Handicap rules hit BMW car performance surprisingly hard
Another chapter was added to the colourful almost century-old history of the Nürburgring when the German GT4 series resumed its season after the summer break in rugged surroundings and merciless weather. Finland's Sami-Matti Trogen and his driving partner, Frenchman Enzo Joulié, came to the home track of his team Walkenhorst Motorsport with high expectations. But already in Friday's free practice it became clear that the handicap rules in the series treat BMW cars harshly.
According to the handicap rule, BMWs carried a significant amount of extra weight throughout the weekend, which made the car almost two seconds slower than the top on the lap. The top speed difference to the top was as much as 10 km/h.
Saturday, 1st race
In accordance with the rotation system, Sami-Matti Trogen drove the first time trial. The result is a modest 22nd starting grid.
"It was really frustrating not being able to keep up with the others. Even when cornering, the heavy car started lazily," Trogen describes his mood in the cab.
Conditions varied quite a bit during the one-hour race. In the beginning, the track was wet and water was sprinkled from the sky. Trogen started the race and went up a few notches until the safety car entered the track for the second time shortly before the halfway point. The situation was favourable for a pit stop and a mandatory driver change. At the same time, the car was replaced with dry slicks tyres, as the track seemed to dry out. The decision quickly turned out to be a mistake, as the sky tore again.
There was also an error in the pit when Enzo left a little too early to run to the car for a driver change. This resulted in a "round of fines" costing about 5 seconds. According to the rules, the driver may cross the boundary line of the pit lane only after the car has stopped properly and the engine has been switched off. Finishing 15th was a big disappointment for both the drivers and the team.
"This wasn't our weekend. Many things were against us. There is not much we can do about the rules, so the most important thing was to focus on our own work and keep the car on the track in difficult conditions and settle for driving at a steady pace. A big thank you to the entire Walkenhorst Motorsport team. Everyone in the team did their best in these really challenging conditions," Trogen praises.
1. Results of the competition:
1. #85 Jan Philipp Springob/Simon Connor Primm – CV Performance Group – Mercedes-AMG GT4
2. #1 Hugo Sasse/Mike David Ortmann – Prosport Racing – Aston Martin Vantage GT4
3. #007 Ben Dörr/Théo Nouet – Dörr Motorsport – Aston Martin Vantage GT4
4. #4 Denis Bulatov/Marcel Lenerz – EastSide Motorsport – Mercedes-AMG GT4
5. #6 Nicolaj Møller-Madsen/Ivan Ekelchik – Wimmer Werk Motorsport – Porsche 718 Cayman GT4...
15. #35 Sami-Matti Trogen/Enzo Joulié – Walkenhorst Motorsport – BMW M4 GT4
21. #3 Matias Nuoramo/Nikolas Pirttilahti – Bonk Motorsport – BMW M4 GT4
Sunday, 2nd race
Sunday opened on a new day, but unfortunately not any sunnier. The morning qualifying was rainy and Enzo Joulié could no better than the 24th starting grid. However, the starting position improved by three places (21st) due to penalties from fellow competitors.
The Frenchman drove the opening stint in difficult conditions with a professional touch cleanly, patiently and avoiding mistakes. The team switched to Trogen as soon as the pit window opened. Lohjalainen did his best and finished 19th.
"We were still a couple of seconds slower than the top group, so all we could do was try to survive. The best BMW was 16th and we ranked 19th. All we can do now is shift our thoughts towards the next race at the Lausitzring," Trogen concluded.
The race was won by defending champion pair Mike David Ortmann/Hugo Sasse in a Prosport Aston Martin.
2. Results of the competition:
1. #1 Mike David Ortmann/Hugo Sasse – Prosport Racing – Aston Martin Vantage GT4
2. #75 Finn Zulauf/Daniel Gregor – AVIA W&S Motorsport – Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
3. #85 Simon Connor Primm/Jan Philipp Springob – CV Performance Group – Mercedes-AMG GT4
4. #6 Ivan Ekelchik/Nicolaj Møller-Madsen – Wimmer Werk Motorsport – Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
5. #24 Leo Pichler/Max Wimmer – Wimmer Werk Motorsport – Porsche 718 Cayman GT4...
19. #35 Sami-Matti Trogen/Enzo Joulié – Walkenhorst Motorsport – BMW M4 GT4
23. #3 Nikolas Pirttilahti/Matias Nuoramo – Bonk Motorsport – BMW M4 GT4
German GT4 Series, standings after 6/12 races:
1. #1 Sasse/Ortmann – PROsport Racing – Aston Martin Vantage GT4 – 94 points
2. #85 Primm/Springob – CV Performance Group – Mercedes-AMG GT€ - 85 p.
3. #4 Bulatov/Lenerz – BCMC Motorsport – Mercedes-AMG GT4 – 82 p.
4. #31 Jahn/Fittje – AVIA W&S Motorsport – Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 - 70 p.
5. #34 Hantke/Jansen – Walkenhorst Motorsport – BMW M4 GT4 - 63 p....
10. #35 Trogen/Joulié – Walkenhorst Motorsport – BMW M4 GT4 - 32 p.
*) Balance of Performance (BoP):
The German GT4 series uses the so-called "Skateboard". The "Balance of Performance" (BoP) system, which aims to keep cars on an equal footing. In addition to the success weights, the organizer can, among other things, increase the minimum ride height of the cars and authorize the teams to use a specific engine map, affecting the power and driveability of the cars.
Half of the German GT4 series has now been run. The series will resume in just two weeks' time, from August 18 to 20 at the Lausitzring circuit.