Photo : - BMW Group

Munich, 6th August 2010. Last weekend, Team BMW Motorsport completed its third 24-hour race of the season with the BMW M3 GT2 in Spa-Francorchamps (BE). At the same time, racing in a BMW 320si WTCC in Brno (CZ), Andy Priaulx (GB) celebrated the 50th victory for the brand in the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Speaking in an interview, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen takes stock of BMW's activities in touring car and GT racing in 2010.

Mr Theissen, what are your feelings after the BMW M3 GT2’s outings in the three European 24-hour classics ?

Mario Theissen: “All in all we are happy with our starts at the Nürburgring, in Le Mans and in Spa-Francorchamps. Of course, the highlight was the very first outing in the Eifel Mountains. Although we were faced with a very short preparation time with the BMW M3 GT2, we were able to celebrate our 19th victory at this classic. The key to this win was without doubt the reliability of our car. We were not necessarily the fastest, but were able to clock consistent times right through to the end of the race. This is a decisive factor in that kind of marathon.”
In Le Mans, the 17th BMW Art Car was the focus of much attention…
Theissen: “Correct. It was fascinating to see how much attention the Jeff Koons-designed BMW M3 GT2 Art Car attracted. It was also nice to be back at this impressive event following our victory with the BMW V12 LMR in 1999. Unfortunately, from a sporting point of view, things did not go exactly to plan. We had even less preparation with the BMW M3 GT2 in the ACO specification than we did for the race at the Nürburgring. Furthermore, we had to race with a smaller air restrictor, which made life even more difficult for us. Ultimately, sixth place in the LM GT2 class was not what we had hoped for. Despite this, we gained valuable experience, which we incorporated in the development of the BMW M3 GT2.”

How disappointed are you after just missing out on victory in Spa-Francorchamps ?

Theissen: “Letting victory slip out of our hands just 40 minutes from the end of the race was tough to take for everyone in the team. However, things usually balance themselves out in motorsport. We were a little fortunate at the Nürburgring, and came away with a win. In Spa-Francorchamps we were very well prepared and very quick on the track. It is a shame we lost the lead on what was, to a certain degree, the finishing straight. Despite this the whole team can be proud of its performance. The team, the drivers and our tyre partner Dunlop have turned the BMW M3 GT2 into a success model over the past months.”

Where else will we see the BMW M3 GT2 in action this year ?

Theissen: “Firstly, the BMW M3 GT2 will continue to challenge for the title in the GT class in the American Le Mans Series. We are in an excellent position to set our sights on the first title in the ALMS since 2001 going into the final four races of the season. BMW is also competing in the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Alongside the Petit Le Mans event in Road Atlanta, which forms part of the ALMS, we will also line up in Silverstone and Zhuhai. After our recent upward trend, I am confident we can also perform well in this series.”