With the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters getting to race into the night this weekend at Misano, Alex Zanardi has been pleased to receive a wildcard entry as the seventh BMW Motorsport driver for his home event, driving a heavily-adapted M4 DTM.
“In my career I have been fortunate enough to drive beautiful cars, especially in my days in the United States,” admitted the 51-year-old, who made his comeback with the Munich manufacturer in both the ETCC and WTCC between 2004 and 2009.
“But I’ve always looked at DTM like one of the things that down the road I want to do in my racing career.
“I’ve always been very much intrigued by that type of car that in my view looks really sexy and performs incredibly well. So I’m finally having this opportunity and I’m very glad and thankful to BMW for giving it to me.”
Zanardi’s credentials speak for themselves, in respect of what he has achieved both as a paralympic athlete and racing driver, since his accident at the Lausitzring back in 2001.
But he still has the passion and feeling that shows true happiness in his return to racing for the first time since 2016, when he won on home soil at the final round of the talian GT Championship in Mugello.
The Bologna-based driver also admitted that the strength of the current field is very high, and doesn’t have any reservations about the drivers he’ll be going up against.
“In DTM, the level of the drivers is incredibly high. The drivers are all good, there are no amateurs or drivers who cannot push the car to the limit. But, on top, all cars performances are really close and often you see the entire field being packed into less than a second.”
Zanardi also feels that his experience in the series will be “very enjoyable,” especially as he initially tested a BMW M3 DTM back in 2012, having completed 32 laps at the Nürburgring, but knows that he will put all his efforts into racing at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli this weekend.
“With the lack of experience I have, with my personal problem, with my age, it will be very, very tough for me to collect a very good result. I will try to get the best out of it, and for sure in any case it will be a very enjoyable experience.
“The important thing is that I walk away from Misano knowing that I have done my best, and knowing that I did what my friends among the BMW Motorsport family know I can do.”
The Italian’s appearance at the race track itself, sees him as the second of three wildcard entries this year, following Mattias Ekström’s Hockenheim farewell at the beginning of the year, whilst Sébastien Ogier represents Mercedes at the Red Bull Ring later on this season.