- Reunion at the Hockenheimring
Cross-Country-Rallying and road-racing, the differences between two motor-racing categories just could not be bigger. In one of the categories, tarmac the pilots only drive on liasons and in the other you absolutely have to keep the car on the tarmac if you want to be fast. But now, these two worlds have met each other. On the one hand, 2015 Dakar winner Nasser Al-Attiyah with his MINI ALL4 Racing, on the other DTM ace Martin Tomczyk who battles it out for race wins in road-racing events with his BMW M4 DTM. And now, these two drivers swapped their cars.
Tomczyk had to cope with the desert of Dubai: sand, dunes, heat and the MINI ALL4 Racing – all ingredients for a real off-road experience. Meanwhile, Al-Attiyah also had to face a challenge. At the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (Germany), he got behind the wheel of the BMW M Performance Parts M4 DTM. When it comes to being driving-skill test, the circuit located not far from the city of Magdeburg is regarded as one of the most demanding on the DTM calendar.
“To drive through the sand and across the dunes in a MINI ALL4 Racing was a fascinating experience and a lot of fun,” said Tomczyk. “This car has got so much torque – and surfing through the dunes really got the adrenalin flowing, even for an experienced race-driver like me. This can’t be compared with driving on a racetrack. Only after having experienced it yourself you get a slight imagination of what Nasser and all the other MINI Drivers have to cope with during the Dakar Rally.”
Al-Attiyah also was exited after the car swap. “I have contested several road races,” he said, “but to drive a DTM car was a dream come true. The BMW M4 DTM is just fantastic. You feel the impact of all the aerodynamic devices – and even more so in the corners. The grip is just incredible. And the brakes also impressed me to the max. I just can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the BMW for doing more laps with it.”
The two worlds are going to meet again today at Hockenheim, on the occasion of the DTM season kick-off.
