Even though the 2012 DTM season is nearing its oncoming conclusion, BMW Motorsport is looking ahead to next season, as it prepares to bring in a fourth team for 2013, as the newly-formed Team MTEK outfit, which will be based in Garching, just outside Munich, recently got the green light by Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt to start preparing in earnest for next year.
This now means that the field will have eight drivers for each manufacturer, and means that BMW will compete with the same numbers as Mercedes-Benz and Audi Sport. The team, headed by former Head of Ferrari Customer Powertrain Support’s Ernest Knoors, who hails from the Netherlands, and is looking forward to his new role as Team Principal: “Over the course of my career I have experienced most forms of motor racing, and I know the high level of operation in the DTM. BMW Motorsport is currently contesting a fantastic debut season. We are also set to have our share in giving the BMW fans reason to celebrate regularly in 2013.
It’s obvious there will be a lot for us to learn as a new team. I’m convinced we will have a steep learning curve. The current 2012 season has given impressive proof of the general competitiveness of the BMW M3 DTM.”
It has been a successful comeback season for Munich, who had a hiatus of 20 years, before returning and making an immediate impact in the DTM, that no one really expected. With Team Schnitzer, Team RBM and Team RMG on board, it shows in Munich’s efforts, just how much work BMW has put in, with 3 Pole Positions, 3 race wins, 9 podiums and 247 points in the Manufacturers’ standings, and how much of a force they will become in the future, especially with Team MTEK helping to make things even more interesting.
Marquardt himself is hoping that by taking this next step will enable BMW to become more competitive on a level playing field in the way of numbers, having established a great return to BMW, by all three current teams having equal footing. But the closeness of MTEK to Munich will help the developments even more, as he explains: “Our competitors are already running eight cars this season. Greater strength across the board is definitely an advantage in a fiercely competitive series like the DTM.
The new BMW Team MTEK means we are able to bridge this gap. The location on the outskirts of Munich allows BMW Motorsport to cooperate effectively with Ernest Knoors’ team. We are confident the synergies and efficiency gained will take the overall level of our DTM project to a new level.”
So, in 2013, we will see two more drivers in the DTM, racing around tracks like Zandvoort, Brands Hatch, Nurburgring and Valencia, it just remains to be seen who will join in the fun, and there could be the return of a very inspirational racer, which might be on the cards. It will be a case of watch this space……..
