Exactly 111 days before the first race of the year in Hockenheim, BMW Motorsport has announced the driver/team line-up for the 2014 DTM season.
Like last year, four teams and eight drivers will compete for BMW in the popular touring car series and have their sights set on winning races and titles with the new BMW M4 DTM.
“In announcing exactly which drivers will be racing for which teams, we are taking another important step towards the start of the 2014 DTM season,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “I am confident this line-up is the ideal solution for BMW Motorsport and our DTM project.”
BMW Team RBM, which finished runner-up in last season’s team competition with 148 points and therefore played a major role in BMW retaining the Manufacturers’ title, will compete with the same pair of drivers as last year: Augusto Farfus, runner-up in the 2013 Drivers’ Championship, and Joey Hand will be racing for Team Principal Bart Mampaey’s outfit again in 2014.
Changes are afoot in the remaining three works teams. The two former DTM champions in the BMW Motorsport squad will pair up as team-mates. Martin Tomczyk, the 2011 winner, switches to BMW Team Schnitzer. He will join Bruno Spengler, who won the Drivers’ title for BMW in 2012 and will contest his third season for Charly Lamm’s team.
Timo Glock, winner of the final race of the 2013 DTM season, will be back behind the wheel for BMW Team MTEK. The man who made 91 appearances in Formula One will be joined by a new team-mate: António Félix da Costa’s first DTM season will be under the guidance of Team Principal Ernest Knoors. Marco Wittmann, DTM Rookie of the Year in 2013, switches to BMW Team RMG where he forms an extremely promising partnership with DTM newcomer Maxime Martin.
Marquardt added: “I think we have another very impressive looking line-up again in 2014. As far as the fans are concerned, I believe there is something there to suit everyone’s taste. BMW Team RMG undoubtedly failed to fulfil its potential last year. We are sure that Stefan Reinhold’s team will come back from the break reinvigorated and ready to get back to successful ways with Marco Wittmann and Maxime Martin. After a really successful first year in the DTM, Marco is definitely ready to take the next step. Augusto Farfus, Joey Hand and BMW Team RBM worked perfectly together in 2013. BMW Team MTEK and Timo Glock are extremely motivated for their second year in the DTM following the victory in Hockenheim – and they are very happy to welcome promising youngster António Félix da Costa on board. The combination of our two DTM champions, Bruno Spengler and Martin Tomczyk, with Charly Lamm’s team promises to be very successful. Like everyone else in the team, I cannot wait for the first race. We have an intense programme of preparations with the BMW M4 DTM to complete before then.”
The 2014 DTM season begins at the Hockenheimring on 4th May. In keeping with tradition, the same circuit will host the final race of the year on 19th October. Between these two dates, the calendar features a further four races in Germany (Oschersleben, Norisring, Nürburgring, Lausitzring) and four races abroad (Budapest, Moscow, Spielberg, Guangzhou).