BMW Motorsport has completed a successful three-day test at Road Atlanta alongside Cadillac and Acura. The drivers and engineers who have been in this test session have advanced in the development of a prototype that is approaching its homologation.
The calendar dictates sentence and the homologation of the LMDh that are going to compete in both IMSA and WEC in 2023 is ‘dangerously’ approaching. In the case of BMW Motorsport, the first exercise of its LMDh prototype will be exclusively in Americaso all the efforts of the German firm and Team RLL go through to get a good competitive base to fight for the title of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
It seems like an obvious goal, but the truth is that BMW Motorsport has passed some moment of crisis since the brand’s LMDh has arrived on American soil to complete the last phase of its test program. In fact, the BMW M Hybrid V8 had a small crash in the previous test at Watkins Glena mishap that called into question the level that the prototype had until then.
Andreas Roos: «We have to say that since the first launch, which went well, we have made a lot of progress»
Nevertheless, the sensations inside BMW have ‘remounted’ and they are now more positive after the three-day test that BMW has completed in Road Atlanta, a scenario in which the Cadillac and Acura LMDhs have also rolled, but not Porsche. Although lap times have not been made public, at BWM they consider that this test session has been a success and that their LMDh is moving in the right direction.
«We have to say that since the first launch, which went well, we have made a lot of progress with our prototype.. We had two tests in Europe and we have already added several tests here in the United States. The last test at Road Atlanta just after the Petit Le Mans dispute We have done very well” has explained Andreas Rooshead of competition at BMW.
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Correct road
BMW’s work at Road Atlanta has been on schedule, according to Roos: “We have to say that everything went well. We did a lot of miles and that’s our big focus right now. In endurance racing the first thing is to have a reliable car. Right now our main focus is improving reliability, so that’s the way to go.”
«It is quite labor intensive.. Basically now we go from test to test, looking at every aspect of the car. We really need to go over all the critical points, but we’re on the right track for now. Not everything runs smoothly, but we can say that there has been no major problem with the car. We can add kilometers and that is the most important thing »adds Andreas Roos.
Critical moment
Mark Wittman has been one of the pilots who has participated in the test of the BMW M Hybrid V8 in Road Atlanta before returning to Europe for the resolution of the DTM: «It was a very good test. We covered a lot of mileage, which was nice. It was my first time at Road Atlanta, so it was great to discover the track as well. We are at a critical point in the preparation, but everything went well.
Along these lines, the German pilot pointed out that «The test was very good. It was also the first time we shot alongside Cadillac and Acura. It’s the first time together on track, so it was also good to see the differences. Usually, it was a good test, especially because I think progress is continuous».
Font: autosport
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Photos: BMW Motorsport