Neu-Isenburg/Germany, December 12, 2016– With the fastest pit stop during the DTM final in Hockenheim, the BMW Team MTEK clocked up 110 points and thus sealed their overall victory in the Best Pit Stop Award 2016. During the nine rated Sunday races where a compulsory pit stop was specified, the successful BMW mechanics managed the fastest tyre change of the day on three occasions, making them the team with the most individual successes. The Mercedes-AMG Team HWA with Paul Di Resta came second, 23 points behind the winners, with the Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline with Miguel Molina taking third spot.
The success of the BMW Team MTEK was the second time the Hankook Best Pit Stop Award has gone to a team from the Munich-based car manufacturer. Driver Bruno Spengler, whose BMW Team Schnitzer won the prize in 2013, is delighted to be receiving the prize again. “Tyre changing is extremely important. If time is lost here, even two or three tenths of a second, they can prove very difficult to catch up on the track where everything is unbelievably tight. I can only make up a little time entering and leaving the pit lane, but that is an absolute minimum. The guys do a fantastic job and have really earned this great award. My share is certainly no more than ten percent,” the 2012 DTM Champion explains. Hankook Motorsport Director for Europe, Manfred Sandbichler, agrees. “The fans usually see the drivers and cannot always estimate how important the work behind the scenes is as well. If there are problems during a pit stop, the mechanics are quickly held responsible. If everything goes to plan, it’s often seen as just being part of the job. With our Best Pit Stop Award, we would like to honour the great performance delivered by the pit crew, without which no driver can be successful, either in the DTM or any other motorsport for that matter.”
Premium tyre maker Hankook has been awarding the popular and coveted team award since its DTM première in 2011. The points in this competition are allocated according to the DTM rules per vehicle and are not added up within the teams. After each race, the fastest crew is awarded 25 points for the car (2nd -10th place are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1 points respectively) and gets three crates of beer the following DTM weekend. The evaluation is based on the times determined officially by the DMSB from entering the pit lane to leaving it again. At the end of the year, the winning team receives a crystal trophy from the exclusive DTM tyre partner Hankook. This challenge cup depicts a stylised pit stop scene and must be returned at the beginning of the new season. In addition, Hankook hosts an exclusive barbecue at the team’s headquarters.
Previous overall winners of the Hankook DTM Best Pit Stop Award:
2011: Audi Sport Team Phoenix
2012: Audi Sport Team Abt
2013: BMW Team Schnitzer
2014: Mercedes-AMG Team HWA
2015: Audi Sport Team Abt
2016: BMW Team MTEK