BMW on Podium at Ring - Priaulx Accident

• 14.05.2011
• Press Release

Nürburgring, 14th May 2011. In a dramatic third round of the VLN Endurance Championship at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (DE), BMW Motorsport scored another top three finish. After 40 laps and a race time of over six hours, Augusto Farfus (BR), Jörg Müller (DE) and Pedro Lamy (PT) came third with the no. 42 BMW M3 GT. The second car (number 43), driven by Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Dirk Adorf (DE), retired following an accident with just one hour to go. Priaulx hit the barriers at high speed in the “Brünnchen” section. The driver from Guernsey returned to the team following a routine medical check-up in Adenau (DE) hospital. Ferrari’s Marco Seefried (DE), Jaime Melo (BR) and Dominik Farnbacher (DE) claimed victory in the “Green Hell”.

On their way to securing their third podium in the third VLN race of the year, team manager Charly Lamm’s squad faced several challenges. Rain showers demanded maximum concentration from the drivers, while the pit crew proved its worth during a quick repair stop for car number 43. After two hours, all cars running in the top-ten – among them both BMW M3 GT cars – lost a lap, as the race director decided all of them had committed an infringement of the yellow flag rule. However, the drivers of car number 42 fought their way back up, with final-stint driver Lamy ultimately crossing the line in third.

Charly Lamm (Team Manager): “The most important thing is that Andy Priaulx is okay following his accident in the no. 43 car. The BMW M3 GT car number 42 had no problems whatsoever, scoring another podium for our team here at the Nürburgring. In the early stages of the race, the front-runners lost a lap, as they went through a so-called intervention zone too quickly, according to race control. We need to accept this decision. Car number 43 was hit when lapping a slower car, which saw the rear tie rod damaged, so we had to change it. Following Andy’s accident in the Brünnchen section, the car retired with one lap to go. The reason for this was a failure somewhere in the area of the rear suspension, which we will now examine in detail.”

Jörg Müller (Car number 42): “The start went well, I managed to find my rhythm in the ranks of the top ten.. This was a nice and big group, and no-one really managed to pull away. It was a pity we all lost a lap. For my second turn we opted for a different tyre compound to make some comparisons. But then the rain came. I came back in quite early to change to cut slicks. Technically the car ran flawlessly, and the Dunlop tyres also worked really well.”

Augusto Farfus (Car number 42): “I’m quite happy with my middle stint, as I managed to gain lots of places – and that’s always big fun at the Nordschleife. In addition, I got some laps in the wet, which is a useful experience. The BMW M3 GT once more was great. We can therefore draw a very positive conclusion after our three starts in the VLN.”

Pedro Lamy (Car number 42): “I had a trouble-free stint, and conditions were mostly dry. Third place is a good result. But again we saw that the competition is very strong this year. As that’s no big news for us, we only look on ourselves. Our car is very strong.”

Dirk Müller (Car number 43): “For the first time ever I was in the car for the race start at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. This was exciting, as it was close. It’s hard to tell where exactly the leading group was running too quickly. If you are part of a big bunch of cars, you always adjust your speed according to the cars ahead of you. After my car was hit at the right rear, the team decided to take no risks and changed the tie rod. Andy’s accident looked spectacular. Fortunately he is okay.”

Dirk Adorf (Car number 43): “I went out on slicks, although the track was damp in some parts. But it really went well, and the Dunlop tyres kept their temperatures in the wet. As the track dried out, I managed to keep at a very consistent pace. We didn’t have any problems, and I was involved in a nice fight with the Ferrari. The main thing is that Andy is fine.”

Andy Priaulx (Car number 43): “I’m okay. The impact was quite heavy, but apart from a few bruises everything is okay. I will relax for a few days, and then get back into action. Exiting Brünnchen I lost control of the car and spun. Then I hit the barriers at high speed. We will now carefully look at the data to find out what exactly happened. I couldn’t do anything to avoid it.”