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BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert has won the Team Championship in the ADAC GT Masters for the first time in the team’s history. After narrowly missing out on two titles, a fourth place and a third place for Dominik Baumann (AT) and BMW DTM driver Bruno Spengler (CA) on the final race weekend of the season at the Hockenheimring (DE) proved enough to catch and pass the Zakspeed team, who had come into the final weekend with a twelve-point lead. 

The Team title was consolation for the fact that Dominik Baumann was unable to reel in Sebastian Asch (DE) and Luca Ludwig (DE) in the Drivers’ Championship, despite fighting hard and producing a magnificent comeback on his birthday. In the end, the 23-year-old, who arrived at Hockenheim trailing the leaders by 31 points, came up just 13 points short with a season total of 186 points. Baumann’s regular partner Jens Klingmann (DE), whose outing for BMW Motorsport in the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) in Road Atlanta (US) meant he was unable to start in Hockenheim and was replaced by Spengler, ended the year in third place with 156 points. 

The weekend proved to be a miserable one for Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and debutant Niklas Mackschin (DE). In race one, Mackschin was forced to retire on lap one after a big crash, from which he fortunately emerged unhurt. The number 19 BMW Z4 GT3 was so badly damaged that it was unable to start on Sunday. 

Baumann had been able to call upon some top-class reinforcement in the number 80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI, in the form of BMW DTM driver Spengler. Baumann produced an impressive opening stint in Sunday’s final race to climb into fourth place and pull well clear of the rivals from Zakspeed. After the driver changeover, Spengler made up another position to earn a spot on the podium. 

Mere seconds separated horror, relief and new title aspirations in race one. Mackschin, who had turned 21 the previous day, was shunted by another car just metres into his debut and had no chance of regaining control of the car. He hit the crash barriers at speed before skidding back onto the track. There was huge relief among the team when Mackschin immediately climbed out of his BMW Z4 GT3, which was a total write-off. Just a few metres and a matter of seconds later, Baumann and the team’s chances of securing the title improved dramatically when overall leaders Asch/Ludwig collided with third-placed Klaus Bachler (AT). Both crashed out. Asch/Ludwig were subsequently relegated three places on the grid for race two. Baumann/Spengler finished fourth, meaning Baumann started the final race 19 points off the lead. In the Team competition, meanwhile, BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert pulled level on points with Zakspeed, but topped the overall standings due to a higher number of race wins. 

Torsten Schubert (Team Principal): “Winning the Team title is a great success for our team and a nice way to bid farewell to the BMW Z4 GT3. The fact that we came up just short of winning the Drivers’ Championship was not down to this weekend. We lost it at the start of the season. We scored heavily in the final races. We will now celebrate the team title and second and third place in the Drivers’ Championship for Dominik and Jens, who I am sure did not expect to end the season third. Bruno Spengler did a superb job. It was a great pleasure to work with him at a race for the first time.” 

Timo Frings (Team Manager): “Today is tinged with a bit of disappointment that we were unable to pull off the impossible and still win the Drivers’ title, even though Bruno and Dominik did a mega job. However, I am sure we will all be pleased about our first Team title tomorrow – if not before. I would like to thank Torsten Schubert, who made this project possible, our drivers and, in particular, all our engineers and mechanics, who have done a very good job all year.” 

Claudia Hürtgen (BMW Z4 GT3 #19): “The team thoroughly deserves this title, having missed out by a whisker twice in the past. It has been a season of highs and lows for me. Unfortunately the great weekend at the Sachsenring was followed by nothing but lows. The last two weekends were very disappointing. It is good that Niklas was not hurt in the crash. As soon as I saw his car flying through the air I left the garage immediately.” 

Niklas Mackschin (BMW Z4 GT3 #19): “I obviously hoped my first race in the ADAC GT Masters would turn out differently and, above all, would be a bit longer. I actually made a good start and was well positioned until the impact from behind. After that, I had no chance to avoid the crash. I am very happy that I emerged from the car in one piece. Fortunately the car is built to be very safe. Thank you to the team, who made me very welcome. I felt right at home.” 

Dominik Baumann (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI #80): “For the team, the title is great confirmation that they have done a very good job all year. For a driver, the Drivers’ Championship is obviously the biggest goal. However, I remain realistic, as an awful lot more would have had to come together for me to emerge triumphant in that competition. Even if we had won the final race, it still would not have been enough. Congratulations to Sebastian and Luca, who were very impressive all season. Bruno Spengler once again added a few new ideas and fresh impetus. He was in very good form here, is ultra-professional and is a very nice guy.” 

Bruno Spengler (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI #80): “The Team title is the reward for the great work put in throughout an entire season. I would obviously have liked to help Dominik to the Drivers’ title. We tried everything, but in the end it was important to score points for the team. The guest appearance here in the ADAC GT Masters was very enjoyable. It is a great series with good drivers, and is very fiercely-competitive.”

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert is getting VIP support at the season finale of the ADAC GT Masters on 3rd and 4th October in Hockenheim (DE): BMW DTM driver Bruno Spengler (CA) will race alongside Dominik Baumann (AT) in the #80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI and support the Austrian as he battles for the drivers' title. Spengler is standing in for Jens Klingmann (DE), who will contest the season finale of the United SportsCar Championship (USCC) in Road Atlanta (US) for BMW Motorsport the same weekend. Like in Daytona (US) and Sebring (US) at the start of the year, Klingmann will once again support his BMW colleagues in an endurance race in the BMW Z4 GTLM. 

Spengler, who won the drivers' title in the DTM with BMW in 2012, contested his first race in the BMW Z4 GT3 at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps (BE) this year, and delivered a strong performance alongside BMW DTM colleague Timo Glock (DE) and BMW brand ambassador Alessandro Zanardi (IT). A few weeks later, he visited BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert at the Nürburgring (DE) and had his first taste of the ADAC GT Masters. 

Timo Frings (Team Manager): “It is fantastic for us that Bruno Spengler, one of the most well-known and best BMW works drivers, will race for us at the season finale of the ADAC GT Masters in Hockenheim and stand in for Jens Klingmann. I have known Bruno for a long time and we have a great relationship. He has already shown impressively this year that he is also a very fast racing driver in the BMW Z4 GT3. BMW has given us an outstanding substitute for Jens.” 

Bruno Spengler: “When BMW Motorsport asked me if I would be able to stand in for Jens and drive the BMW Z4 GT3 at Hockenheim, I said yes straight away. I am really looking forward to working with BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert and Dominik Baumann. They are still fighting for the title in both the drivers' and the team standings. It goes without saying that I will do my best to support my team-mates. I have got to know the BMW Z4 GT3 quite well this season and the Hockenheimring is almost like my front room after all these years.”

The ADAC GT Masters is entering the business end of the season for BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert. The seventh race weekend, and thus the penultimate act in the race for the title, will take place in Zandvoort (NL), on a track nestled in the dunes on the Dutch coast. Dominik Baumann (AT) and Jens Klingmann (DE), at the wheel of the number 80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI, are hoping for good results to keep any chance of winning the championship alive for the team from Oschersleben (DE). 

In the Drivers’ Championship, Baumann and Klingmann have 130 points to their name and trail leaders Sebastian Asch/Luca Ludwig (both DE) by 31 points, second-placed Klaus Bachler (AT) by just eight points. In total, 100 points are still up for grabs in Zandvoort and at the season finale on 3rd and 4th October in Hockenheim (DE). The Team competition is even closer: BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert, for whom Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and Uwe Alzen (DE) will be hoping to contribute valuable points as well in the number 19 car, are just twelve points behind the leaders. 

To ensure they are ideally prepared for the demanding circuit on the North Sea coast, at which Claudia Hürtgen finished runner-up in 2012 and claimed a fourth and fifth place alongside Dominik Baumann last year, the team has been testing at the track. The results were not as positive as hoped, but did provide valuable base data and a basis, on which to improve. 

Saturday’s race gets underway at 13:30, with Sunday’s starting at the usual time of 13:15. Both races will be broadcast live by TV partner Sport1, who has extended its commitment to the ADAC GT Masters up to and including 2017. 

Timo Frings (Team Manager): “Given what we experienced during the test, this weekend could be a challenge for us. However, we can very much rely on the driver factor. Zandvoort is a driver’s track, and we have four drivers who are capable of making all the difference there. The title race is still open, and our goal is to reduce the gap to the leaders. The priority is to look after our own results, then we will see how the opposition has got on.” 

Uwe Alzen (BMW Z4 GT3 #19): “Our test in Zandvoort was difficult and showed that the layout of the track does not seem to suit the BMW Z4 GT3 as much as expected. The circuit and its location on the coast are very nice, but the track is not the youngest. It is unbelievable how bumpy the surface has become. It desperately needs some new asphalt.” 

Dominik Baumann (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI #80): “The last race weekend at the Sachsenring was extremely good for us. We now want to continue in that vein in Zandvoort, with an eye on the championship. The circuit there is a good mixture of fast and slow corners. However, the weather often makes the conditions less than easy there. Rain can always be an issue.”

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert has its sights set on a return to the podium at the sixth race weekend of this year’s ADAC GT Masters, which would keep alive any hopes they still have of winning the title. Dominik Baumann (AT) and Jens Klingmann (DE), who are currently third in the overall standings, will need a better weekend at the wheel of the number 80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI than they had recently at the Nürburgring, where they had to settle for one fourth place from two races. 

In their bid to catch the teams ahead of them, Baumann and Klingmann, who won for the team from Oschersleben at the Sachsenring in 2013, can count on the support of their team-mates Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and Uwe Alzen (DE), who will be out to deny the opposition as many points as possible. The team’s mechanics have repaired the number 19 in time following Alzen’s big crash in the Eifel Mountains. 

A new challenge for all the starters at the weekend will be the trial run of a new qualifying format. The battle for grid positions for both races, which get underway at 13:15 on Saturday and Sunday and are broadcast live on Sport1, will this time take place on the morning of the respective race. From 08:00 on Saturday and Sunday, the drivers will have 25 minutes, in which to secure the best possible starting position. 

Timo Frings (Team Manager): “The Sachsenring is a circuit that quite suits our car. However, Audi is traditionally particularly strong there. We tested there at the start of the year and are optimistic going into both races. The circuit has a lot of blind corners, in which the drivers need to have a lot of faith in their car. The new qualifying format will be a challenge for everyone, and will take some getting used to. You need to get the set-up right nice and early, as you don’t have much time between qualifying and the race to make many changes. Also, you cannot afford to make any mistakes and damage the car in qualifying, as otherwise you could be cutting it a bit fine for the race. We have managed to put Claudia Hürtgen and Uwe Alzen’s car back together in time following the crash at the Nürburgring. Looking at the championship, we are just taking one race at a time. We will see where we end up in the table at the end.” 

Claudia Hürtgen (BMW Z4 GT3 #19): “Uwe and I would obviously like to get a better result than at the Nürburgring, where race two came to a premature end for us. I am looking forward to the Sachsenring – as, I guess, are many drivers. The circuit is a bit like a ‘mini Nordschleife’. It is a superb natural racetrack, with many undulations, making it a real challenge for the drivers. I hope our car is fast enough to challenge for a place on the podium. However, the current Balance of Performance does not really work in our favour and will make it tricky for us. We are already getting everything possible out of our car. However, we will try to make the most of our package and want to support our team-mates in the race for the championship.” 

Jens Klingmann (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI #80): “I have very fond memories of the Sachsenring. I won here two years ago, when I made my ADAC GT Masters debut in place of the injured Jörg Müller. We actually set the existing qualifying record back then – and I am out to improve that this time round. You have to start from the front of the grid at the Sachsenring, as it is difficult to overtake there. It is a very technical circuit without many top-speed sections. The Sachsenring ought to suit our car. If it stays dry, I have a good feeling and expect a good result. Our goal for the weekend is to get at least two podium finishes.”

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert has its sights set on continuing its winning run when it returns from a five-week summer break in the ADAC GT Masters. After victories in Spa (BE) and at the Lausitzring (DE), the team from Oschersleben (DE) is now targeting more top results at the Nürburgring (DE). Dominik Baumann (AT) and Jens Klingmann (DE) are determined to continue their resurgence after two victories in the number 80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI propelled the pair to third place in the overall standings. Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and Uwe Alzen (DE) in the number 19 car are hungry for more success after their first podium of the season at the Lausitzring. 

Three of the BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert drivers know what it takes to win in the ADAC GT Masters at the Nürburgring. Claudia Hürtgen and Dominik Baumann won a race together in the Eifel Mountains in 2013. Jens Klingmann climbed onto the top step of the podium in 2009, while the experienced Uwe Alzen has shown his class in many other races at the Nürburgring. The races will be held on the 3.629-kilometre Grand Prix Circuit with the F1 chicane. Saturday and Sunday’s races both begin at 13:15 and will be broadcast live on Sport1. 

Timo Frings (Team Manager): “The two wins on the last two race weekends have given us plenty of momentum as we head to the Nürburgring for the start of the second half of the season. We had a good test ahead of the recent VLN race, and gained valuable experience on the Grand Prix Circuit. Dominik Baumann and Uwe Alzen were in action in the BMW Z4 GT3 and contested the VLN race on the Nordschleife the following day. On the whole, we are very optimistic about the second half of the season. Given the gap to the top of the overall standings, only top results count for us if we want to have a say in the title race. We know it will not be easy, but we will do our best and hopefully pick up the odd win.” 

Uwe Alzen (BMW Z4 GT3 #19): “There was no such thing as a summer break from the ADAC GT Masters for me, as I was in action and successful in the VLN. In the test ahead of that race, we tried out a few things with the BMW Z4 GT3. We will now have to see how that works on a race weekend, when we tackle the other chicane. I hope we have a bit of luck on our side, get the car set up quickly, and are in the right place at the right time.” 

Dominik Baumann (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI #80): “The test at the Nürburgring was good for us, as we detected and solved a minor electrical problem, which would otherwise have cost us a lot of time at the Nürburgring. We will have to wait until the weekend to see just how strong we are at the Nürburgring, but I am confident we will be up there with the front-runners again, having made great progress in the last two races. If it is dry and warm, there could be something in it for us. Qualifying will be important to us, as it will be difficult to overtake.”

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert is out to confirm its upwards trend on the fourth race weekend of the ADAC GT Masters. When the team from Oschersleben (DE) races at the Lausitzring (DE), it will have its sights set on following on from the success in Spa (BE), where Dominik Baumann (AT) and Jens Klingmann (DE) claimed the first win of the season for the team in the number 80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI. The duo is now looking to become the first pair of drivers to win two races this year. 

Last year, Baumann claimed victory at the Lausitzring with Claudia Hürtgen (DE), who is hoping to get back to winning ways with present partner Uwe Alzen (DE). The duo in the number 19 BMW Z4 GT3 is still waiting for its first podium of the year and, should everything come together, could become the seventh pair to claim a race win this season. As well as the extreme heat expected at the weekend, all the teams in the Lausitz region of Germany will also have to adapt from the longest circuit of the season in Spa, at a whopping seven kilometres, to the shortest track of the year (3.442 kilometres), which also features a particularly winding infield. The races on Saturday and Sunday both begin at 12:00 (CET) and will be broadcast live on Sport1. 

Timo Frings (Team Manager): “We want to carry on at the Lausitzring where we left off in dry conditions on the Saturday in Spa. We still had a few problems in the rain, but the weekend in the Lausitz region looks like being a hot one. In the end, that could possibly be a problem for the tyres. All in all, the victory in Spa means we travel in good spirits to the Lausitzring, where Dominik Baumann and Claudia Hürtgen won last year.” 

Uwe Alzen (BMW Z4 GT3 #19): “I hope everything will come together and we can finally lift the curse in Lausitz. Unfortunately, things have not yet played out as we imagined. However, it is all to play for again at the Lausitzring, and anything can happen there. However, the circuit does not really suit a flowing driving style and is not one of my favourites.” 

Dominik Baumann (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI #80): “Even after a win, you still start from scratch every weekend. Every circuit is different and you just have to do your job again. I am quite happy to cast my mind back to last year, when I claimed my first pole position and then won the race on Sunday. We are now hoping we might be able to find another tenth of a second or two.”

BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert is looking forward to the third race weekend of the ADAC GT Masters with renewed confidence. The team from Oschersleben (DE) has fond memories of the iconic circuit at Spa-Franchorchamps (BE) in the Ardennes, Belgium. The last time the ADAC GT Masters visited this track two years ago, Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and Dominik Baumann (AT) were victorious. For Hürtgen, who this year shares the cockpit of the number 19 BMW Z4 GT3 with Uwe Alzen (DE), the races in Spa are a real home outing, as she was born just a few kilometres away in Aachen (DE). Baumann will drive the number 80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI alongside Jens Klingmann (DE). 

The rollercoaster circuit in Spa suits the BMW Z4 GT3, particularly the legendary Eau Rouge corner and the flowing second section of the track. Furthermore, a new grading of the “Balance of Performance” (BoP), with 10 kg less, and an increase in the size of the restrictor from 70 to 80.6 mm should have a positive effect on the competitiveness of the car. The races on Saturday and Sunday both begin at 13:15 and will be broadcast live on Sport1. 

Timo Frings (Team Manager): “We hope that the change to the BoP will allow us to take an important step back towards being competitive. Also, Spa is a track that has always suited the BMW Z4 GT3, as our win there two years ago showed. The long uphill straight is not ideal for us, but we believe we can perhaps open up a small gap before then in Eau Rouge. The rear part of the track, including Blanchimont, ought to suit us. The event in Spa is a home outing for Claudia Hürtgen, and that gives the entire team an extra boost of motivation.” 

Claudia Hürtgen (BMW Z4 GT3 #19): “Spa is just 70 kilometres from Aachen. I always enjoy driving there and enjoy all the races, including our win there two years ago. I am really looking forward to this great racetrack. We could not have hoped for more than a few points from the Red Bull Ring. I hope we fare better again in Spa.” 

Jens Klingmann (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI #80): “Spa is one of the highlights of the season in the ADAC GT Masters. The circuit is like a little Nordschleife and by far the longest of the year. I have competed in the 24-hour race there twice recently, so I know the circuit well. Following the change to the BoP, our classification is a healthy one again. It gives us a real boost to be able to show what we are capable of again. The BMW successes here in the past are a positive sign of what is possible at this circuit, and maybe we can claim a spot on the podium again.”

The first two races of the 2015 ADAC GT Masters are over: Schubert Motorsport started the season with two top-five finishes at its home round at Oschersleben (DE). The “Motorsport Arena Oschersleben” is literally the home of Torsten Schubert’s squad, with the team’s headquarters located only a few hundred metres away from the race track. 

In race one on Saturday, the two Schubert Motorsport BMW Z4 GT3s crossed the line in fifth and sixth. Jens Klingmann (DE) and Dominik Baumann (AT) finished fifth in the number 80 BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI. They were followed across the line by Claudia Hürtgen (DE) and Jesse Krohn (FI), who came home sixth in the number 19 sister car. In the second race, held on Sunday, Hürtgen and Krohn put in a strong fight-back: coming from 13th on the grid, they worked their way through the field and eventually finished fifth, while Klingmann/Baumann were seventh. For Krohn, Oschersleben was a one-off guest appearance in the ADAC GT Masters: the 2014 BMW Motorsport Junior stood in for regular driver Uwe Alzen (DE). Alzen will share the car with Hürtgen from the second race-weekend on, which will be held at the Red Bull Ring (AT) from 5th to 7th June. 

Timo Frings (Team Manager):
“It was great to finally start the season after the intensive preparations for it. We have not been entirely satisfied with the ‘balance of performance’, but we made the best of the situation. Our drivers and the team did a superb job, so we succeeded in collecting some important points despite this disadvantage. We are satisfied with P6 and P5 for our number 19 BMW Z4 GT3. Claudia and our guest-starter Jesse put in a strong performance and got the maximum out of it. On this occasion, I also want to thank Jesse for his commitment. For Jens and Dominik much more would have been on the cards, especially on Sunday, but the two were, in our opinion, deprived of their well-deserved rewards by an inexplicable five-second penalty. That was a pity, as they would have achieved a top result otherwise. However, our overall summary of the weekend is a very positive one. We have seen that with our drivers and our team we are in a very good position and are confident for the season. But for now, we are looking forward to our next important event: the 24-hour race at Nürburgring in the middle of May, which we will tackle with our two BMW Z4 GT3s.” 

Jesse Krohn (BMW Z4 GT3 Number 19):
“First of all, a big ‘thank you‘ goes to Schubert Motorsport for giving me the opportunity to drive here. I enjoyed it very much and learnt a lot. We progressed constantly over the weekend and it was a great reward to fight our way up to fifth in race two from 13th on the grid. Overall, it was a good weekend and I was extremely impressed by Claudia. She is very professional and the best team-mate you could wish for.”

Jens Klingmann (BMW Z4 GT3 powered by HUAWEI Number 80):
“Our target for Oschersleben was to start the season with a decent amount of points as at the season opener, due to its characteristics, this track suits us less than other circuits. We have succeeded in this. As a team, we had prepared well for the season, and also qualifying went well with us claiming third and seventh on the grid. We were satisfied with race one, too. We made no mistakes and stayed out of trouble. Also race two started brilliantly, and I was able to improve by several positions. We then, however, had a set back due to a five-second penalty, which we had to sit out during the pit stop. The race organisers believed I was too tough when I had to defend my position against another competitor in turns one and two. I personally considered the penalty was not justified, as we hardly touched. But, of course, I accepted the penalty. Due to it, we briefly dropped back to 12th, but in the end we still finished seventh and collected some points with that result. Overall, I am happy with the weekend and now I am looking forward to the Red Bull Ring. There we will attack again.”