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Nürburgring. The BMW M Motorsport teams ROWE Racing and RMG
successfully completed the most important race weekend on the
Nordschleife before the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (GER). During the
24h Qualifiers, all three BMW M4 GT3s completed many laps and
collected valuable data. In addition, there was racing success in
the 4-hour race on Sunday. Raffaele Marciello (SUI), Maxime Martin
(BEL), and Marco Wittmann (GER) drove the #98 ROWE Racing car to a
second-place finish on the podium. The sister #99 car and the BMW M
Team RMV #72 BMW M4 GT3 finished in fourth and sixth places, respectively.

 

The 24h Qualifiers consisted of two races, each four hours long. On
Saturday, the BMW M Motorsport teams focused on set-up work. Dan
Harper (GBR), Max Hesse (GER), and Charles Weerts (BEL) were the
highest-placed crew as tenth in the #72 BMW M4 GT3. Augusto Farfus
(BRA), Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), and Dries Vanthoor (BEL) finished
twelfth in the ROWE Racing car #99. The #98 BMW M4 GT3 retired after
an unavoidable collision but made up for it with the podium finish on
Sunday. The race weekend was particularly valuable for Weerts and
Marciello, as both completed their first races in the BMW M4 GT3 on
the Nordschleife and were able to complete many laps. Marciello also
celebrated his first podium as a BMW M works driver.

 

At the 24h Qualifiers – also rounds three and four of the Nürburgring
Endurance Series NLS – numerous other categories were present
alongside the GT3 cars. BMW M Motorsport teams achieved a total of
nine class victories in the two races.

 

Reactions after the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers:

 

Hans-Peter Naundorf (Team Principal ROWE Racing):
“Our team and our drivers did a very good job this weekend. Despite
the unprovoked retirement in the race on Saturday, we covered many
kilometres and gained valuable insights about the new tyres. Our
drivers were able to get used to the Nordschleife and the tuning
again. We have already got into a good groove with Raffaele Marciello.
Thanks to the good work of the team and some lucky circumstances, we
were rewarded with a podium on Sunday, the second within eight days
after our victory in the GT World Challenge Europe. It’s a nice reward
for the intensive work in the past weeks.”

 

Stefan Reinhold (Team Principal BMW M Team RMG):
“Overall, it was a good test run for the 24-hour race. On Saturday, we
still had some things to sort out with the set-up and couldn’t keep up
with the lead. Things went better on Sunday, although we had a slight
collision in the first corner of the race and had to repair the car
during the first stop. Charles Weerts has integrated very well into
our team and was able to complete many valuable laps this weekend.”

 

Raffaele Marciello (#98 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing): “We
can be very happy with the podium today. Our pace was good, and we had
a good strategy. The main goal this weekend was to prepare ourselves
as well as possible for the 24-hour race because that’s where it
really counts. Of course, you can never be one hundred percent
perfectly prepared for such a special race, but I think we are in a
good position.”

 

Sheldon van der Linde (#99 BMW M4 GT3, ROWE Racing):
“Fourth place is a good result to end the weekend. We may not have had
the fastest car, but our pit stops were great and ultimately got us to
this position. Of course, the preparation for the 24-hour race was the
main focus, and we ticked all the boxes on our list. That also applies
to me personally. It was my first time this season on the
Nordschleife, and I was able to complete many laps which helped me a
lot. I feel very well prepared.”

 

Charles Weerts (#72 BMW M4 GT3, BMW M Team RMG): “It
was a good weekend for us, where we could finish both races without
major problems. As a team, we are still finding the perfect tuning for
the new tyres. That worked out much better on Sunday than on Saturday.
Personally, I learn something new with every single lap on the
Nordschleife and am gathering many valuable experiences. Things are
already going quite well, but I can certainly continue to improve.”

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