BMW Team Motorsport

There are very few disciplines in which experience is�as important as it is in�endurance racing. Teams must be able to react to changes in conditions as quick as a flash, and every decision regarding the race strategy can make the difference between victory and defeat. In 2011, BMW is once again putting its faith in the tried-and-tested combination of BMW engineers and Schnitzer Motorsport for the BMW M3 GT2's European outings.

While BMW Team Schnitzer is responsible for the races in Europe, BMW Team RLL will line up with the BMW M3 GT in North America. Team Principal Bobby Rahal's team has its sights set on the Drivers' Championship, having won the team and manufacturer titles in the GT class in 2010.

BMW can look back on many successes in the American Le Mans Series. The greatest triumph came with the BMW M3 GTR in 2001 when BMW drivers climbed onto the top step of the podium no less than seven times. J�rg M�ller won the Drivers' Championship, BMW Motorsport claimed first position in the team competition and BMW took the Manufacturers' Championship. The BMW Team Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Team continued this success story in 2010, by winning the Manufacturer and Team titles.

This site gives you access to information about BMW Motorsport including team details, BMW M Power, pit lane diaries from Andy Priaulx, image galleries from the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup and a full events calendar.

Andy Priaulx heads to Brands Hatch for home race in the DTM.

It is surprising what a difference two races make. Three weeks ago Andy Priaulx was preparing for his first ever DTM race in his Crowne Plaza Hotels BMW M3 DTM. He didn’t know what to expect. Now he is heading to his home race at Brands Hatch for the third round of the series knowing he has a car that is a winner.

“I always knew BMW Motorsport would do a great job when it decided to return to the series, but now I know it has done a brilliant one and I have only positive thoughts ahead of this weekend’s race at the circuit I love. The win for BMW in the Lausitzring proved to all of us we are going in the right direction, and my aim now is to make sure I am on the top of a podium sooner rather than later in my BMW Team RBM car ,” said the triple world champion.

Priaulx has great memories of racing at Brands Hatch and winning, but this time he has to face the challenge of the circuit being relatively new to him. “I looked up the other day to see when I last raced on the Indy layout and it was in 2001. That is a long time ago, and so I have to approach this as still part of the learning process and another new challenge.”

On the track itself, Priaulx said: “I believe Paddock Hill is one of the most challenging corners in the sport. Then going up to Druids will be pretty hectic in this race with 22 top drivers and cars all jostling for position. A lap round this circuit is going to be pretty intense and quite hectic, especially for the first few laps of the race. I can’t wait to see the fans there, who are always very supportive, and it is great they will get to see so much of the cars as the vantage points for the Indy layout are very good.”

The start of the DTM season is very busy with three races in four weekends. However, despite no event last weekend, the Priaulx family was not at home on Guernsey, but at the Kimbolton kart track where 11-year-old Sebastian Priaulx was racing. He was entered by the Fusion Team in the Comer Cadet class in his 60cc engine Zip Lightning chassis kart. It was a very proud father who explained what happened there: “Seb drove like a superstar. It was a really steep learning curve and he was putting his toe in the water as regards club karting. The important object of the weekend was for him to learn race craft, as up to now he has just been karting against fields of half a dozen kids in Guernsey.”

Despite the lack of experience and a very competitive field of 20 karters, the youngster came fifth and led the first three laps of his first heat! He finished fourth and fourth respectively in the other two heats leading up to the final, he then started from fourth on the grid for the final. At the start of the final he battled for a podium finish until his engine seized, but he still set the fourth fastest lap time.

The schedule for the DTM weekend starts on Friday with the roll out and practice starts from 09.35 to 10.10. Free practice one is then from 13.30 to 15.10. Free practice two is on Saturday from 09.00 to 10.40 and qualifying later the same day from 12.40 to 13.50. On Sunday the warm-up is from 10.00 to 10.30 and the 98 lap race round the 1.198 mile (1.929 kilometre) circuit starts at 13.00.

All the latest news on Priaulx in the DTM can be found on his new web site – www.andypriaulx.com.