21/03/2016

BMW Team SRM - Australian GT Championship

Rnd#2 - Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne (17-20 March, 2016)

 

After making their debut in the Australian GT Championship just two weeks ago on the streets of Adelaide, BMW Team SRM team-mates Steven Richards and Max Twigg backed up in their BMW M6 GT3 at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne for the second round of the championship, mixing it with some of the leading teams across four demanding - and often Safety Car affected - 25-minute races.

 

Frustratingly for the Melbourne-based pair, and for that matter, the bulk of the Australian GT field, the shorter race format meant that all four races would incur an additional penalty to the post race finishing times.

 

Under Australian GT rules, qualifying positions and driver experience usually incur an additional ‘parity’ time penalty during the compulsory pit stop [CPS] as drivers make the changeover. With less than 25-minutes on the clock for each of the four races at the Grand Prix, there wasn’t time to conduct a CPS, so the penalty was applied to their finishing times.

 

Almost predictably, a number of the races saw Safety Car interventions which negated any advantage the experienced drivers established, ultimately forcing them well down the order once the final race positions had been established, something which the BMW Team SRM operation suffered more than most.

 

“It was a challenge from that perspective,” reigning Bathurst 1000 champion Steve Richards admitted. “It was the same for everyone, but the teams with ‘Pro’ drivers like us really felt it, but we knew going it we’d be in a tough position.

 

“That said both Max and I are very happy with the way the BMW M6 GT3 ran on the weekend. Certainly the cooler weather on Saturday and Sunday suited the car perfectly and we were really able to stretch its legs, and it performed brilliantly.

 

“I had a great run on Saturday, but the Safety Car saw the race finish early and despite making up nine places in effectively a lap and a half - avoiding a spinning Lamborghini in the process - our overall classification wasn’t high. Sadly the finishing results don’t show the pace we had, nor that Max was circulating almost as fast as the leaders in the final race before a half spin late in the race cost him some time, but the fact was the car was fast.”

 

After qualifying just outside the top ten, race one was a short-lived affair for Richards with contact on the run to turn one forcing the rear bumper of the BMW M6 GT3 onto the tyres and ultimately the end of the race.

 

Starting at the back of the pack in race two in the changeable conditions on Friday, Twigg drove a sensational race to work his way from 32nd to fifth within a handful of laps, aided by a decision to stick with wet weather tyres whilst around him others changed to slicks.

 

He held on too, and as predicted the rain returned, but it came a lap or two too late, his rivals catching him a couple of laps from home.

 

“It might sound a bit like a broken record, but we’ve learnt an awful lot this weekend,” Richards admitted. “With the car arriving just a few days ahead of Clipsal, three tough races in oppressive heat in Adelaide followed by four short races at the Grand Prix less than two weeks later, it’s been what I would expect to be the most challenging part of our season from a number of perspectives, not the least of which has been resources.

 

“Realistically these two races are the first time we’ve had a chance to see the BMW M6 GT3 and discover what it can do, then relay that news to Germany and work with their engineers.

 

“We know the car is good, and they’ve just proven that in the US with a podium in both LMGTE and GTD categories for the M6 at the Sebring 12-Hour, so we have a car that will be a front-runner, it’s just so new against cars that have in some cases a couple of seasons under their belts, that we have some homework to do.

 

“The crew have been exceptional the last few weeks under immense pressure, and I’m overjoyed that we’ve put the car back into the transporter effectively without a scratch, so now it’s back to pull the car down, dissect the data and determine where we stand and that will give us a good idea on what we need to be looking at heading to Barbagallao in early May.

 

“I also have to thank the big selection of BMW Australia corporate members and customers from fleet, sales and BMW dealerships for making their way to the AGP to enjoy the event with us, it was a great honour to have them there and for Max and I to spend time with them across the weekend, they certainly gave us plenty of support and motivation across all four days.”

 

The third round of the CAMS Australian GT Championship will be held at Barbagallo Raceway in Western Australia on 6-8 May alongside the V8 Supercars, with the fourth round of the championship just three weeks later at the Phillip Island Grand Prix circuit in Victoria, the scene of the opening round of the Australian Endurance Championship on the very same weekend.

 

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Rnd#2 - Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne (17-20 March)

 

Qualifying (Combined, 2x 20-minutes) - 17 March

1. Mies/Emery (Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 1:54.9059

2. Webb/Denyer (McLaren 650S GT3) - 1:55.6953

3. Baird/Taylor (Mercedes AMG GT3) - 1:56.0252

4. Canto/Taplin (Lamborghini Gallardo R-EX GT3) - 1:56.0750

5. Marshall/Koundouris (Audi R8 LMS GT3) - 1:56.1138

11. Richards/Twigg (BMW Team SRM BMW M6 GT3) - 1:57.1153

 

Race#1 (25-mins) - 17 March

1. Craig Baird (Mercedes AMG GT3) - 11-laps

2. Christopher Mies (Audi R8 LMS GT3)

3. Marcus Marshall (Audi R8 LMS GT3) 

4. George Miedecke (Aston Martin Vantage GT3)

5. Andrea Montermini (Ferrari 488 GT3)

DNF. Steve Richards (BMW Team SRM BMW M6 GT3) - 0-laps

 

Race#2 (25-mins) - 18 March

1. Nathan Morcom (McLaren 650S GT3) - 11-laps

2. Benny Simonsen (Ferrari 488 GT3)

3. Klark Quinn (McLaren 650S GT3)

4. Elliot Barbour (McLaren 650S GT3)

5. Grant Denyer (McLaren 650S GT3) 

20. Max Twigg (BMW Team SRM BMW M6 GT3) 

 

Race#3 (25-mins) - 19 March

1. Matt Solomon (Mercedes AMG GT3) - 6-laps

2. Steve McLaughlan (Audi R8 LMS GT3)

3. Klark Quinn (McLaren 650S GT3)

4. Greg Taylor (Audi R8 LMS GT3)

5. George Miedecke (Aston Martin Vantage GT3)

17. Steven Richards (BMW Team SRM BMW M6 GT3) 

 

Race#4 (25-mins) - 20 March

1. James Koundouris (Audi R8 LMS GT3) 

2. Geoff Emery (Audi R8 LMS GT3)

3. Tony Walls (McLaren 650S GT3)

4. Tim Miles (Audi R8 LMS GT3)

5. Aaron Tebb (Porsche 997 GT3-R) 

13. Max Twigg (BMW Team SRM BMW M6 GT3)