Norisring. In scorching heat and in front of more than 100,000
enthusiastic fans, Schubert Motorsport achieved great success during
the third DTM race weekend of the season at the Norisring in
Nürnberg (GER). On Saturday, the reigning DTM champion Sheldon van
der Linde (RSA) secured his first victory of the year from pole
position, with René Rast (GER) completing a Schubert one-two finish
in second place. On Sunday, despite success ballast, both BMW M4 GT3
cars from the team made it to the podium. Rast claimed pole position
this time and finished second in the race again, while van der Linde
took third place. Marco Wittmann (GER) was celebrated by the fans at
his home event and finished ninth and 13th in the Project 1 #11 BMW
M4 GT3.
In the driver standings, van der Linde is in second place with 78
points after his successes in Nürnberg, trailing behind Sunday’s race
winner, Thomas Preining (AUT / Porsche). Rast is seventh with 54
points, despite missing the race weekend at Zandvoort (NED) due to a
scheduling conflict. Wittmann is currently in eleventh position with
35 points. In the team standings, Schubert Motorsport is only one
point behind Manthey EMA in second place. In the manufacturer
standings, BMW is also in second place with 157 points, trailing
behind Porsche.
Wittmann, as the local hero, was celebrated by his home fans in the
grandstand. Before each race, the two-time DTM champion took the time
to visit his supporters in the stands and express his gratitude for
their support.
BMW M took advantage of the DTM highlight event to present the new
BMW X1 M35i xDrive (Fuel consumption in l/100km combined in WLTP
cycle: 8.0 – 8.5 CO2 emissions in g/km combined in WLTP
cycle: 192 – 181) in the paddock, which will be available in Germany
from November. On Saturday, BMW M CEO Franciscus van Meel and Marco
Wittmann introduced the car to the numerous visitors, and on Sunday,
Sheldon van der Linde inspected the new model and, like Wittmann the
day before, signed autographs for the fans.
Reactions to the DTM weekend at the Norisring:
Andreas Roos (Head of BMW M Motorsport): “A
fantastic weekend for us here at the Norisring! In the DTM, we
achieved four out of six possible podium finishes. The BMW M4 GT3
showed what it’s capable of on this track. Everyone at BMW M
Motorsport can be proud of that. Sheldon van der Linde and René Rast’s
results are also great for the championship standings. Many thanks to
Schubert Motorsport for their excellent work! Unfortunately, things
didn’t go optimally for Marco Wittmann and Project 1. He had bad luck
in qualifying on Saturday but managed to fight his way forward in a
strong race. On Sunday, qualifying was better, but he couldn’t make
progress in the race. So, we still have some homework to do in terms
of the rest of the season, but I’m confident that we’ll soon see Marco
return to the front. Finally, a big compliment to the organiser and
the fans for yet another great event here in Nürnberg.”
Sheldon van der Linde (#1 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert
Motorsport): “I’m super happy about this weekend, which
I never expected beforehand. To be on the podium twice at the
Norisring, where I’ve never done well before, is fantastic. Of course,
first place on Saturday was an absolute highlight, but the third place
on Sunday feels like a victory to me. I didn’t think I could defend
the podium spot despite my success ballast. Now, I’ve achieved three
podiums in the last four races and made a big leap in the
championship. I would like to carry this momentum into the next DTM
race weekends.”
René Rast (#33 BMW M4 GT3, Schubert Motorsport):
“It was a very good weekend for me personally and for
the whole team. If someone had offered me two second-places and a pole
position beforehand, I would have signed immediately. I collected a
lot of points, which is always the most important thing in the DTM.
However, on Sunday, I would have liked to win from pole position, but
in the second half of the race, we simply didn’t have the necessary
pace anymore. Thomas Preining’s overtaking manoeuvre was, from my
perspective, very tough and surprised me at that moment. After that,
my car had slight damage, and I couldn’t follow him anymore.
Ultimately, I think we extracted the maximum from this weekend.”
Marco Wittmann (#11 BMW M4 GT3, Project 1):
“From a sporting perspective, it was a tough weekend. We simply
couldn’t find the pace to keep up with the frontrunners. It’s evident
that, as a new team, we still need to find our footing, and that takes
time. However, the absolute highlight was the incredible atmosphere at
my home event and ten-year DTM anniversary here at the Norisring. The
numerous autograph sessions, interactions with the fans, the Green
Wall by Schaeffler in the grandstand – all of that gave me goosebumps.
These positive feelings make this weekend unforgettable for me.”
