Bruno Spengler won the DTM drivers’ championship, BMW won the manufacturers’ championship, and BMW Team Schnitzer won the team championship, capping BMW’s comeback season in the series in spectacular fashion.
Spengler clinched the title in the season finale at the Hockenheimring, scoring his fourth win of the year in his Team Schnitzer M3 DTM.
He had closed to within three points of Mercedes’ Gary Paffett going into the race. Starting third on the grid, he passed Paffett, who got a slow start from second place, and slotted in behind BMW Team RBM’s Augusto Farfus, who had started from the pole. He motored by Farfus on the first lap and held on for the win, holding the charging Paffett at bay after the second round of pit stops.
Farfus went on to finish third, with three other BMWs in the top ten. Spengler’s teammate Dirk Werner finished fifth, Team RBM’s Andy Priaulx finished seventh, and BMW Team RMG’s Joey Hand finished eighth. Hand, who had started fifth on the grid, recovered from a turn one hit by Audi’s Mattias Ekstrom to score points.
Spengler, a 28-year-old Canadian who was born in Strasbourg, France, drove for Mercedes in DTM before switching to BMW.
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said “Sensational. Awesome. Unbelievable. I still cannot believe what has just happened here. Massive congratulations to Bruno Spengler and BMW Team Schnitzer on winning the drivers’ and team titles. This is a big day for everyone at BMW Motorsport. We returned to the DTM after an absence of almost 20 years and wanted to be competitive as quickly as possible. Now we are here in Hockenheim, and I am talking about winning three titles in our comeback season. BMW Motorsport has written another chapter in motorsport history today. I am unbelievably proud of my team. It is going to be a long night.”—Brian S. Morgan
