Lamm Honored at BMW End-of-Season Gala

Long-time Schnitzer Motorsport team principal Charly Lamm was honored during BMW’s annual prize-giving ceremony in Munich on Friday evening.

The 63-year-old stepped down from his management role at the end of the 2018 season after almost four decades with the German squad.

Lamm, who led Schnitzer to the 2012 DTM crown with Bruno Spengler and directed BMW’s 1999 overall Le Mans victory, was given a standing ovation from guests.

He was also presented with the hood of Augusto Farfus’ FIA GT World Cup-winning BMW M6 GT3 from last month’s Macau Grand Prix, which was his last race in charge of the Schnitzer team, by BMW Motorsport director Jens Marquardt.

“I would like to thank Charly Lamm for his dedication, passion and accomplishments for the BMW brand as the team principal of Schnitzer Motorsport,” said Marquardt.

“No-one embodies our unique success story in touring car and GT racing better than Charly.

“The fact that he was able to get the win once again with his team at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau as he bid farewell to the pit wall was a real motorsport fairy tale.”

Other awards on the night were presented to BMW’s best privateer teams and drivers from the 2018 season.

VLN champions Danny Brink, Christopher Rink and Philipp Leisen were jointly awarded the BMW Sports Trophy for drivers after accumulating the most points over the course of the year.

The Pixum Team Adrenalin Motorsport trio finished ahead of GT4 European Series co-drivers Max Koebolt and Simon Knap in BMW’s standings, receiving €25,500 ($29,000) each.

In the teams’ competition, U.S-based Classic BMW became the first North American squad to scoop the €30,000 ($22,700) prize pot.

Its year was highlighted by clinching the Pirelli World Challenge TC class title with a BMW M235i Racing, while driver Karl Wittmer finished second in the individual points.

Classic BMW’s success broke Pixum Team Adrenalin’s four-year streak of Sports Trophy victories, with the team finishing ahead of 3Y Technology and Securtal Sorg Rennsport.

Elsewhere, Walkenhorst Motorsport’s breakthrough Total 24 Hours of Spa triumph earned the opening prize of the night for the ‘best BMW win’ of the year.