BMW DTM driver quotes ahead of Spa-Francorchamps race 27.07.2020: Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG): “I am obviously very excited to finally go racing again after the long wait caused by the coronavirus. I think it is definitely going to be a great start to the season. Spa-Francorchamps is a uniqu

Marco Wittmann (#11 Schaeffler BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG): “I am obviously very excited to finally go racing again after the long wait caused by the coronavirus. I think it is definitely going to be a great start to the season. Spa-Francorchamps is a unique and very special racetrack.


Furthermore, it is the first time that any of us will have driven there with the DTM. I am looking forward to it, although I am obviously a bit sad that we will not have any fans there to support us. I hope that many of them will be watching on television and will have their fingers crossed for us. I will try to put on a really good show for the viewers and am hoping for a successful start to the season at Spa.”

 


Timo Glock (#16 iQOO BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG): “After the break for coronavirus, I am delighted that we can finally get back to doing what we all enjoy – racing. It is obviously a shame that it must be behind closed doors, but I am still particularly looking forward to Spa.


Driving a DTM car at Spa is going to be a highlight and I am very intrigued to see how the first race weekend plays out. The goal is relatively simple: to do as well as possible in both races. I hope we can challenge for the podium.”

 




Lucas Auer (#22 BMW Bank M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG / team championship BMW Team RMR): “There is great anticipation about getting the season underway – particularly at Spa-Francorchamps. It is going to be one of the highlights of the year. The Spa track is very special, with its changes in elevation and high-speed corners. A fast lap there is fantastic, particularly on fresh tyres, and I am really looking forward to it.


As far as my goal for the first races is concerned, I think the most important thing for me at first will be to find my rhythm in the DTM again and to work well with the team. We saw and learned a lot during the official test at the Nürburgring, and we will now put that into practice at Spa.”

 



Philipp Eng (#25 ZF BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM): “I am really happy that we can go racing again. I am also very much looking forward to seeing my team again and to getting back behind the wheel of the BMW M4 DTM. And all this will happen at Spa – which is a fantastic highlight. I have very fond memories of Spa with my two victories in the 24-hour race with the BMW M6 GT3. And of course I hope that I can maintain my victory and success rate.”

 


Jonathan Aberdein (#27 CATL BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM / team championship BMW Team RMR): “I am very much looking forward to going back racing as it has been so many months now since our last DTM race so I think it’s quite overdue. I am also excited to see the development that we have achieved with the BMW M4 DTM.



The guys have been working really, really hard over the winter and the pre-season tests and I think that it will be a very good season in that we will be very competitive. So we all have high expectations and high hopes going into the season and are excited to see where we are.”

 


Sheldon van der Linde (#31 Shell BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RBM): “I am really looking forward to my first DTM races in nine or ten months as the last time was Hockenheim last year. It has been a long time but I think it is like cycling; you’ll be back in your rhythm soon. Spa-Francorchamps is an amazing track. It is one of my personal top-three circuits I have driven on so I am really looking forward to that.


I think that we will have a lot of overtaking opportunities at Spa with the long straights and the DRS activations so that will definitively bring some close racing. I think it is still important to qualify well because you really need to run with the guys upfront if you want to have a good result at the end.



I think we have a really strong car, we have made a lot of progress over the winter and we had a very good test with Augusto Farfus at Spa earlier this month so we are optimistic for a good result.”

 



 
Ingo Lehbrink- photos BMW