The beginning of the second half of the 2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) season brings a new chance for BMW Motorsport to start coming back at its rivals for this weekend, as Russia’s Moscow Raceway hosts races 11 and 12.
Despite the historic top-seven finish from the Munich manufacturer at Zandvoort, it’s been far from easy going for Jens Marquardt’s drivers, with only defending champion Marco Wittmann and António Félix da Costa taking the marque’s only wins.
After the last race weekend at the Red Bull Ring, the two-day test that followed gave BMW a chance to focus on the set up of the BMW M4 DTM, which proved to be so dominant in the hands of Wittmann himself.
“We have used the summer break to analyse the first half of the 2015 DTM season in detail. It is no secret: compared to our rivals, we are not where we want to be. We have obviously been used to success in the past,” explained Marquardt.
The form that BMW have shown this season so far is not really reflective of a team that has won six of the nine titles they have competed in, since the marque’s return in 2012.
“We are now going through our first little lean patch. This year, the DTM is even more fiercely competitive than before. From one racetrack to the next, small details have made the difference between winning, the podium, and finishing in the middle of the pack this season.
“However, our strength is our ability to keep a cool head, even in difficult situations, and to continue to work meticulously.”
Marquardt also stated that progressive steps forward have been made, in terms of keeping up with the competition, as well as building towards further success in the near future.
One man that took his maiden win and pole position in Russia last year, Team RMG’s Maxime Martin, is looking forward to getting back to a track that he feels suits the BMW.
“I obviously have very fond memories of Moscow. This is the circuit at which I won last year and where I drove my best race in the DTM so far,” explained Martin, who is the only Belgian driver to win in the series’ history.
“As we were competitive there last year, so I think we can be optimistic ahead of our trip to Moscow.”
“The journey to the circuit in Moscow is the longest on the calendar. It is great fun driving there. Last year we had good pace. Unfortunately, however, we had problems with fuel pressure in the race,” said Team MTEK’s Timo Glock, who has had his fair share of ups and downs this season.
“We will have to wait and see what effect the new weight allocation will have on the opposition after Spielberg. Maybe that will help us get back in contention for a top-five place again.”