made
it onto the podium in the first race on Saturday. Besler and Edgar
finished second, ahead of Piana and Schrey. Yağız Gedik (TUR) and Enzo
Joulie (FRA) in the second car of Borusan Otomotiv Motorsport finished
fifth in both races. This season, a fourth BMW M4 GT4 is being fielded
by W&D Racing Team in the Am category. Davide Meloni and
Massimiliano Tresoldi (both ITA) finished fourth in their class in
both races.
—
24h Nürburgring Qualifiers: Final preparations for the
highlight of the season.
The 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers at the weekend were the final
preliminary event for the 24-hour race that marks the highlight of the
season, scheduled to take place on 20th/21st May. In the absence of
many top teams and drivers, as they were competing in the Fanatec GT
World Challenge Europe at Monza (ITA) that was held at the same time,
the BMW M4 GT3 brought home top-ten results. In the two-hour race on
Saturday, the BMW M works drivers Connor De Phillippi (USA) and Erik
Johansson (SWE) in the #72 BMW M4 GT3 of BMW M Team RMG finished
seventh. In the four-hour race on Sunday, the BMW M works drivers
Jesse Krohn (FIN) and Jens Klingmann (GER), and Andy Soucek (ESP) in
the #102 BMW M4 GT3 of Walkenhorst Motorsport crossed the finish line
in sixth place. The BMW M4 GT3 won the previous three preliminary
events forming part of the Nürburgring Endurance Series. Victories in
the Qualifiers in the SP8T, VT2 rear-wheel drive, and BMW M240i
categories went to Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing (BMW M4 GT4),
Adrenalin Motorsport Team Motec (BMW 330i, BMW M240i Racing), and SRS
Team Sorg Rennsport (BMW 330i).
—
Sim racing: Fanatec GT Pro Series and SRO Esports SIM Pro
Series at Monza.
At the season opener of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe at
Monza (ITA), real-world racing met the virtual world of Esports once
again. A double-header was held in the simulators at the Fanatec Arena
in the paddock. On Saturday, the real-world GT3 racing drivers
competed to secure championship points for their teams in the Fanatec
GT Pro Series race. On Sunday, the sim racers contested the first race
of the new SIM Pro Series of SRO Esports. The races were hosted on the
platform Assetto Corsa Competizione.
In the Saturday race between GT3 drivers, BMW M works drivers Dries
Vanthoor (BEL) representing BMW M Team WRT and Max Hesse (GER)
representing ROWE Racing contested the Pro class. Vanthoor finished in
third place, while a collision that was no fault of his own forced
Hesse to retire. In the Gold category, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (FRA)
finished second for Team WRT. They received support from the two BMW
sim racers Arthur Kammerer and Gregor Schill (both GER).
On Sunday, Kammerer and Schill took over the steering wheels and
contested the new SIM Pro Series for BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION.
Kammerer finished the first race of the season in tenth place, Schill
finished 21st.
—
Sim racing: BMW M SIM Cup and ESL R1.
The third round of the BMW M SIM Cup was held at the Road America
track on Sunday. After Daytona and Sebring, some of the best sim
racers and sim racing teams in the world went head-to-head on another
iconic American track in two classes in the virtual BMW M Hybrid V8
and BMW M4 GT3. After two hours of racing, the top-three lock-out with
the BMW M Hybrid V8 went to URANO Esports Team, who continued their
dominance in the top category of the BMW M SIM Cup. In the GTD
category, Team Redline in the BMW M4 GT3 were victorious, fending off
BS+COMPETITION and the second Redline crew.
This weekend also marked the seventh round of ESL R1, held on the
virtual track at Spa–Francorchamps. For BMW M Team BS+COMPETITION,
Ibraheem Khan in the virtual BMW M4 GT3 qualified for the semi-final
on the sim racing platform Rennsport. He was fourth in qualifying but
then was 11th in the race after a time penalty and missed the finale.
—
BTCC: Podiums at season opener.
The British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) season got underway at
Donington Park (GBR) at the weekend. In the first three races, the BMW
representatives brought home two podiums with the BMW 330e M Sport. In
the first race, Jake Hill (GBR) crossed the finish line in second
place for Laser Tools Racing with MB Motorsport. In the second race,
Adam Morgan (GBR) finished second for Team BMW. In the third race,
Hill in fourth finished with another good result at the season opener,
which saw him take third place in the drivers’ standings. Colin
Turkington’s (GBR) best result was fifth place in the third race;
Stephen Jelley (GBR) got his best result of the weekend when he
finished fourth in the second race.
