BMW Team RBM - Leading Belgian touring cars squad
The BMW Team RBM is the team which is competing in DTM but also was very successful in the European Touring Car Championship and the World Touring Cars Championship.
Augusto Farfus driving BMW M4 DTM at Hockenheim
Originally, the team was formed as Juma Racing in 1974, in the city of Mechelen in Belgium, by Julien Mampaey, father of the current team principal Bart Mampaey, who created his own RBM team in 1994 influenced by his father’s passion for motorsport.
BMW Team RBM debut in DTM
Belgian BMW outfit entered DTM in 2012 with Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus as drivers. BMW won Manufacturers’ championship that year, but Team RBM finished sixth in Teams’ championship. Augusto Farfus took seventh place in Drivers’ championship, while former ETCC and WTCC champion Priaulx underachieved, finishing at 13th position. Nevertheless, everyone was satisfied after the Brazilian racer claimed a maiden win for the team in DTM at the race in Valencia. Brazilian driver also clinched two third places that year.
Bert Mampaey and Augusto Farfus celebrating a victory in Valencia
2013 DTM runner-ups
The Brazilian was even better next year when he won three races and finished second in the Drivers’ championship. With American Joey Hand in the second car, Belgian side finished as a runner-up in the 2013 Teams’ championship, helping BMW to win another Manufacturers’ championship.
With the same pair of drivers in 2014, BMW Team RBM failed to repeat the previous results and ended up being eighth at the end of the season. Farfus finished 13th, taking only one podium, whilst Hand ended at 20th position scoring only eight points, four times less than in the previous season.
Augusto Farfus and Tom Blomqvist at podium after race at Oschersleben
Poor performance in 2015
Farfus stayed with the team in the 2015 season, while young British driver Tom Blomqvist got a chance in second BMW M4 and absolutely fulfilled the expectations, winning a race at Oschersleben. BMW again won Manufacturers’ championship title, but RBM drivers were too far from the top, as Farfus finished 12th and Blomqvist 14th in the overall standings. In the Teams’ championship, RBM took the 8th position and with the same drivers line-up, RBM is ready to battle for better results in 2016 DTM season.
BMW Team RBM’s days of glory in WTCC and ETCC
Before moving to the DTM, BMW Team RBM competed with a huge success in European Touring Cars Championship and World Touring Cars Championship, winning four Drivers’ championships. The man responsible for these major trophies is Andy Priaulx, who spent 13 years with the BMW. Among BMW Team RBM achievements is also a win at 24 Hours of Spa in 1997.
Andy Priaulx before WTCC event in Monza
Photo: press.bmwgroup.com dtm.com bmwblog.com
