DTM: illness hinders testing for BMW
Posted 19th November, 2011 in BMW, Motorsport | Leave a comment
BMW Motorsport has carried out its latest M3 DTM testing program, at Spain’s Monteblanco, despite being blighted by health issues affecting the team.
As well as members of the team, including mechanics, new driver, Bruno Spengler was also hit by an acute gastro-intestinal disease. Spengler, who is still contracted to Mercedes, had been given permission to test with BMW, but only had limited involvement.
BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG were all present, along with BMW works drivers, Augusto Farfus and Dirk Werner, and the current American Le Mans Series champion, Joey Hand, who was piloting the M3 DTM for the first time.
The drivers covered a total of 910 laps over the three days of testing, which focused around chassis settings and aerodynamics, while wet-weather tyre testing for supplier, Hankook, was performed on an artificially-dampened circuit. All the teams will be returning to Spain, for their next test program, in December.
“It was great to get a first taste of the DTM car. It has a lot of downforce and really good carbon brakes. You can really stand on the brakes and it is impossible to lock them. Also because of the downforce, the car is so hooked up in highspeed corners,” said American driver, Joey Hand.
[Source: BMW Motorsport]
