BMW's Tom Blomqvist disqualification appeal will set DTM precedent
A BMW appeal into Tom Blomqvist's disqualification from the DTM's Sunday Norisring race will be held later this month, and could reach wider than a 16th-place finish
The rookie's M4 was fitted with a driver cooling system that was detected by stewards during post-race inspections last month.
Blomqvist was disqualified and the car impounded for further analysis by vehicle inspection specialist Dekra, a series and DMSB partner.
It has subsequently returned and the 21-year-old used a spare chassis last weekend at Zandvoort, where BMW dominated.
While BMW sought to play down suggestions the cooling device was an elaborate aerodynamic aid, the investigation does relate to air flow into the car and system, and then back out, and whether it is performance enhancing.
The system is not part of the current homologation specification, and stewards at Norisring decided it was outside of the changes permitted to aid driver comfort, attracting the attention of Audi and Mercedes.
An appeal will be held on July 29, just before the next DTM round at the Red Bull Ring, and a successful outcome would see the system rolled out across BMW's eight entries.
"It was sealed after the Norisring and brought to the Dekra premises in Klettwitz on the [following] Wednesday," BMW motorsport director Jens Marquardt explained.
"There was an inspection there, which was with the Dekra technicians and our guys and they basically demonstrated everything that was in the car, which is part of the evaluation process.
"It's a driver cooling system that we have installed in the car, that we are of different opinion [to the DMSB].
"That's why they basically made themselves a technical picture of what is installed in the car.
"It's now up to the court of appeal, to decide between our explanation of everything around it, or the view of the stewards."
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