BMW claims top four positions for the first time in the DTM since 1992: Wittmann wins, ahead of Farfus, Glock and Tomczyk, to extend his lead.
August 3, 2014
Spielberg (AT), 3rd August 2014. After last year's one-two-three, the BMW DTM teams moved up another gear at the sixth round of the season at the Red Bull Ring (AT) to claim the top four positions for the first time since the manufacturer returned to the DTM in 2012. Marco Wittmann (DE), at the wheel of the Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM, clinched his third win of the season at the 4.326-kilometre circuit in Spielberg (AT). In doing so, he also extended his lead in the Drivers' Championship.
Now with 95 points to his name, Wittmann has pulled 39 points clear of Mattias Ekström (SE, Audi) in second place. Augusto Farfus (BR, Castrol EDGE BMW M4 DTM) and Timo Glock (DE, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM) came home second and third after 47 laps of racing to join Wittmann on the podium. Martin Tomczyk (DE) finished fourth in the BMW M Performance Parts M4 DTM to complete the quadruple success for BMW. This was Tomczyk's best result since the race at the Nürburgring (DE) in 2012.
The last time BMW occupied all four top positions at the end of a DTM race was at the finale of the 1992 season at the Hockenheimring (DE). Back then BMW actually had drivers in the top places, in the form of Roberto Ravaglia (IT), Johnny Cecotto (VE), Joachim Winkelhock (DE), Franz Engstler (DE) and Emanuele Pirro (IT). BMW scored a total 71 points in Spielberg – more than at any other race since making its comeback in the touring car series in 2012.
Bruno Spengler (CA) started tenth on the slower standard tyres in the BMW Bank M4 DTM, and crossed the line in exactly the same position. Joey Hand (US, Crowne Plaza Hotels BMW M4 DTM) and Maxime Martin (BE, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM) were both given a drive-through penalty and went on to finish 12th and 14th. António Félix da Costa (PT) had to retire 11 laps into the race due to a technical problem on the Red Bull BMW M4 DTM. In total, 47,500 spectators followed the action at the iconic racetrack in the Styria region of Austria.
Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director):
"This is a historic success for us today – the first time we have occupied all of the top four positions since Hockenheim in 1992, and the best result since our return to the series. It was a sensational race from Marco Wittmann, Augusto Farfus, Timo Glock and Martin Tomczyk – one driver from each of the four teams in the BMW M4 DTM. Today we can quite literally talk about 'Four in a Row'. A huge compliment goes to the entire team, who produced an absolutely top-class performance. The race was very intense and close at the front, particularly just after the start. After Marco fell back through the field a bit at the start, he did a great job of working his way back into the race. It then all calmed down at the front of the field towards the end of the race. Today is a fantastic day for us – and we are particularly delighted to have achieved this result against such a great backdrop and in front of so many spectators. We will celebrate today, and tomorrow we will start to focus on the next race at the Nürburgring, where the situation with the performance weight means we are bound to face a real challenge."
