Photo : Nicolas COUSSEAU - ACO/Nikon

A successful end of the season for BMW Team Schnitzer at the third and final round of the 2010 Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in Zhuhai, Jorg Muller and Dirk Werner claimed victory in the LMGT2 class with the BMW M3 GT2.

After 202 laps, final-stint driver Muller took the chequered flag in first, 1:32.141 minutes ahead of the Porsche driven by Marc Lieb and Richard Lietz. This is the maiden win for BMW Team Schnitzer on mainland China. Starting from third on the grid, Muller laid the foundation for this excellent result with a strong first stint in sunny conditions with temperatures reaching 25 degrees Celsius. When he pitted at the end of lap 39 to hand over the wheel to his team-mate, the BMW M3 GT2 was already in the lead. Werner completed a double stint, consolidating the lead, and then Muller took over on lap 121. The BMW works driver drove home to victory. While some competitors were involved in incidents, the BMW M3 GT2 was able to finish the race without any problems.

Victory in China marks the conclusion of a successful season for the BMW M3 GT2. At the Nurburgring, Team BMW Motorsport claimed the 19th victory for the brand in the classic 24-hour race. The BMW Rahal Letterman Racing Team added one GT class win and both the team and the manufacturer title in the American Le Mans Series.

Charly Lamm (Team Manager): "We are very happy to conclude the season with a victory. Our team returned to endurance racing this year after a long absence, and we managed to improve our performance with the BMW M3 GT2 on a race by race basis. Some of our competitors were involved in incidents, which made life a bit easier for us. But our overall package of car, drivers, Dunlop tyres and team was just very strong. For the crew this is a great reward for the efforts they have put in over the course of the season."

Jorg Muller (driver): "You can hardly wish for a more perfect race. It definitely helped a lot that we had a chance to test here with the other teams in dry conditions before the start of the weekend. I have to pay a compliment to our tyre partner Dunlop: Our tyres were consistent from the very first lap, and comfortable to drive throughout the race. The team didn't make a single mistake."

Dirk Werner (driver): "Driving the BMW M3 GT2 was great fun today. The car had a fantastic balance, and also, thanks to our quick pit stops, we were able to consolidate the lead early in the race and open up a gap. My double stint was relatively easy, as Jorg had already done a great job before I took over. It was crucial not to risk anything in the traffic and to keep fully focussed throughout the stint. We managed to do exactly that. Our team consistently improved the car over the course of the season and really deserve this victory. It's great to finish the season with such a result."

Based upon BMW Motorsport press release

Photo: ZHUHAI (PRC) 1000 KM OF ZHUHAI, 5th-7th NOVEMBER 2010. With two American Le Mans Series titles and the LM GT2 class win in the final round of the 2010 ILMC, BMW will be a major challenger to Ferrari and Porsche in 2011.