Sources in Munich have been releasing rumors that BMW Motorsport will return to the DTM (German Touring Car Masters) championship in 2012. According to rumors, an announcement about this will be made in the next weeks. The development of the V8 engine is said to be suspended because another engine will be used for DTM racing cars.

It was back in April 2010 when Dr. Klaus Draeger, BMW AG board member and Motorsport's Mario Thiessen spoke about the topic. These were their statements a few months ago:

Mario Theissen: “The newly aligned programme offers us many important stages, on which to demonstrate the sporting gene present in BMW vehicles. The planned return to the DTM is an exciting challenge for our team. Over the coming months we will be making all the necessary technical preparations that should allow us to be competitive right from the start should we join the series in 2012. Thanks to its great tradition in production car racing, the BMW M3 is predestined to be used as the basic car. In 2011 we will once again be lining up with our BMW M3 GT2, which is contesting its debut season in Europe this year.”

Dr. Klaus Draeger: “Following the withdrawal from Formula One, the realignment of our motorsport programme is raising our presence in production car racing to a whole new level. BMW sports and touring cars have achieved success right around the world, and have significantly influenced the brand’s sporting profile right from the word go. For that reason, we see it as a consistent step to return to our roots after bidding farewell to Formula One, and to expand our commitment to this discipline.”

Until these rumors are confirmed by an official statement, it is still to early to say if BMW Motorsport will grace DTM again.



Source: BMW Blog