BMW will be looking to continue their strong form in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) when they contest the fifth round of the championship at Silverstone this weekend.
The manufacturer's teams have finished on the class podium at every ILMC race so far this season, including a 1-2 finish in the GTEPro class of the 12 Hours of Sebring in March.
The responsibility to continue the record falls to Charly Lamm's Schnitzer Motorsport squad. Brazilian Augusto Farfus and Jorg Muller will share the no.55 M3 GT. Multiple WTCC champion Andy Priaulx and Uwe Alzen wll pilot the no.56 entry, the race Priaulx's first since a thyroid operation in July.
“I cannot wait for my first race since the Le Mans 24 Hours,” said Priaulx. “I have enjoyed being back behind the wheel again doing the DTM testing and I am now back to full fitness after the operation. However, racing is always what a driver wants to do and it is a very different matter. I have missed the competitive side of the sport in these last three months and now I can't wait to get back in the BMW M3 GT at Silverstone. I can think of no better place to start racing again than my home event at one of my favourite tracks.”
BMW Motorsport are well placed in both the manufacturers' and teams' championships, lying 11 behind Ferrari in the form and just six points behind AF Corse – the leading team in the GTEPro class so far this season.
After this weekend's contest at Silverstone The ILMC continues at Petit Le Mans on October 1 before coming to end on November 13 in Zhuhai, China.
“After the first half of the year,” Lamm explained, “which was very intensive for us, we used the opportunity to recharge our batteries so that we can take as much momentum into the crucial phase of the ILMC as possible. We completed tyre tests with Dunlop – with very promising results. The BMW M3 GT has huge potential, which we are looking to convert into good results in the coming races. We are hoping to take the first step in this direction in Silverstone.”
