Dual Victory Secured, DTM Record Achieved, and Significant Milestone Reached at Zandvoort
Living it up in Zandvoort: BMW M4 GT3 EVO's Triumphant Weekend
Weekends don't get much better than this for the BMW M4 GT3 EVO at Zandvoort (NED)! René Rast and Marco Wittmann (both GER) ruled the Sunday race, clinching a dramatic double victory in the DTM's third season event.
Rast snatched the pole position, shattering Bernd Schneider (GER)'s record of 26 career poles and taking the record for himself. Wittmann also hit a milestone, racing in his 200th DTM race - a feat only seven drivers in the series' history have achieved. He celebrated the occasion by snagging a well-deserved second place on the podium.
Schubert Motorsport kicked off the weekend with a strong showing, securing first and third places in the Sunday race qualifying. Both drivers faced challenges on the wet track during the second qualifying session on Saturday, but they mounted stunning comebacks in the race as the weather took a twist. Rast's comeback ended with a spin-out on a wet track, while Wittmann charged from 14th to finish sixth.
On Sunday, both Rast and Wittmann had a blazing start, with Wittmann slotting in behind Rast in second. Wittmann put on the pressure in the final stage of the race, but the order remained unchanged, and both drivers reveled in the double victory together. After the race, Rast complained of headaches and dizziness, and was taken to a clinic in Haarlem (NED) for further examination. He was cleared to travel to Le Mans (FRA) after the examination. In the drivers' standings, Rast moved up to second place with 75 points, 16 behind leader Lucas Auer (AUT, Mercedes). Wittmann remains sixth with 70 points. Schubert Motorsport is third in the team standings with 139 points.
Marco Wittmann Breaks the 200-Race Barrier with BMW M Motorsport
In the Sunday race at Zandvoort, Wittmann became the eighth driver in DTM history to reach the 200-race milestone, all of which were with BMW M Motorsport. Wittmann joined the DTM as a test and reserve driver in 2012 at the age of 22 and has been a full-time driver since 2013, winning 19 races, standing on the podium 47 times, and starting from pole position 16 times. Wittmann won the championship in 2014 and 2016 driving the BMW M4 DTM. His first win was at the 2014 season opener in Hockenheim (GER), and his most recent win was exactly one year ago in the Sunday race at Zandvoort.
A Superb Weekend for FK Performance Motorsport in ADAC GT Masters
In the ADAC GT Masters, the BMW M Motorsport teams performed even better than in the DTM. FK Performance Motorsport claimed a double victory with its two BMW M4 GT3 EVO on Sunday, while Schubert Motorsport finished third with the BMW M4 GT3 EVO during Saturday's race.
Statements from the Race Weekend
Björn Lellmann (Head of Customer Racing at BMW M Motorsport): "We had a fantastic weekend in Zandvoort! The double win in the DTM was a testament to the strength of our BMW M4 GT3 EVO. René Rast came back strongly after his retirement on Saturday, clawing back many points with his win and pole position. Marco Wittmann drove incredible races on both days. I'm incredibly pleased about the results in the ADAC GT Masters. FK Performance Motorsport's performance this weekend was incredible, with a double win on Sunday and second and fourth places on Saturday - simply fantastic! Schubert Motorsport also finished third on Saturday, securing a podium spot. What can I say? It was simply dreamlike!"
Torsten Schubert (Team Principal Schubert Motorsport): "With this double win, we've made a comeback in the championship and shown that we're back in the game. We squeezed every ounce of performance from our cars, which unfortunately didn't happen on Saturday. Marco Wittmann's sixth place was a decent damage limitation, but we could have done better if we had taken the risk to start one car on slicks. In hindsight, slicks would have been better, but in wet situations, it's always a gamble. Now we're looking ahead to the Norisring, where we've been strong in the past and won races. We want to build on that."
René Rast (#33 RoboMarkets BMW M4 GT3 EVO, R1: Retirement, R2: 1st Place): "The team did an amazing job and deserves this win. It wasn't a walk in the park for me. I took a hit to the head before the start, causing me pain throughout the race. I'm overjoyed to have moved up in the driver standings after yesterday's retirement, thanks to today's win. With this victory, I'm now second, and I still have a good shot at achieving my 'Mission 4.' "
Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 GT3 EVO, R1: 6th Place, R2: 2nd Place): "What a team result! We can be very proud with the first and second places. René had a tremendous pace at the beginning of the race, but the odds shifted in the final stint, and I was able to close the gap. Unfortunately, I didn't quite manage to attack, but I'm incredibly satisfied with my comeback yesterday and today's podium. Celebrating my 200th DTM race on the podium is something very special."
The BMW M4 GT3 EVO vehicles excelled in sports yet again, dominating the DTM race in Zandvoort and clinching a victorious weekend for René Rast and Marco Wittmann.
Marco Wittmann achieved another sports milestone, becoming the eighth driver with 200 races under his belt, all of which were with BMW M Motorsport in the DTM series.
