Turbulent, rain-soaked race to finish the DTM season: Glock best-placed BMW driver in fourth. 06.10.2019: The 2019 DTM season concluded with an eventful wet race at Hockenheim (GER). Timo Glock (GER, JiVS BMW M4 DTM) was the best-placed BMW driver, finishing fourth. Joel Eriksson

The 2019 DTM season concluded with an eventful wet race at Hockenheim (GER). Timo Glock (GER, JiVS BMW M4 DTM) was the best-placed BMW driver, finishing fourth. Joel Eriksson (SWE, CATL BMW M4 DTM) and Bruno Spengler (CAN, BMW Bank M4 DTM) were also in the points, finishing in sixth and ninth positions.




After 18 races, Marco Wittmann (GER, Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM) was the most successful BMW driver, scoring 202 points and securing third place overall. Victory in the finale went to Nico Müller (SUI, Audi).
 


Outside the top ten, Wittmann, Sheldon van der Linde (RSA, BMW M4 DTM) and Philipp Eng (AUT, ZF BMW M4 DTM) crossed the line in twelfth, 13th and 14th positions. The race was interrupted due to a host of incidents at the end of the first lap and then restarted behind the safety car. The rain, heavy at times, continued throughout the race.
 


The DTM season may be over, but the fans still have one more highlight to look forward to this year: on 23rd/24th November, three BMW M4 DTMs will be competing at the “Dream Race” featuring the DTM and the Japanese SUPER GT championship at Fuji (JPN). Alessandro Zanardi (ITA) and Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) have already been confirmed as drivers.
 




Reactions to the 18th DTM race of the 2019 season at Hockenheim.
 



Jens Marquardt (BMW Group Motorsport Director):


“That was another extremely eventful race to round off the season here at Hockenheim. The weather played a dominant role and there were a few incidents where we didn't really make life any easier for ourselves. That all meant that fourth place for Timo Glock was the best we could hope for. However, we were aiming for much better results this race Sunday. And that is true of the 2019 season as a whole. Congratulations to Marco Wittmann on third place in the overall standings. He celebrated four wins for us and we also enjoyed success with Philipp Eng and Bruno Spengler.


Despite some trying circumstances, neither our drivers nor anyone else from our team ever stopped battling. I am very grateful for that. Now we are totally focused on working towards 2020, so that we can do better. Congratulations to Audi on winning the title – and congratulations are also in order to Aston Martin after a promising debut season. Just like with the appearance of the Japanese manufacturers at Hockenheim, the numerous innovations were a breath of fresh air for the DTM 2019. The series is definitely moving in the right direction. Now we are looking forward to a highlight to round off the DTM year at Fuji at the end of November.”
 




Stefan Reinhold (BMW Team RMG Team Principal):


“That was a very difficult race today. Sometimes we were involved at the front and sometimes we fell right back. We tried to use our tactics to push Bruno Spengler up through the field. That was an unfortunate situation in the pit lane with Marco Wittmann; it was a matter of centimetres. We saw that the pit lane was really full and tried to manage the situation but our pit lane neighbour also made his stop at the same time. These are things that can sometimes go wrong when things are so tight.



We are happy that no-one got hurt. We were also unable to move up any further with Timo Glock; the pace wasn't there. But my team did great work again this season. Thanks to all the mechanics and engineers for doing a great job for 18 races.”
 



Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG, Grid: 5th, Race: 12th, Drivers’ standings: 3rd, 202 points):

“Essentially, our race was over after the drive-through penalty. We still hoped for another safety car to help us get closer but that didn't come about. All in all, it was a race to forget. But the season is over now and I did reach the podium with third place in the overall standings. That is what counts and we can be proud of that. Compared to the competition, we didn't always have the best package. That means that third place is a nice way to round off a season of ups and downs.”
 



Bruno Spengler (#7 BMW Bank M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG, Grid: 14th, Race: 9th, Drivers’ standings: 9th, 106 points):

“Of course, ninth place is not a dream finish. But it was a good recovery performance after starting from 14th on the grid. The team's strategy was great. We stopped at exactly the right moment. That was perfect. We couldn’t have done any better. Now we have to focus on next year to make sure that we get the most out of our car. That is the objective.”
 




Timo Glock (#16 BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR, Grid: 2nd, Race: 4th, Driver’s standings: 12th, 58 points):

“That was a shame. I didn't get it right at the start and my wheels were spinning. I had big problems with grip all the time and it was very difficult to get the tyres working in the cold conditions. When I was behind René Rast, my speed was better but whenever I got close enough, so much water came in through the air intake that I lost some engine performance. That meant that I had no chance of overtaking him. At the end, I was involved in a little battle with Jamie Green. Of course, it's a shame that we just missed out on the podium by finishing fourth. I would have liked to have got there for the guys but it wasn't quite enough.”
 



Bert Mampaey (BMW Team RBM Team Principal):

“The conditions were difficult today. That start procedure was all about safety, which was absolutely correct. As it was very likely that we would see a safety car, we decided to split our strategy. We stayed out for a long time with Joel Eriksson. That secured sixth place for us, which is good. In some ways, the race reflected how our season has gone. There were some ups and downs. But we are ready to do better again next season.”



 
Philipp Eng (#25 ZF BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMR, Grid: 7th, Race: 14th, Drivers’ standings: 6th, 144 points):

“The race really matched how the second half of my season went. The heavy rain made conditions difficult and we tried to make the best of it. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. I am just going to forget about it and go back on the attack next year.”
 



Joel Eriksson (#47 CATL BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM, Grid: 4th, Race: 6th, Drivers’ standings: 11th, 61 points):

“That wasn't bad today. The pace during the race was fantastic. We showed that we can also go fast in the rain. It is nice to finish the season like that. Jamie Green and I had the track to ourselves when all the other drivers had stopped and we were really fast. Overall, that was not an easy race but the result was positive.”



 
Sheldon van der Linde (#31 Shell BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM, Grid: 15th, Race: 13th, Drivers’ standings: 13th, 42 points):

“Qualifying was poor and I was hardly able to make up any places. Overall, that was a difficult weekend for us. Looking back over the DTM season as a whole, I can say that I have learned a lot. I will build on that.”

- Ingo Lehbrink, photos BMW