BMW Motorsport Junior Programme opens with first on-track event in Oschersleben

BMW Motorsport Junior Programme opens with first on-track event in Oschersleben – Junior drivers showcase their talent alongside the DTM.

Munich (DE), 22nd May 2014. The dust had barely settled after the DTM race in Oschersleben (DE) when the BMW Juniors arrived at the “Motorsport Arena” for their first on-track event. Last Tuesday, Jake Hughes (GB), Jesse Krohn (FI), Alexander Mies (DE) and Moisés Soriano (ES) had an entire test day to show off their skills at the wheel of the Formula BMW FB02. The quartet took to the 3.696-kilometre track for the initial installation lap at 08:30. This was followed by a further eight outings, allowing each of the juniors to rack up about 200 kilometres by the end of the day. After each stint, the performances of the BMW Juniors were analysed by chief instructor Dirk Adorf (DE) and the BMW engineers, in order to gain an initial idea of what Hughes, Krohn, Mies and Soriano are capable of.
“What we have seen in the last few days just confirms that we selected the right BMW Juniors,” said Adorf. “All four candidates were at a very high standard right from the word go – even those who had never sat in a single-seater car before. You can tell that they all had some motorsport experience under their belts when they joined us. It will now be exciting to see how they fare on their first outing in the BMW M235i Racing.”

However, the BMW Juniors were not alone in Oschersleben for Tuesday’s test and the day of preparations on Monday, which included fitness training, briefings and a tour of the circuit. The DTM teams had also remained in the Magdeburger Börde for testing after the race on Sunday. This presented the BMW Juniors with the perfect opportunity to check out the BMW M4 DTM at close hand on a tour of the pit lane, and to gain an insight into the work that goes on behind the scenes of the DTM. However, it also provided the powers that be at BMW Motorsport with a wonderful opportunity to take a closer look at the juniors’ performances.

“That was a magnificent stage for the guys,” said Adorf. “I don’t think they realised that they were being watched by the same people as will ultimately decide the winner of our programme. That is a good thing though, as they were not put under any additional pressure in the cockpit.”

After the three-day event, which opened with a seat-fitting and introduction to the Formula BMW FB02 in Hamburg (DE) on Sunday, the BMW Juniors now have two weeks off before they acquaint themselves with the highly-developed simulator in Silverstone (GB) for the first time from 4th to 6th June. The simulator sessions will be used to analyse the mental strength of the juniors in stressful situations, in order to develop appropriate approaches to mental training for each individual driver.