24 Hr of Nurburgring: BMW Z4 GT3 Takes Second Place
The BMW Z4 GT3 has claimed its first podium finish at the Nrburgring 24 Hours (DE): Maxime Martin (BE) brought the number 25 BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS car home in second. As well as Martin, Yelmer Buurman (NL), Andrea Piccini (IT) and Richard Gransson (SE) were also in action over the course of the eventful race.
After 88 laps of the 25.378-kilometre circuit, the runner-up car was 2:39.781 minutes behind winning Mercedes drivers Bernd Schneider (DE), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Sean Edwards (GB) and Nicki Thiim (DK). Because of this, BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS narrowly missed out on securing a 20th overall victory for BMW at the endurance classic. With 19 triumphs to its name since 1970, BMW remains by far the most successful manufacturer in the Eifel. After fourth place last year, this result underlines just how at home BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS is on what is possibly the toughest circuit in the world.
As well as Team Principal Bas Leinders’ (BE) crew, BMW Team Schubert also finished with one car in the top ten. Claudia Hrtgen (DE), Dirk Adorf (DE), Jens Klingmann (DE) and DTM driver Martin Tomczyk (DE) refused to be discouraged by several minor set-backs and an unfortunate incident involving the team’s second car. The number 20 BMW Z4 GT3 ended the race in sixth. A “Code 60” as early as the sixth lap caused a long tailback, which ended right behind a section with very poor visibility. Uwe Alzen (DE), in the cockpit of the number 19 car, was unable to avoid the final car in the tailback, which just so happened to be the team’s second BMW Z4 GT3 with Hrtgen at the wheel. Fortunately, however, he did avoid a full-on impact. This collision ultimately resulted in Alzen and his fellow drivers Dirk Mller (DE) and Augusto Farfus (BR), who like Tomczyk had travelled straight from the DTM race at Brands Hatch (GB) to be at the Nrburgring, retiring from the race.
An accident also prevented the second BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS car, driven by Leinders, Henri Moser (CH) and Markus Palttala (FI), from finishing what was, based on the actual driving time, the shortest ever 24-hour race at the Nrburgring. The fifth BMW Z4 GT3 in the field, driven by Henry Walkenhorst (DE), Ralf Oeverhaus (DE), Maximilian Partl (DE) and Wolf Silvester (DE), came home 17th. Motorsport fans in the “Green Hell” saw an eventful race, in which the weather played a crucial role. The race started in dry conditions at 17:00hrs on Sunday. Then, just as forecast, came the rain. This, together with thick fog on parts of the circuit, produced extremely difficult conditions. As a result, the race organisers suspended the 41st staging of the 24-hour race shortly after 23:00hrs. The enforced break that followed lasted over nine hours. Only at 08:20hrs did the race resume.
As well as the works-assisted teams, many privately-run BMW cars also thrilled the fans lining the iconic circuit again this year. BMW teams came home first in the D1T+D3T, SP10 GT4, SP 4+SP 5, SP 6, V4, V5 and V6 classes. This brings the total number of class victories achieved by BMW at the 24-hour race to 162.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
“This Nrburgring 24 Hours was once again packed with excitement – and featured an absolutely sensational final stint from Maxime Martin, who was able to overtake two rivals out on the track in the last few laps. Our race was initially blighted by the unlucky collision involving the two BMW Team Schubert cars, and then came the weather-inflicted stoppage during the night – and finally the joy at second place for BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS. Over the past 24 hours, the legendary Nordschleife has once again shown us exactly what makes this circuit so special and so infamous. I am delighted for Bas Leinders’ team and the four drivers in the number 25 BMW Z4 GT3. Back in 2012, BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS narrowly missed out on a top-three finish in the Green Hell, and now it has its podium. The crew produced a flawless race, as did the drivers, so they really deserve second place. The way the number 20 BMW Team Schubert car fought back was also impressive. The team did not allow the huge misfortune at the start of the race to get them down, and battled back superbly to finish sixth. However, I would obviously like to thank all the many privateer BMW teams and the fans at the Ring, who defied the miserable conditions to once again produce a fantastic race and a unique atmosphere. Congratulations to Mercedes on its overall victory in the Green Hell.”
Bas Leinders (Team Principal, BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS):
“Of course we are all very proud of the whole team. Every member of this team has worked so, so hard to achieve a podium here. We came here for the win, but the win is an exclusive thing, it’s very difficult to get there. Saying that, if you get a podium it means you’ve done a very good job. Everyone did an amazing job; drivers, engineers, mechanics, everyone. I think it’s really good to see number 25 on the podium. With number 26 we had this incident with another car spinning on the track, but that’s the Nordschleife. That’s what makes it so special here, there are things you can’t control. I have to thank BMW Motorsport and above all Marc van der Straten, because without his passion we wouldn’t be here.”
Maxime Martin (BMW Z4 GT3, car number 25, BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS):
“It was really a very close race in the end. I knew I had to go flat out to catch the two Mercedes. That worked out superbly. We really wanted this podium. After finishing fourth on our first appearance here in 2012, it is simply fantastic to go even better now.”
Yelmer Buurman (BMW Z4 GT3, car number 25, BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS):
“The Nrburgring 24 Hours is an incredible race, which I really wanted to drive in. To have done that tog