BMW all set for Le Mans

BMW will be taking two M3 GT cars to Le Mans this year. They’ll be hoping for better luck in 2011 after heading to La Sarthe last year full of confidence following the team’s outright success in the Nürburgring 24 Hour race.

In 2010 just one car finished—sixth in class—while the well promoted Jeff Koons Art Car was forced into retirement due to mechanical issues, only to be involved in a bit of kerfuffle with one of the lead Audis on its way back to the pits.

That’s all behind them now and at the official scrutineering team driver Augusto Farfus said, “This scrutineering is a great public event. We do this for the people, for the fans. And it’s definitely one of the reasons why the fans love Le Mans so much. This is one of the biggest races in the world, and public scrutineering is the perfect way to start proceedings.”

BMW Motorsport open Le Mans week at the “Place des Jacobins”

Le Mans, 6th June 2011. Normally the scrutineering of cars and driver registration ahead of a race meeting are two unspectacular events. However, that certainly does not apply to the 24 Hours of Le Mans (FR): Many fans from across the world were very eager to attend the formalities on Monday when Team BMW Motorsport presented its two BMW M3 GT cars for technical inspection and completed the so-called “Convocation” at the Place des Jacobins. These two activities traditionally open the programme ahead of the 24-hour race at the “Circuit de la Sarthe”, which starts on Saturday at 15:00hrs.

“This scrutineering is a great public event”, said Augusto Farfus (BR), who is contesting the endurance classic with Jörg Müller (DE) and Dirk Werner (DE) in the no. 55 BMW M3 GT. “We do this for the people, for the fans. And it’s definitely one of the reasons why the fans love Le Mans so much. This is one of the biggest races in the world, and public scrutineering is the perfect way to start proceedings.”

Andy Priaulx (GB), Dirk Müller (DE) and Joey Hand (US) will share car number 56. After scrutineering, the necessary driver formalities and obligatory team photograph Priaulx commented: “Le Mans is simply an amazing event, already from the Monday. Fans come from all over the world, the history of this place is unique. Events like this or Friday’s Driver Parade help to turn this race into a really big thing. It’s really exciting to be here again.”

On Tuesday the BMW driver line-up faces various briefings plus the official autograph signing session for the many fans who have flocked to the13.629-kilometre circuit to celebrate this unique motorsport festival. Wednesday at 16:00hrs will see both BMW M3 GT cars on the track for the first four-hour practice session, with the first qualifying session is scheduled for 22:00-24:00hrs that evening.

Full information about BMW Motorsport’s participation in the Le Mans 24 Hours, the 2011 racing programme, and the BMW M3 GT and its drivers is available in the BMW Motorsport Media Guide, which this is published in traditional print version at trackside, plus Word format and as an interactive PDF document which can be downloaded here.