The tests done in Jerez de la Frontera and Vallelunga with the Z4 GT3 have clearly indicated that there is a new “German” in the racing career of Andrea Piccini. The driver from Sansepolcro, winner last year in the 24 Hours of Spa with Audi, has reached a new deal with BMW Motorsport: the italian driver, in fact, will race with belgian team Marc VDS in some events in 2013 as 24 Hours of Nürburgring and two rounds of Vln. The season is now imminent, because the first race on the famous Nordschleife (the longest and most famous of the circuits inside the Nurburgring, with its 25 km long) is scheduled for Saturday March 23, while the other which will take part is included on the calendar for April 28. Bas Leinders, Maxime Martin, Yelmer Buurman, Markus Palttala, Henri Moser, Andrea Piccini, Richard Göransson and Dominik Schwager will be the drivers for this programme. One thing is certain: the satisfaction of Andrea Piccini. “After the two experiences with the Audi, this year I chosen BMW Motorsport. It will be really nice to work with Marc VDS racing team. Although recently I joined the team, I was able to understand how they are professional.” Bas Leinders, one of the belgian strongest drivers, is enthusiastic: “I met Andrea long time ago and I’m really looking forward to see him integrated into our team; we cannot wait his performance to know how he is strong. This project is a very exciting challenge for us. And thanks to the excellent results he achieved last year, we start with the ambition to conquer the podium and maybe even win.” Andrea says, “I and Bas Leinders are good friends and it’s always a challenge to drive along the Nordschleife. When you return to this track, it is impossible to be fast straight away in the early laps. We must treat every time the circuit with respect and humility before finding the rhythm and be able to attack. Although I have already shot several times at the Nordschleife, I have not driven much Bmw: only one contact before coming here to test with the Marc VDS. The car looks very good, but is different from the one I driven in the past two years, in particular for its weight balance caused by its front-middle engine. I driven cars with a weight distribution like this but it always takes a little time to acclimatise before start to push hard.”
