[954Stealth]

Marc VDS Head to First Official ELMS Test
Published: 23 Mar 2015

Le Castellet, France – March 23 2015: BMW Team Marc VDS begin their European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season with the official test at Paul Ricard HTTT on Monday 23 and Tuesday 24 March. It will be the first appearance of the BMW Z4 GTE in the ELMS, driven by Henry Hassid, Jesse Krohn and Andy Priaulx.

There are several new experiences lying in wait for the Belgian squad; as well as the BMW Z4 GTE’s European debut, it is the team’s first season in the ELMS and first with a GTE car. It is also the first on Dunlop tyres, which all the GT cars in the series must run.

Testing at Imola on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 March brought the team a huge step forwards, and gave them their first experience of the Dunlop tyre. All three drivers were positive, with good feedback for the tyre’s consistency and long life over a stint.

There was also a leap towards finding a base set up for the car, a different challenge with a gentleman driver – Hassid – aboard. A consistent and comfortable car is crucial, especially as GTE regulations prohibit anti-lock brakes. Though there are many similarities with the GT3 car, with which the team have great experience, there are plenty of differences to take into account.

Paul Ricard’s test will be the first time the team are alongside their 2015 competitors, and it will be vital for them to gauge their position relative to the field. They will also be looking for further progress with their understanding of the car, before the first race at Silverstone on April 11.

Jesse Krohn, BMW Z4 GTE #52
“Working with the team has been as great as I expected. I’ve seen Marc VDS in competition for years, and they’re just as good as I hoped and even a little bit better. I’m getting used to the car more and more, and learning new things with every single change. Henry has surprised me – he’s really quick, really on it and he’s working very hard on his driving. He’s a good addition to the team, and a very important one. Our target is to win the ELMS, and we’re working as hard as we can to achieve that goal. So far the feeling within the team is really positive, so I’ve got good feelings for this season.”

Sebastien Metz, Technical Director
“I’m really interested to get to Paul Ricard and see where we stand in this ELMS field. If we are realistic, we can’t expect to win every race, because we are the first to run this car on European tracks, and we’re racing against hugely experienced teams. This is a fantastic car, but we’ve had very little running and that makes our task a little difficult. Saying that, I believe that if we focus we can have a great season. We made good progress with the recent Imola test - it was the first time we’d run the GTE car on the Dunlops. The tyre is quite consistent as a whole, and we can see the performance is there, so the first feedback is definitely positive. I just want to get the racing underway now!”














and Jesse Krohn, you say? Who the hello is this?

He's from the BMW Motorsport Junior program and the M235iR series. See here, an interview from BMW Motorsport with Jesse Krohn:

Having gained valuable experience in the BMW M235i Racing, with which he competed at selected races in 2014, Jesse Krohn is now taking the next step in his career as a GT driver. Three questions for... Jesse Krohn

Jesse, how was your first test in the BMW Z4 GTE?
Jesse Krohn: “That was a really good experience. It took me a few laps to get used to the lack of ABS, which, unlike in the BMW Z4 GT3, is not used in the GTE version. After that, however, I felt right at home in the car. It suits my driving style far better than the BMW M235i Racing. I like to drive a clean line, which is obviously a lot easier with the aerodynamically more sophisticated GT car than with the production-based car, which slides around a lot.”

How are you getting on with the Marc VDS Racing team?
Krohn: “It was a great first get-together. The guys are very professional, and I am proud to be a part of the team for the coming season. Whenever we needed to change anything on the car, they did it straight away. I am sure I will learn an awful lot from them.”

When it comes to experience, you will surely benefit from working alongside your team-mate Andy Priaulx...
Krohn: “Andy is a great team-mate. We have got on very well since the moment we met. I am certain I will learn an incredible amount from him. Hopefully I can match him for speed, so that we can enjoy a successful season together in the ELMS.”

[954Stealth]

More on Krohn, published by BMW Motorsport

[954Stealth]

Marc VDS Set to Resume Nordschleife Adventure
Published: 27 Mar 2015



Gosselies, Belgium: March 27 2015: BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS spring back into competitive action at the Nordschleife this weekend. The Belgian squad’s two-car assault on VLN1 will see Dirk Adorf, Augusto Farfus, Lucas Luhr, Jorg Muller, Markus Palttala and Richard Westbrook in two BMW Z4 GT3 machines.

Any Nordschleife mileage is crucial to a teams preparation to the fearsome 24 Hours of Nurburgring. This is especially true for Richard Westbrook, who has not driven the BMW Z4 GT3 in competition, and makes his debut with Marc VDS. However, the Briton has vast sportscar racing experience, with race wins in numerous highly competitive classes and championships worldwide he will be a highly valuable addition to the squad.

The rest of the drivers are all familiar with both car and team. Luhr and Palttala stood on the podium at the 2014 24 Hours of Spa together, while Adorf won on the Nordschleife with Marc VDS last season. Farfus is key to BMWs DTM challenge, and Muller is BMW Motorsport's longest serving works pilot. Both raced with BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS in 2014.

The famous VLN series features a grid larger than practically any other circuit race series in the world, with some races featuring more than 200 cars. They vary from the BMW Z4 GT3 and its SP9 brethren all the way to small family hatchbacks. Getting used to this unique challenge is the team's main focus for the event.

Qualifying and the race take place on Saturday, with the four-hour enduro beginning at 12:00. Live coverage is available on the official VLN website: VLN.de

Bas Leinders, Team Principal
"It's great to return to this famous track with such a great team and a great line up. I am happy to welcome back some guys the team know very well, and also to bring in Richard. He's a fearsome competitor “ we had some great races with him in the FIA GT1 World Championship. Its a very exciting feeling, to be working so closely once more with BMW Motorsport, and to have their trust. We will be pushing with everything we have got to ensure that it's a successful season for BMW Sports Trophy Team Marc VDS."

Augusto Farfus, BMW Z4 GT3
"It's a pleasure to be back and race at the Nordschleife. It's great to be behind the wheel of the BMW Z4 GT3, to prepare for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. My last experience of the car was with Marc VDS, at the 24 Hours of Spa, and I think the team is awesome. I'm extremely motivated and super happy to be back with this team again and I'm sure we'll have a really competitive package to fight for the victory."

Richard Westbrook, BMW Z4 GT3
"I'm proud to drive with Marc VDS, and to race the BMW Z4 GT3. I know how important the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and the VLN are for manufacturers, and it's a great opportunity as part of a strong line up. Marc VDS have established themselves as one of the teams to beat in GT racing across the world, and it's a real privilege to race for them this weekend and in the coming races. I know them from my GT1 experiences and I feel like Ive been working with them for a while, there are so many familiar faces I know from the paddock. This will be my sixth N24 in succession and Im really happy to have a chance to fight at the front again. It all starts this weekend, and we are looking to get a good performance under our belts."

[954Stealth]

Uphill Struggle Ahead for Marc VDS in ELMS

Le Castellet, France – March 24 2015: BMW Team Marc VDS end the two-day official test for the European Le Mans Series with plenty to do ahead of the season opener at Silverstone in two weekends’ time. The BMW Z4 GTE ended the test fourth in class, more than a second from the pace.

Drivers Henry Hassid, Jesse Krohn and Andy Priaulx all spent plenty of time in the #52 car. The main focus of the test was finding a set up on the new Dunlop tyre, which all the GT runners will use in the series. However, a good balance was difficult to find, with grip particularly elusive.

The team’s search for a solution was hampered further when rain swept in midway through the second day, leaving the team unable to get any more running on the slick tyre.

The focus between the test and Silverstone on April 9-10 will be on finding a solution, with data analysis at the centre of the team’s preparation.

Andy Priaulx, BMW Z4 GTE“It’s been a hard couple of days, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. At the moment, I think we’re clearly behind. In terms of the team and driver collaboration we’re in a strong position and that’s something to be very positive about. It’s going to be great to open the season at my home race, and I hope there are plenty of British fans out to cheer us on!”

Jesse Krohn, BMW Z4 GTE
“It was difficult, but at the end we have made a bit of progress – even if we still have plenty to do. It’s certainly not the start we were hoping for. What’s really given me confidence is how the team has reacted to the problems. They are focused and committed to working to find a solution to every problem we’ve encountered, which is a plus. It was good to drive the full circuit at Paul Ricard, which I’d never done, so that will be very important later. With a closer focus, I’m still really looking forward to Silverstone.”

Sebastien Metz, Technical Director
“This has certainly not been the ideal test we had hoped for. We’ve got a lot of work to do, particularly with finding a way to make this tyre work. Right now, we are far from where we’d like to be, with this tyre and compared to the competition. On the positive side, I have total confidence in this team and our ability to work together with BMW Motorsport and find a solution. We’re going to be very busy before Silverstone, that’s for sure.”