Eriksson on the podium for BMW at the Norisring – Four BMW M4 DTMs in the points
Joel Eriksson (SWE) finished third in race seven of the DTM season at the Norisring (GER) on Saturday. In doing so, the BMW Team RBM driver, at the wheel of the CATL BMW M4 DTM, claimed his third podium in the DTM. Bruno Spengler (CAN, BMW Bank M4 DTM), Philipp Eng (AUT, ZF BMW M4 DTM) and Marco Wittmann (GER, Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM) came home fifth, seventh and eighth to score points in a race won by René Rast (GER, Audi). Sheldon van der Linde (RSA, Shell BMW M4 DTM) and Timo Glock (GER, JiVS BMW M4 DTM) failed to finish.
Eng remains the best-placed BMW representative in the Drivers’ Championship in third place with 91 points. He trails championship leader Rast by 27 points. BMW lies second with 301 points in the Manufacturers Championship.
In reactions to the seventh DTM race of the 2019 season at the Norisring.
“THAT WAS ANOTHER OF THOSE RACES WHICH ONLY THE NORISRING CAN PRODUCE. WE ONCE AGAIN HAD EXCITING SCENES IN THE VERY FIRST CORNER – AND THE SAFETY CAR AGAIN TURNED EVERYTHING ON ITS HEAD. RENÉ WAS LAST, THEN OUT CAME THE SAFETY CAR AND SUDDENLY HE WAS LEADING. DESPITE THAT, CONGRATULATIONS TO RENÉ RAST ON HIS WIN. OUR GUYS TRIED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE SITUATION. BRUNO AND PHILIPP HAD THE PACE TO MATCH THE FRONT-RUNNERS. THE EXTENT TO WHICH MARCO’S TYRES WERE WEARING MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO FINISH THE RACE. THERE WAS NOT MUCH LEFT OF HIS TYRES. JOEL HAD HAD A GOOD RACE UNTIL HE LOST SECOND PLACE IN THE FINAL CORNER. MAYBE HE COULD HAVE MADE HIMSELF A BIT WIDER THERE. HIS PODIUM IS A POSITIVE BUT, ON THE WHOLE, WE DID NOT SCORE ENOUGH POINTS. WE MUST TRY TO SHOW THE PACE THAT BRUNO AND PHILIPP HAD FROM THE START TOMORROW, AND TO QUALIFY AT THE FRONT, IN ORDER TO SCORE MAXIMUM POINTS.”
BMW GROUP MOTORSPORT DIRECTOR, JENS MARQUARDT
