Photo: BMW
It was September 1988 when BMW and the DTM were last racing on the world-famous Hungaroring Formula 1 Circuit, near Budapest in Hungary. Back then, the legendary BMW E30 M3 used to compete on behalf of the Bavarians, the car that actually started the M madness.
This year, after 309 months of absence, the German Touring Car championship will return to Hungarian territory, looking to thrill the audience and provide a more than exciting race. BMW will be throwing the new M4 DTM into battle this time.
The last time BMW raced here, it was Markus Oestreich who claimed the best position amongst the Works Drivers, finishing in fourth place. However, those were different times, 34 drivers lining up for the start out of which 16 were driving BMW cars.
Fast forward 26 years and we have starting grid that has 25 cars and drivers line-up for the race, 8 from BMW, 8 from Audi and 7 from Mercedes-Benz.
This weekend we’ll get to see the third round of the DTM, with BMW going in on second place in the Manufacturer’s Championship with 66 points. While the first two rounds proved to be both exceptional and disappointing at the same time, this one should make for a heck of a race, considering most drivers don’t know the track like the back of their hand.
“We did test at the Hungaroring in the season preparation, but a lot has changed since then. We know the cars a lot better now, and the temperatures will also be different to what we experienced in April. That makes the race in Budapest a completely new experience for everyone. I like the circuit and hope we can be competitive again there.”
Furthermore, this will also be the first race where the new Performance Weights will be in use, looking to even the playing field even more. Therefore, Augusto Farfus and Martin Tomczyk will compete with 2.5 kilos extra on board while Antonio Felix da Costa and Maxime Martin will remove the same weight from their cars. The rest of the drivers won’t have to fiddle with their car’s weight in any way.
Qualifying will take place on Saturday, May 31st starting at 18:10 CET, with the race kick-off planned for Sunday, June 1st at 13:30 CET, set for 41 laps around the 4.381 km (2.72 mi) circuit.
The last time BMW raced here, it was Markus Oestreich who claimed the best position amongst the Works Drivers, finishing in fourth place. However, those were different times, 34 drivers lining up for the start out of which 16 were driving BMW cars.
Fast forward 26 years and we have starting grid that has 25 cars and drivers line-up for the race, 8 from BMW, 8 from Audi and 7 from Mercedes-Benz.
This weekend we’ll get to see the third round of the DTM, with BMW going in on second place in the Manufacturer’s Championship with 66 points. While the first two rounds proved to be both exceptional and disappointing at the same time, this one should make for a heck of a race, considering most drivers don’t know the track like the back of their hand.
“We did test at the Hungaroring in the season preparation, but a lot has changed since then. We know the cars a lot better now, and the temperatures will also be different to what we experienced in April. That makes the race in Budapest a completely new experience for everyone. I like the circuit and hope we can be competitive again there.”
Furthermore, this will also be the first race where the new Performance Weights will be in use, looking to even the playing field even more. Therefore, Augusto Farfus and Martin Tomczyk will compete with 2.5 kilos extra on board while Antonio Felix da Costa and Maxime Martin will remove the same weight from their cars. The rest of the drivers won’t have to fiddle with their car’s weight in any way.
Qualifying will take place on Saturday, May 31st starting at 18:10 CET, with the race kick-off planned for Sunday, June 1st at 13:30 CET, set for 41 laps around the 4.381 km (2.72 mi) circuit.
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