BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “We want to offer all fans great racing in 2020”

Munich. The DTM is going through a difficult time at the moment, partly due to the current enforced break, and partly due to the uncertainty surrounding its future. However, the remodelled race calendar for the 2020 season and the virtual launch last Wednesday of the six BMW M4 DTMs run by BMW Motorsport have provided some welcome good news. In an interview, BMW Group Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt explains the situation in the DTM and takes a stand in the discussion regarding the future of the race series.

Mr. Marquardt, in your opinion, what affect is the coronavirus pandemic having on motorsport in general?

Jens Marquardt: “The pandemic is having a serious impact on everything and everyone – this obviously also includes the automotive industry and motorsport, which relies largely upon its events and the fans at the racetrack. I see the prospects for motorsport in three periods: in the short term, after everything the scientists and politicians had been telling us for weeks, it was absolutely essential to stop all racing operations. Medium term, we are hopeful – particularly after the announcement of the amended DTM calendar – that we will still be able to go racing this year, implementing concepts adapted to the pandemic, and to see our BMW M4 DTM in action. I am not prepared to make any long-term predictions, as the overall situation is too unpredictable.”

Going back a few weeks, would you have believed that there would be any motor racing at all this year?

Marquardt: “Even given all the uncertainty that is inevitable when the situation is so fragile, I was still always hopeful that we would return to the racetrack this year. The signs of that happening are now a little better than they were previously. However, I feel it is important to stress that we are only able and willing to go racing again when the general situation allows it and the politicians are satisfied with the concepts. With this in mind, I would like to pay a big compliment: The hygiene concept that the manufacturers and ITR have worked on together is very well thought out and puts the health and safety of everyone involved in the DTM at the forefront of everything. We will obviously have to live with the fact that our fans will not be at the racetrack to support us. That is a real downer, but I believe we can still put on a good show on the screen.”