The DTM Thread.

[Tommi]

Click to visit DTM official site

Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

Manufacturer sites:

Audi

Mercedes-Benz​

For any of you who don't know what DTM is, it is a German Event which holds rounds in Germany and other Circuits across Europe including Brands hatch(UK), Mugello (Italy), Zandvoort (Netherlands) and Barcelona (Spain).

There are currently two Manufacturers in the series they are: Mercedes-Benz and Audi, the cars run by the teams are the C-Class(Mercedes)A4(Audi).

Wikipedia page(for more information)​

This thread is for General Discussion, Race Results and News etc.​

My favourite Driver is Mattias Ekstrom, obviously my favourite team is Audi and my favourite circuit would probably have to be Eurospeedway

Thanks

Tommi

 

[Redgodzila]

Guess I'll get the ball rolling. Why do only 2 manufactuers compete in such a series? It looks mighty expensive to develop a car in this series so maybe that's it? Where did Opel and the other fellas go?

I've never seen a DTM car in action in any form outside of Gran Turismo, and thus the series holds much mystique for me. I wish we had it on TV down here . Believe it or not it aint hard to get sick of V8 Supercars and there regulations- what touring car weighs 1350kg nowadays

 

[Muzaffar]

I've known DTM for quite awhile now. I think the 2001 season was the best so far. Ever since then it just gotten boring (and that Opel left the Championship a few years back, now the series sucks big time! ) My favorite driver has got to be Bernd Schneider. He's the coolest driver our there (and probably the best ) but i also like Mattias Ekström and Mika Hakkinen and Jean Alesi.

 

[D0wNForc3]

v8's wieigh 1300 odd kilo's, i didnt know that, thats kinda ridiculous. where would u rate them among other touring cars, like dtm and british touring cars then??? sorry to get off topic but im intrigued now.

does hans-joachim stuck race dtm??? and also why isnt bmw in dtm??? even if it is expesnive, surely bmw, and even porsche can compete in it, though porche's cars probly dont meet requirements, but then again, i know nothing of the requirements. those cars do look mighty sophisticated though.

 

[Muzaffar]

v8's wieigh 1300 odd kilo's, i didnt know that, thats kinda ridiculous. where would u rate them among other touring cars, like dtm and british touring cars then??? sorry to get off topic but im intrigued now.

does hans-joachim stuck race dtm??? and also why isnt bmw in dtm??? even if it is expesnive, surely bmw, and even porsche can compete in it, though porche's cars probly dont meet requirements, but then again, i know nothing of the requirements. those cars do look mighty sophisticated though.

Well yes he did briefly raced in DTM during the 90's with Audi
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Joachim_Stuck

Why did BMW and Porsche didn't race in DTM?
Well maybe because don't want to enter DTM and thought of competing in major championship. BMW had their car in the WTCC while Porsche had their car in the Le Mans Series.

 

[D0wNForc3]

so DTM isnt a major championship???
outside of F1 my knowledge is extremely limited. if you were to get all the race series based on prduction cars and put them together ( say aussie v8's, dtm, jgtc, le mans, wtcc, (nascar?????) any others) etc etc, does anyone have an opinion on what would be the best circuit racing car??? surely this question is not to broad.

 

[TheCracker]

BMW has been in the DTM before (upto around 1990) but they don't appear to have any interest in it anymore. They prefere their Touring Cars to be closer to their road-going counterparts which is why they run successfully in series like the WTCC and other regional S2000 Touring Car series.

Current DTM cars, although looking similar to road going C-class Mercs and Audi A4's, probably share no parts, including the shell, with the road cars at all.

Touring Car racing is generally popular with spectators because they can identify with the cars, with them being based on road cars. DTM cars are probably technically closer (and probably almost as expensive to develop) as an F1 car or a LMP1 car than they are with road cars - which is why manufacturers are cautious about joining a race series which doesn't reflect the cars they sell in the showrooms.

 

[D0wNForc3]

christ, mr stuck is much older than i thought. i have him doing a lap of the nurburgring in a recent m3 touring car and tought he was like a current legend............... well you sure showed me.

 

[Muzaffar]

so DTM isnt a major championship???
outside of F1 my knowledge is extremely limited. if you were to get all the race series based on prduction cars and put them together ( say aussie v8's, dtm, jgtc, le mans, wtcc, (nascar?????) any others) etc etc, does anyone have an opinion on what would be the best circuit racing car??? surely this question is not to broad.

Well all of that you just said is just a few examples. Well DTM (to me) is not a major championship maybe for a few reasons. For one it doesn't have a broad audience (but i'm not saying its boring) Two, its not supported by the FIA (thus, not a major championship/series) And three, because the race are just mostly in Germany. All of the others you've just said are also the same. But thats from my point of view and many would not agree with what i said.

(D0wNForc3, looks like we have a war here. Should be preparing for some flaming. Only one of us would survive. Oh someone flame me!!!! )

Edit: Aaaarrrggghhhh!!!! Got Tree'd

 

[D0wNForc3]

dude, im truly not battle ready, like i said, other than current f1 championships, im well underprepared. and my mechanical knowledge is subpar, i just like to drive, talk about driving, and race on playstation. on that note i will back mark webber ALL THE WAY!!!

 

[ND4SPD]

First time I've seen the new C klasse DTM car.....My god is that sexy.

 

[D0wNForc3]

seeing as they are more technologically advanced and cos t more than your average touring car, are they any faster than your average touring car???

and do they race on the nurburgring???

 

[RACECAR]

seeing as they are more technologically advanced and cos t more than your average touring car, are they any faster than your average touring car???

and do they race on the nurburgring???

They are much faster then your average touring car and they race on the Circuit, but not on the Nordschleife.

And kudos to whomever started this thread as it is about time a DTM thread was put up.

 

[Mt. Lynx]

They don´t race the Nordschleife, if that´s what you ask.

And DTM cars do share components with their roadgoing relatives. I believe the roof is original! Technical regulations.

So how large is the DTM series? Is it major?
In terms of live audience, yes it is a major series, since it´s only Le Mans that claim a larger live audience in Europe IIRC. TV coverage? Not much, can´t watch it here in Sweden allthough we have a swedish contender, who even won the series, and actually currently leads it aswell!Standings.

The DTM Homepage

 

[D0wNForc3]

so a dtm car would smoke an aussie v8 then????

 

[TheCracker]

so a dtm car would smoke an aussie v8 then????

The V8 Supercars are more powerful but are heavier and much less sophisticated than a DTM car. So yes, a DTM car would be quicker on a circuit.

This is a pretty good summing up of Touring Car racing.

 

[Jim Prower]

I'd be tempted to call DTM a stock car series, If you use a definition that the car is basically a chassis that resembles a production car outwardly, but, in reality, is a pure racer underneath, and is heavily regulated. It's the same reason they call it Stock Car Brazil. Technically, they're the same car underneath, just different bodies and (in DTM's case) engines.

however, there's no doubt DTM is very highly technically advanced, but one misses the days of actual prodcution-based cars, in the early-to-mid '90s.

 

[Mt. Lynx]

however, there's no doubt DTM is very highly technically advanced, but one misses the days of actual prodcution-based cars, in the early-to-mid '90s.

For that, you´ll have to look at WTCC or maybe GT3.

Here´s a little fun vid I found:
A comparison between a McLaren F1, a Merc DTM and a Merc AMG CLK63 black series and a Merc C-class C350!

 

[DavidRoy90]

I've seen an older version of just this show. Mercedes Must produce these deals every 10 years or something!! And it's an MP4-22 not a McLaren F1 lol, semantics!

Dave

 

[Mt. Lynx]

Technically, it is a McLaren Formula 1 car! Semantics...lol.

I found something very "GT4-esque" aswell as being very DTM. An AMG Mercedes 190E evo around Nürburgring! S-16 licensetest anyone?

 

[Tommi]

Results of the most recent DTM round at Nurburgring.
(ignore the Audi RS6 thing at top of post, taken from a different thread)

https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2763402&postcount=52


Thanks


Tommi

 

[Redgodzila]

To the person asking of the speed differences between a V8 supercar and DTM, well I can't answer exactly. What I can use is another example involving a Tom's WoodOne Supra; James Courtny lapped his Toyota Supra JGTC car around Phillip Island, the famous MotoGP circuit and host to V8's once per year, consistantly 10 seconds a lap faster then a V8 Supercar. I assume that DTM would do it in a similar time, considering weight aero and chassis and componentry freedom.
V8's are heavily restricted, which makes for some great entertainment, but still the patriotic side of me screams for these beasts to have more engineering freedom for the sake of going as fast as the DTM and SuperGT cars of the world.... .

 

[CAMikaze]

NEWS: Ralf Schumacher to race in DTM

Having contested eleven Formula 1 seasons, 32-year old Ralf Schumacher switches to DTM to race the Trilux AMG Mercedes C-Class, this year. These news were announced by Mercedes-Benz Motorsport today. Schumacher will make his DTM debut in the season opener, held on 13th April at Hockenheim.

Full Story

 

[RACECAR]

NEWS: Ralf Schumacher to race in DTM


Full Story

Alright. The DTM fans will be excited about this.

 

[Tommi]

That is awesome:tup:, hopefully Ralf will do better in DTM than F1, oh wait... he's driving a Mercedes

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Source: Fourtitude

Audi completes driver line-up for 2008 DTM season

• Big names and young talent form strong mix
• Markus Winkelhock becomes Audi factory driver
• Katherine Legge and Oliver Jarvis new to the Audi squad

________________________________________________​

Ingolstadt – AUDI AG targets the successful defence of the DTM championship title with an interesting and strong mix of big names and young talented drivers. Oliver Jarvis (GB/24), Katherine Legge (GB/27) and Markus Winkelhock (D/27) have secured the three remaining cockpits within the Audi factory team for which racing drivers from around the world were in contention.

"We really couldn’t complain about a lack of interest,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. "A lot of big-name drivers also approached us, which shows just how interesting Audi and the DTM are. It was, however, clear from the off that we would stick to our strategy of further rejuvenating our driver squad and, quite logically, to nurture our own talent alongside our established stars.”

Oliver Jarvis, Katherine Legge (both Great Britain) and Markus Winkelhock (Germany) made lasting impressions during a driver evaluation in Spain and, in the process, secured their seats for the 2008 DTM.

With the 27-year-old Markus Winkelhock, Audi signed one of the most promising and well-known young German racing drivers. The Swabian scooped the headlines worldwide last year when he sensationally led the race on his Formula 1 debut at the Nürburgring. He laid the foundations for his future at Audi with solid performances in the DTM as stand-in for the injured Tom Kristensen and later in the Audi customer team Futurecom TME.

The 27-year-old Briton Katherine Legge follows in the footsteps of Michèle Mouton, Tamara Vidali and Vanina Ickx. Over the last two years she created quite a stir in the North American Champ Car Series. Katherine Legge is the most successful woman ever to have competed in the US counterpart to Formula 1. The British girl has also already completed her first Formula 1 tests.

Twenty four-year-old Oliver Jarvis is regarded as one of Great Britain’s brightest future prospects. In November 2007 he won the famous Formula 3 Grand Prix in Macau. Jarvis has also recorded several victories for his homeland’s national team in the A1GP series.

The three newcomers got acquainted with their team mates last week at the Audi winter training, which traditionally serves as a fitness check and team building event.

Defending DTM Champion Mattias Ekström starts the 2008 season with the latest generation Audi A4 DTM sporting the number 1. At the "Race of Champions” in December the Swede, already regarded as one of the world’s best and most popular racing drivers, defeated among others, Michael Schumacher.

With the seven-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen, Audi has another superstar under contract. The Dane, who has now fully recovered from the effects of his heavy accident at the beginning of the 2007 season, is just as popular in his homeland Denmark as Michael Schumacher in Germany and is also an international star.

Martin Tomczyk, the best placed German driver in the 2007 DTM, starts again for Audi. With Alexandre Prémat (France), Mike Rockenfeller and Timo Scheider (both Germany), Audi also has three young drivers in its ranks who claimed their first podium finishes in the DTM last year and are regarded as potential winners in the 2008 season.

Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich is convinced about the quality of the squad: "I believe this is the strongest driver line-up since our comeback as a factory team in the DTM. From the talent point of view, I’m sure that we are well represented for the impending tough battle against Mercedes-Benz and, furthermore, we have a driving squad that is very popular and will be well supported by the Audi fans.”

In the 2008 DTM, Mattias Ekström, Tom Kristensen, Timo Scheider and Martin Tomczyk, drive the latest generation Audi A4 DTM cars, which are entered by Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. Mike Rockenfeller and Markus Winkelhock will compete for Audi Sport Team Rosberg, Oliver Jarvis and Alexandre Prémat for Audi Sport Team Phoenix. Katherine Legge’s A4 DTM will be entered by the Audi customer team Futurecome TME. Also in 2008, the team will nominate a driver for the second cockpit themselves.

The first public test days for the 2008 season will be held between 10 and 12 March at Mugello (Italy) and 31 March and 2 April at the Motorsportarena Oschersleben (Germany).

PROFILE: OLIVER JARVIS (GB)
Date of birth: 9 January 1984
Place of birth: Burwell (GB)
Place of residence: Burwell (GB)
Status: single
Height/Weight: 1.80 m / 70 kg
Motorsport since: 1990 (Audi driver since 2008)

Career:
1997 1st in Kart Nations Race – English Team; 1st in TV Masters;
British Junior Karting Championship Formula JICA;
McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future (JICA)
1999 1st in British Junior Karting Championship Formula JICA;
1st in Ayrton Senna Memorial Cup Suzuka
2002 UK Formula Ford Winter Championship,
UK Formula Ford Zetec Championship
2003 Formula Renault UK Winter Championship;
UK Formula Ford Championship, Formula Ford Festival
2004 Formula Renault UK Championship;
Formula Renault UK Winter Championship
2005 1st in Formula Renault UK Championship;
McLaren Autosport BRDC Award Winner
2006 2nd in British Formula 3 (1st in Rookies Classification);
A1GP World Cup of Motorsport for A1 Team Great Britain
2007 1st in Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix; Japanese Formula 3 Championship; A1GP World Cup of Motorsport for A1 Team Great Britain
2008 DTM (Audi A4 DTM)
Website:www.oliverjarvis.com

PROFILE: KATHERINE LEGGE (GB) Date of birth: 12 July 1980
Place of birth: Guildford (GB)
Place of residence: Indianapolis (USA)
Status: single
Height/Weight: 1.73 m / 60 kg
Motorsport since: 1989 (Audi driver since 2008)

Career:
1996 1st in Scottish Open Kart Championship
2000 UK Formula Ford Championship
2001 Formula Renault UK Winter Series
2002 Formula Renault UK Championship
2003 British Formula 3 Championship
2004 10th in Formula Renault North America Championship
(3rd in F Renault CanAm Cup),
won Kathryn Nunn Infiniti Pro Series Scholarship
2005 3rd in Champ Car Atlantic Championship
2006 16th in Champ Car World Series
2007 15th in Champ Car World Series
2008 DTM (Audi A4 DTM)
Website:www.gokatherine.com

PROFILE: MARKUS WINKELHOCK (D)
Date of birth: 13 June 1980
Place of birth: Stuttgart (D)
Place of residence: Berglen-Steinach (D)
Status: single
Height / Weight: 1.75 m / 65 kg
Motorsport since: 1998 (Audi driver since 2007)

Career:
1998 2nd in German Formula König
1999 4th in German Formula Renault
2000 4th in German Formula 3 Championship
2001 5th in German Formula 3 Championship
2002 6th in German Formula 3 Championship
2003 4th in Formula 3 Euro Series
2004 DTM
2005 3rd in Word Series by Renault
2006 Formula 1 test driver
2007 Formula 1, seven DTM rounds (Audi A4 DTM)
2008 DTM (Audi A4 DTM)
Website:www.m-winkelhock.de

_____________________________________________​

From now on ill try to keep this thread up to date, as much as I can..

 

[Tommi]

New Drivers, new car:

Source: DTM.com

Evolution of a championship winning car

To make a championship winning car even better - the Audi Sport engineers and technicians faced this delicate task when the job of developing the DTM race version of the new Audi A4 arose. From the visual aspect they certainly succeeded: The new A4 DTM, which was publicly unveiled for the first time at the Motor Show in Geneva, spontaneously appears even more dynamic than the successful predecessor model with which Mattias Ekström won the DTM title last year.


The fourth-generation Audi A4 DTM, which bears the project name “R14” internally at Audi Sport, is also futuristic from the technical aspect. With the help of state-of-the-art CFD calculations (Computational Fluid Dynamics) particular attention was paid to the air flow running around and through the car. “In doing so we completed what we had already started last year with the R13,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “We are convinced that we have achieved the most logical optimisation of the aerodynamics allowed within the framework of the regulations.”

During the twelve month development period, which started in March 2007, a predominantly new DTM car differing in many details to its predecessor was created in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. “Ground breaking technical innovations on a par with quattro, FSI or TDI are not possible owing to the restrictive nature of the regulations,” says Dr Martin Mühlmeier, Head of Audi Sport Technology. “In the DTM it’s more a question of the logical interpretation and implementation of the technology allowed.”

In the process it was possible to reduce the car’s centre of gravity height and to further reduce the dry weight, which in turn gives the race engineers more flexibility to set the car up to suit specific race tracks and the weight distribution. The technicians even found development potential in the four-litre near 460 hp V8 engine used in the Audi A4 DTM. The internal friction was further reduced which in turn benefited the power produced and torque curve.

The basic principle of the vehicle, which is stipulated by the regulations, remains the same: The A4 DTM is a thoroughbred race car with the silhouette of the new Audi A4. The chassis has a hybrid concept. It consists of almost 31 metres of steel tube of the type also used in the aerospace industry. The driver sits in a carbon fibre safety cell that actually resembles a Formula 1 monocoque. This combination guarantees the highest torsional stiffness and safety.

The bodywork is made from carbon-fibre composite and is - in spite of all the aerodynamic gadgets - immediately identifiable at first glance as an Audi A4. The distinctive brand styling-elements like the Single Frame grille and the white LED daytime low-beam lights ensure that the face of the A4 DTM has the same unique look like the road going model.

The most important components of the new DTM were tested immediately after the end of the 2007 DTM season. The first R14 prototype completed its roll-out shortly before Christmas at Le Castellet (France). Before its race debut on 13 April at the Hockenheimring, the new Audi A4 DTM will have spooled off several thousand test kilometres - including endurance tests.

“The new road going A4 has already won many international awards in a very short period of time,” says Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “We aim to do these awards justice with the new DTM. We are convinced that the new Audi A4 is an excellent base for a successful DTM car.”

Defending champion Mattias Ekström, who unveiled his new company car in Geneva together with his boss, prefers not to make any predictions at the moment: “If the new A4 DTM is as quick as it looks then I’ll be satisfied,” says the Swede diplomatically.

The new Audi A4 DTM meets its future opponents for the first time at the official DTM test between 10 and 12 March in Mugello (Italy).

____________________________________________​

Also posted in.. the Audi Fan Club

 

[GilesGuthrie]

I'm really glad Audi has picked up Katherine Legge. I think she's so much better than she's been given credit for. In spite of being heavily backed by one of the series owners, I thought she was very harshly treated in ChampCar.

 

[Tommi]

and now for the Mercedes-Benz driver line-up...

Source: dtm.com

The 2008 Mercedes-Benz DTM driver line-up

New in the Mercedes-Benz driver team for the 2008 DTM: Ralf Schumacher (32) and Maro Engel (22) with the 2007 AMG Mercedes C-Class. At the wheel of the 2008 AMG Mercedes C-Class: Bruno Spengler (24), DTM runner-up 2006 and 2007, five-times champion Bernd Schneider (43), Jamie Green (25), 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series Champion and Paul di Resta (21), 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series Champion. Gary Paffett (26), 2005 DTM champion and Formula 1 test driver for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Mathias Lauda (27) and Susie Stoddart (25) will race the 2007 AMG Mercedes C-Class.


Nine drivers will race in the 2008 DTM with the AMG Mercedes C-Class, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced today. The nine Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers are:

Bernd Schneider (43 years/Germany): Until the end of the 2007 season, Schneider completed exactly 220 DTM races, 69 more than his eight Mercedes-Benz team mates together; they took part in a total of 151 DTM events. Schneider achieved 42 race wins, 24 pole positions and 58 fastest race laps; No driver will be able to match this record balance in 2008. In 1995, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006, Bernd Schneider clinched the DTM championship titles, he also won the 1995 International Touring Car Championship (ITC), which had been staged together with the DTM.

“After my fifth title win in 2006, the sixth position in the 2007 championship was not what I had planned for. However, I am now even more motivated to fight again this year.”

___________________________________________​

Bruno Spengler (24/Canada): In 2007, the Canadian achieved one of the seven Mercedes-Benz victories in the DTM. With a gap of three points, Spengler finished the championship runner-up - for the second consecutive time. It was the first time after 1991, that more than two drivers had chances to win the championship. After a learning year with Persson Motorsport in 2005, he moved up to the HWA factory team. When he clinched his first DTM victory at Nuremberg’s Norisring in 2006, he was one of the youngest winners in DTM history at the age of 22 years and 334 days.

“Two runner-up positions are nice, only one place is even nicer and I will push hard to achieve it in 2008.”

___________________________________________​

Jamie Green (25/England): In his 30th DTM race, Jamie Green finally took his first victory in the championship. He won the penultimate round of the 2007 season in Barcelona and repeated this success two weeks later in the next race, the season finale in Hockenheim. The 25-year-old Englishman has been with Mercedes-Benz for 11 years. In 1997, he was second of the "Champions of the Future" kart series with two wins; this series was part of the promotion programme for young drivers of Formula 1 partners McLaren and Mercedes-Benz. In 2004, Green won the Formula 3 Euro Series with seven victories out of 20 races at the wheel of an ASM team Dallara Mercedes; driving for ASM in 2005, also Formula 1 runner-up Lewis Hamilton won the title of this championship.

“I want to start the 2008 season exactly like I finished the previous one and then I want to fight for the championship.”

___________________________________________​

Paul di Resta (21/Scotland): In 2006, di Resta won the Formula 3 Euro Series with five victories out of 20 races; like Jamie Green in 2004 and Lewis Hamilton in 2005, he was driving for ASM. He debuted in the DTM on 22nd April 2007 with fifth place in Hockenheim, followed by four more podium positions in the next nine races and fifth place overall in the championship. Di Resta is the cousin of former Mercedes-Benz DTM driver Dario Franchitti, winner of the 2007 Indianapolis 500, the 2007 US Indy Racing League champion and winner of the 2008 24-hour-race in Daytona 2008, who is now racing in the US-American NASCAR series. Di Resta benefited from and excelled in the Mercedes young driver promotion already early on. He was 14 years old, when he won the McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future Kart series in 2000 and then again in 2001. In 2004, he won the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award and became a Mercedes-Benz Junior.

“Four podium positions and seven places in the points out of 10 races are not a bad balance for my first DTM season. I am very happy that I am now a member of the HWA team and want to thank for the confidence they have placed in me by improving further.”

___________________________________________​

Ralf Schumacher (32/Germany): From 1997 until 2007, Ralf participated in 180 Grands Prix, won six of them and started from pole position six times. He achieved eight fastest race laps and scored a total of 329 World Championship points. In 2001 and 2002, he finished the Drivers’ Championship in fourth positions respectively. In the Brazilian Grand Prix on 21st October 2007, driving for Toyota, he finished his Formula 1 career. His last race with a car with a roof was a round of the FIA GT Championship in Spa-Francorchamps on 20th July 1997, when he was a guest driver in an AMG Mercedes CLK-GTR. When Ralf Schumacher tested the AMG Mercedes C-Class in Estoril, Portugal for four and a half days, he drove about 490 laps, more than 2,000 kilometres, which are approximately 12 DTM race distances.

“It was great fun to test the DTM C-Class and I look forward to the new season, more than I did for a long time. I like the DTM, I like the environment, I like the enthusiastic and positive spectators. And I like Mercedes. I will learn in the DTM, I will work hard and I will put it behind me if people will criticize me if I should have problems during the first couple of races.“

___________________________________________​

Gary Paffett (26/England): When Gary Paffett came back to the DTM after a one-year break, he won already his second race in Oschersleben 2007. It was the first time that a DTM race was won in a last year’s car and it was the 10th DTM race win for Gary Paffett. The Englishman won the 1999 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. In 2002, he became German Formula 3 champion. In December 2005, two months after winning the DTM championship title, he was promoted McLaren Mercedes test driver. This year he will again race in the DTM and also fulfil his test duties with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23.

“I love the DTM and in addition to my job as a Formula 1 test driver I look forward to racing in my favourite series and I want to finish the season in a better position than last year.”

___________________________________________​

Susie Stoddart (25/Scotland): In 2003 and 2004, Susie qualified for the final round of the renowned McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award. Two years ago, she changed from the British Formula 3 Championship to the DTM and she finished her first race in the championship in Hockenheim in 10th place. The same result in Mugello, Italy was her best one in the 2007 DTM. In qualifying, she made it to the second of the top 14 drivers three times; in the season opener in Hockenheim and at Nuremberg’s Norisring, she started 12th on the grid respectively, at the Nürburgring she qualified 13th.

“Although my results don’t show it so clearly, I have continuously improved since I have started in the DTM. If I’m able to qualify higher up the grid, I should be able to achieve better results in 2008.”

___________________________________________​

Mathias Lauda (27/Austria): Only four years after his first ever race, Mathias Lauda, the son of three-times Formula 1 World Champion Niki Lauda, started in the DTM with a 2004 AMG Mercedes C-Class of the Persson-Team. No other driver had a shorter motor sport career before entering the DTM. Lauda’s best result was his sixth place in Barcelona in September 2007; it was the second time that he scored points after finishing seventh at the Lausitzring in May 2007. The qualifyings in Oschersleben, at the Lausitzring, Brands Hatch and at the Nürburgring saw him move up to the second sessions of the top 14 drivers; his 10th place on the grid in Barcelona was his best starting position in the DTM.

“My target for the new season - I want to score points constantly and to finish the championship among the top ten.”

___________________________________________​

Maro Engel (22/Germany): Born in Munich, Maro Engel raced karts for five years before he drove his first ever car race at the age of 15 in 2001. In the Formula BMW Junior Cup, he won three races and was third overall. At the age of 18, he entered Formula 3 in 2003. Two years later, he took part in five races of the Italian Formula 3000 series and changed to the British Formula 3 Championship in 2006. Last year, he finished the championship runner-up after winning three races. In November 2007, Maro Engel tested the AMG Mercedes C-Class for the first time in Mugello, Italy followed by another test in Estoril, Portugal in January 2008. He completed a total of 261 laps, almost 1,200 kilometres.

“Testing a race touring car was a new experience for me. The DTM is a great challenge and I definitely want to seize the chance provided by Mercedes.”

___________________________________________​

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “From 1988 until the 2007 season finale, Mercedes-Benz have completed 300 DTM and ITC races and won 141 out of them. Our drivers claimed seven victories in the previous season’s 10 races; five of our 10 drivers, Bruno Spengler, Bernd Schneider, Gary Paffett, Jamie Green and Mika Häkkinen were on the top spot of the podium at least once, Mika and Jamie stood there even twice respectively. Nine of our 10 drivers each scored points at least twice and this shows that - with maximum competitiveness - there are chances to score points for all of our drivers. In 2007, Mercedes-Benz drivers claimed 60 percent of all points positions. Also in 2008 we will have a strong team and I am sure the sport and the excitement in the new DTM season will be at an even higher level.”

___________________________________________

From left: Schneider, Lauda, Spengler, Green, Paffett, Engel, di Resta, Stoddart, Schumacher​

 

[MagpieRacer]

Wow, come on Stoddart!

 

[Appie]

I guess Mercedes are going for a good year. Come on Gary:tup: