BMW Team Teo Martín is delighted to welcome Lourenço Beirāo, Antonio Félix da Costa y Tiago Monteiro to the team for 2017 International GT Open season. They will participate in class Pro with the real aim of revalidate 2016 teams crown and fight again for winning drivers title as the team did in 2015 with Miguel Ramos and Álvaro Parente.
Beirāo and da Costa will represent the team in first race of the year in Estoril and then, Beirāo will partner with Monteiro or da Costa depending on the calendars for these two drivers during the year.
The three Portuguese drivers join Victor Bouveng, who was announced last Thursday as one of the drivers of the team for this season.
Further information about the rest of the BMW Team Teo Martín’s International GT Open lineup will be communicated in due course.
Lourenço Beirão (27 years – Lisbon) comes back to a Championship that he won in 2009 when was known as the Spanish GT Championship and now wants to shine again. Since then the Portuguese driver achieved an overall P3 in 2011 Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup in Pro-Am class and he showed his talent in a fought and difficult championship as was the SEAT Leon Eurocup in 2015 and 2016.
“It will be one of the most difficult challenges in my career. Obviously is a big responsibility for me as the only full-time driver but is a privilege to have Antonio and Tiago by my side in this new adventure. I think with the BMW M6 GT3 we have all the necessary to fight on top from the first race in Estoril“.
António Félix da Costa (25 years – Lisbon) is BMW works driver and a talented all-rounder. He has been a Formula 1 test driver for Red Bull Racing and started 46 races for BMW Motorsport in the DTM with three pole positions and one victory to his name. Since 2014, he has also been a regular in Formula E, in which he drives for the BMW-supported MS Amlin Andretti team in the 2016/17 season. Félix da Costa is already familiar with the BMW M6 GT3 from his guest appearances in the ADAC GT Masters and he will complete his 2017 program racing in Blancpain GT Series Sprint Cup with another BMW Team: Team ROWE.
“I hope that my BMW M6 GT3 knowledge can help the team and Lourenço to fight for the win in all rounds I will race alongside him when there’s no dates clash with my Formula E calendar and other BMW events. We need to think in Estoril race, an special one for me where I will do my best to be on top in front of our crowd“.
Tiago Monteiro (40 years – Oporto) will also bring his big experience to the team. After two years in Formula 1 with Midland and Jordan teams, the Portuguese changed its way and began his extensive career in touring cars. The 2017 will be his eleventh in the WTCC, the fifth with Honda, and he face it with the aim of winning the title after finishing third last year with two victories and seven podiums.
“It’s a very interesting project. The mentality and the way the team is getting involved in motorsport is very serious and this was a key factor to accept the invitation immediately. I would also like to thank Honda for allowing me to participate in this project. I think I can be useful in bringing experience to the team and helping Lourenço to fight for the championship“.
Teo Martín, Team Owner
“We want to get back to the top in 2017 International GT Open season in both drivers and teams standings, so we have put all our effort to bring together a great team that take our BMW M6 GT3 to fight for victory in every race. In this case we have gathered the talent and experience of three Portuguese drivers as Lourenço, Antonio and Tiago who know very well the taste of winning so I’m sure they will work very well together from the very first day and the successes will arrive very soon“.
