24h Le Mans
Since 2005, Markus Palttala has been routinely present in endurance paddocks: the Le Mans Series, the FIA GT, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), and more recently, the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship and the European Le Mans Series. His participation in several championships with BMW allowed him to score enough points to win the 2014 BMW Sports Trophy, a title awarded each year by BMW.
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Photo : LAURENT CARTALADE / VSA
In addition to a check for 30,000 euros, the Finn was able to try out the BMW M4 that competed in the DTM, the German touring car championship, at the Jerez circuit. A body very similar to the Z4 he normally drives: "The DTM M4 is even better than I expected. There is much more downforce than in a GT."
The GT is indeed the speciality of Markus Palttala who participated in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans with Prospeed Compétition's Porsche, along with François Perrodo and Emmanuel Collard. Though the Finnish driver was not rewarded since the car was forced to retire. In three participations in La Sarthe, he only crossed the finish line once, in 2012, with JWA-Avila's Porsche.
His season in the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship went a lot better even though he didn't clinch the title at the end of the year, despite several GTD class victories. No title either in the ELMS, but a win in GTC at the final round of the 2014 season in Estoril, Portugal.
The consistency ended up paying off when Palttala finished with more than a 70-point lead over his closest rival in the BMW Trophy. It's a safe bet in 2015, the Finn will be back in endurance...
Cécile Bonardel / ACO (quotation from BMW communication) - Translation by Nikki Ehrhardt / ACO
PHOTO: LE MANS (SARTHE, FRANCE), DOWNTOWN, 24 HOURS OF LE MANS, FRIDAY JUNE 13 2014, DRIVERS' PARADE. Markus Palttala, at right with François Perrodo and Emmanuel Collard, was the most successful private BMW driver in 2014 even though he drove a Porsche at this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans.
