09-13-2014, 10:42 AM | #1 |
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Marco Wittmann wins the 2014 Drivers Championship in BMW M4 DTM
Marco Wittmann wins the 2014 Drivers Championship in BMW M4 DTM
Lausitzring (DE), 14th September 2014. The DTM has a new champion: Marco Wittmann (DE) of BMW Team RMG wrapped up the title in the Drivers’ Championship in the eighth round of the ten-race season at the Lausitzring (DE). Sixth place on Sunday was sufficient for the 24-year-old, at the wheel of the Ice-Watch BMW M4 DTM, to ensure he can no longer be caught by his rivals. Wittmann started from seventh place, and once again produced a flawless race in difficult conditions to pick up eight points at the end of the 52-lap race and take the final step towards the title. Wittmann follows in the footsteps of Volker Strycek (DE, 1984), Eric van de Poele (BE, 1987), Roberto Ravaglia (IT, 1989) and Bruno Spengler (CA, 2012), who have all triumphed in this series for BMW. Taking all manufacturers into consideration, he is the third-youngest DTM champion of all time. Wittmann’s success also marks the first time in the history of the “new” DTM – since 2000 – that a driver has been crowned champion in only his second year. Only Bernd Schneider (DE) had previously managed to secure the title three races before the end of the season back in 2001. In winning the title, Wittmann continued a special tradition: whenever BMW has appeared in the DTM with a new model, the title in the Drivers’ Championship has ultimately gone to Munich (DE) at the end of the season. After Strycek’s success with the BMW 635 CSi in 1984, van de Poele repeated the feat with the BMW M3 in 1987, and Spengler continued the tradition with the BMW M3 DTM in 2012. Wittmann has now ensured that the first year of the new BMW M4 DTM will also go down as a golden debut season. He now has 128 points to his name, and a 69-point lead over second-placed Christian Vietoris (DE, Mercedes). BMW Team RMG also tops the Team standings with 167 points, giving it a 75-point cushion ahead of its closest rivals. And BMW also leads the Manufacturers’ Championship with 320 points. Behind the new champion, Augusto Farfus (BR, Castrol EDGE BMW M4 DTM) and Martin Tomczyk (DE, BMW M Performance Parts M4 DTM) also finished in the points in seventh and eighth at the Lausitzring. Both drivers were rewarded for fighting back strongly from 20th and 23rd on the grid respectively. Joey Hand (US, Crowne Plaza Hotels BMW M4 DTM), Maxime Martin (BE, SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM) and Bruno Spengler (CA, BMW Bank M4 DTM) came home 11th, 14th and 15th. The two BMW Team MTEK drivers, Timo Glock (DE, DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM) and António Félix da Costa (PT, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM), failed to finish. Victory at the 3.478-kilometre circuit went to Mercedes driver Pascal Wehrlein (DE). Wittmann can now enjoy the remaining races in Zandvoort (NL) and Hockenheim (DE) as the DTM champion. The young German caught the eye in the very first race of the year, winning the season-opener at the Hockenheimring – and he went on to add a further three victories over the course of the season. At just 24 years and 294 days, Wittmann is the youngest DTM champion in BMW colours, and the youngest ever champion from Germany. Marco Wittmann (BMW Team RMG, 2014 DTM Champion): “Unbelievable. This is an absolutely awesome feeling. The constantly changing conditions made it a really difficult race today. There were a lot of battles, and I just tried to stay out of bother. A few drivers skidded off the track and it was topsy-turvy at times. After yesterday I did not really believe that it would work out today. On the whole, however, we were able to drive a clean race. I am so emotional now, it is crazy. The season has been incredible so far. I am so proud of BMW Team RMG and BMW Motorsport. Everyone has done a sensational job. The pit stop was superb again today. To already know that I am the champion is amazing. I think we will have a fantastic party today.” Jens Marquardt (BMW Motorsport Director): “It is difficult to find words today to describe Marco Wittmann’s performance. That goes not only for today’s race, but also the entire season. In a race that was heated at times, he always kept a cool head and showed the perfect combination of aggression and control. Marco fully deserves to be crowned champion so early in the season. The BMW M4 DTM, BMW Team RMG and he have formed the perfect unit right from the start of the season. We have continued the tradition of winning the title in the first season with every new car we have fielded in the DTM. This is something we are very proud of. Marco is the youngest German champion of all time, and hardly anyone has ever wrapped up the title so early in a season – and all in just his second year in the DTM. An absolutely mega achievement. Congratulations to Marco, but also to Stefan Reinhold’s BMW Team RMG, who have worked hard for this success. Today we will celebrate our success here at the Lausitzring. This is a good venue for us. After claiming our first win since returning to the series and the 50th ever for BMW here in 2012, we can now celebrate the first title for the BMW M4 DTM.” [/bpnews] |
09-14-2014, 10:31 AM | #2 |
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Marco Wittmann is the 2014 DTM champion.
Marco Wittmann won the Drivers’ Championship in what is probably the most fiercely-contested touring car series in the world with two races of the 2014 DTM season remaining. The success marks the high point of the young German’s rapid rise to glory in the DTM since making his debut in 2013. He has now established an unassailable advantage at the top of the overall standings ahead of the final two races in Zandvoort and at the Hockenheimring. One milestone en route to the title was his maiden triumph in his eleventh DTM race: he crossed the finish line first at the opening race of the season in Hockenheim to claim the first victory for the new BMW M4 DTM and his BMW Team RMG, as well as BMW’s 60th success in the DTM. At the age of 24 years and 294 days, Wittmann becomes the youngest DTM champion ever in BMW colours, following in the footsteps of Volker Strycek (1984), Eric van de Poele (1987), Roberto Ravaglia (1989) and Bruno Spengler (2012). He is also the third-youngest driver ever to win the DTM. This is the first time in the history of the new era of the DTM, since 2000, that a driver has been crowned champion in only his second year in the series. Congrats, Marco. Congrats, BMW. |
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09-14-2014, 11:00 AM | #3 |
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Marco Wittmann: DTM champion at record speed
He is 24 years young, but is hardened like an old hand: Marco Wittmann is the 2014 DTM champion. In the eighth season round at the Lausitzring, the BMW driver crossed the finish line in sixth place and is thus beyond reach for his rivals in the battle for the title. “This is sensational, simply unbelievable. It was a difficult race, I had to stay out of all the battles. I still have to deal with all these emotions,” the delighted German said after the biggest success of his career in motorsport to date. An ambitious and competitive person, a sporting high-flyer or the down-to-earth boy next door: characterising the newly-crowned DTM champion is by no means easy. Anyone who knows Marco Wittmann also knows that the racing driver from Fürth does everything what it takes to be successful at the race track, but is keeping his feet firmly on the ground. The 24-year-old is taking his power from his family, the quiet retreat from his hectic life as a DTM star. The way to the title In the 2014 season, Wittmann drove from one success to another and continuously extended his lead in the drivers’ standings. When people asked him about the possible title win, his answer always was: “It is still too early to talk about this. I am working from one race to another.” This approach turned out to be the right one and also underlined the upcoming DTM star’s strong nerves. Jens Marquardt is one of Marco Wittmann’s biggest fans. “Throughout the season, Marco has kept his calm and always gave 100 percent,” the BMW motorsport director said proudly. Marco Wittmann laid the foundation for his title win during the Hockenheim season opener, where he scored his maiden DTM race win with an advantage of 13 seconds. At Budapest, Spielberg and at the Nürburgring, he also stood on the top step of the podium. Only seldom before, a young race driver dominated proceedings in the DTM in a way like Marco Wittmann did this year. The series’ stalwarts also hailed him for his brilliant performance throughout the 2014 season. “Marco perhaps may be a little bit shy, but he knows very well when to push which pedal on his BMW,” the 2013 DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller commented. Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett added: “He really is a good sport. His performance throughout the season has been impressive.” The champion’s early days Everybody starts at a low level, and that can particularly be said about Marco Wittmann. In his first years racing go-karts, the young talent usually was the smallest driver in the field. His father Herbert has fond memories of the early days. “Our Marco was so small that he wasn’t even able to reach the pedals with his feet. To make sure that he could still drive, we put wooden blocks under his feet”, he recalls. “Initially, people laughed about him, but soon enough, he regularly gave the older and above all taller opponents a hard time.” Through the ranks of Formula BMW and the Formula 3 Euro Series, Wittmann finally made it into the DTM in 2012, albeit only as BMW’s official test driver initially. In 2013, Wittmann had his debut season racing for the brand from Munich in the most popular international touring car series. Marco Wittmann, the family man Father Herbert Wittmann, mother Angelika and brother Nico are present at every DTM round. The parents of the new DTM champion spend the nights in their camper in the paddock and thus are always in the immediate proximity of their son. “For me, a race weekend always involves plenty of stress,” Marco Wittmann explains. “Therefore, I don’t have a lot of time left for my family. Nevertheless, knowing that they are there is a very nice feeling.” When his tight schedule allows, the trained bodywork mechanic helps out in his parents’ workshop. Repairing bodywork damage, working with cars or taking care of the organisation in the family business are the contrast to the motorsport world, in which the BMW driver is taking centre stage. |
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09-14-2014, 11:08 AM | #4 |
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Good job M team
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09-14-2014, 11:22 AM | #5 |
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Congrats Marco and DTM!
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09-14-2014, 01:08 PM | #7 |
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Mega ///Marco DTM Champion 2014!!!
Congrats to Marco and BMW Motorsports!
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09-14-2014, 01:28 PM | #8 |
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I just knew that the possibility was there,so big congrats for Mega-Marco !
Also thanks my friend "954Stealth" for sharing the perfect work as always !
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09-14-2014, 08:11 PM | #10 |
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Look at all those M cars in front of the Audi's
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09-14-2014, 09:54 PM | #11 |
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Congrats guys! Now let's make sure we get the mfg championship too!
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09-15-2014, 02:11 AM | #13 |
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Great for a young fella
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