BMW M4 GT3 EVOs struggle at Norisring; van der Linde crashes, Wittmann salvages top ten
BMW M Motorsport endured a difficult DTM weekend at the Norisring, with Kelvin van der Linde involved in a heavy crash and Marco Wittmann managing only a tenth-place finish on Sunday.
- 10th
- DNF
- DNF (crash)
- DNS
What Happened
The DTM race weekend at the Norisring in Nuremberg proved extremely challenging for BMW M Motorsport and Team Schubert Motorsport. Local hero Marco Wittmann and teammate Kelvin van der Linde struggled with a lack of performance from the very first practice session. In Saturday's race, van der Linde was involved in a heavy crash through no fault of his own and did not start on Sunday, while Wittmann fought his way to a top-ten finish in the second race.
Team Schubert Motorsport struggled with performance.
Wittmann retired early after a rear-left tyre failure; van der Linde was hit head-on by Lamborghini driver Maximilian Paul, both taken to hospital.
Wittmann qualified 18th.
Wittmann finished 10th after a rain-interrupted race; van der Linde did not start.
“We came to the Norisring with high expectations... however, in the DTM we unfortunately lacked the necessary performance from the very beginning... we are relieved that Kelvin came out of it largely uninjured – that is the most important thing this weekend.”
“On Sunday we were at least able to score a few points... it was a disappointing weekend for us. On pure pace we could not have moved further forward... we can follow, but we cannot attack at all.”
“I’m just glad that yesterday didn’t end worse... I’m thankful that BMW built such a safe car and effectively saved my life.”
10thplace
From 18th on the grid after a rain interruption.
Wittmann 5th, van der Linde 12th
After the Norisring round, Schubert Motorsport dropped to 4th in team standings.
Why this matters
The weekend highlights ongoing performance struggles for the BMW M4 GT3 EVO compared to competitors, affecting BMW's standings in the DTM drivers' and team championships. For drivers and the team, it means a setback in their season, while the crash underscores the safety of BMW's car construction.
Terms in This Story
- DTM
- Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, a German touring car racing series.
- DNF
- Did Not Finish, a race result where a driver does not complete the race.
- DNS
- Did Not Start, when a driver does not begin the race.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.