The DTM Thread.

[MagpieRacer]

omg I didnt even see the bit about Katherine Legge racing for Audi, screw Stoddart..

Come on Katherine!!

 

[Muzaffar]

Wow...... the A4 DTM looks like sex..... Wonder how the new C-Class is gonna look like.
Katherine Legge vs. Susie Stoddart? mmmmmm........ nice! (although I admit I never watch DTM nowadays.... ) Also, Ralf looks stupid in that picture. But I really miss watching Mika and Alesi in DTM......

 

[Tommi]

Wonder how the new C-Class is gonna look like.

As the C-Class DTM was only released last season Im guessing it will basically look the same:

Unless they are releasing a new car...

 

[Appie]

Nah, i don't think so. There might be an update for the car. Man that C Class is an eye piece

 

[Tommi]

Source: DTM.com

Quotes from Audi before the start to the DTM season

Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM):
„Hockenheim is something special because, finally, we’ll be able to see how good our new Audi A4 is in comparison to our rivals. Last year I won the race. Of course I’d be delighted about a similarly positive result. At Oschersleben we’ve always been very competitive with the Audi A4. I’m assuming that the new car will be as good there as the old one was.“

Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM):
„I’m starting with high expectations. The season is now coming up quickly, and immediately there are two weekends back-to-back. If things go well, we can score really good points twice in a row. This will be my goal. That’s why I’m happy that the first two races - Hockenheim and Oschersleben - are at circuits where I’ve previously had pretty good experiences.“

Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM):
„Finally, the season’s starting. It’s very difficult to make any predictions at this stage. We want to give our best in order to win. But only after the first race and possibly at Oschersleben - my ‘DTM home’ circuit because it’s closest to Denmark - will tell where we stand exactly. The opening races are very important because, before them, the cards will not be put on the table. Only then will we be able to judge what kind of a job we did during the winter.“

Timo Scheider (GW : plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM):
„It’s nice that winter’s over and we can concentrate on the essential part - driving races. It’s also nice that Hockenheim is the first race, as we finished there last year with such a positive result. That’s why I’m going to Hockenheim with a very good feeling. Immediately afterwards, the race at Oschersleben is on the agenda, and before these races, the presentation in Düsseldorf - it is an action-packed programme.“

Alexandre Prémat (Audi Bank/Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM):
„I’m really looking forward to starting my second DTM season at Hockenheim where I want to leave a good impression. We should definitely be able to manage this because the 2007-spec cars were very quick at Hockenheim last year. Why shouldn’t a podium be possible again with a 2007 model? At Oschersleben the Audi was strong in the past as well and the tests prior to the season went superbly too. My car feels good. This makes me feel confident.“

Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM):
„I’m very much looking forward to Hockenheim. Unfortunately, I don’t know the track so it’ll be a very steep learning curve. I can hardly wait for the season to start. I’m eager to see where I stand compared with the other drivers. It would be great to be among the top ten in qualifying and to finish the race - ideally, in the points. The same goes for Oschersleben where I was able to test prior to the season opener.“

Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM):
„I’m expecting better results than last year and would like to finish in the points regularly. At Oschersleben, I had a great exploit last year. It would be nice if we could repeat this. It’s tough in the DTM but I’ll be giving my best. I think that with the 2007-spec car we’ll have a clearly better base than last year.“

Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM):
„I’m not putting myself under pressure but I’m really eager to contest my first race as an official Audi factory driver. For one thing, Hockenheim is my home track and for the other, the season is finally starting. Hockenheim is a circuit that suits me quite well. At Oschersleben I haven’t driven any races in several years. But I used to get along well with this circuit. In 1998, in other words ten years ago, I celebrated my first ever victory there. That was in Formula König, and I have pleasant memories of it. So I’m looking forward to the second race of the season as well.“

Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM):
„I’m not really sure yet what to expect of my first DTM races. I’m eager to see how a DTM weekend goes. Particularly before the first races there’s a lot of nervous tension because I’m venturing out into new territory this season. I want to finish and learn. Afterwards, we’ll analyse how things went and will continue moving forwards in our development.“

Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM):
„One of the main factors in making my decision was to join Colin Kolles again and the number of people working at his team that I still know. With a number of these guys I already worked with in the past when I was racing in Formula 3, winning the championship in 1999. Working with these guys will certainly help me to enjoy racing again. It won’t be an easy first year back in DTM, especially racing a two year old car. But. I like to fight hard and try to make it back to the top.“

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport):
„In the DTM it’s particularly important to have a good, fast and reliable car from the outset. This is what we’ve been working on intensively during the past few months. The last tests at Oschersleben were promising. Now it’s crucial to do a perfect job at the first few races. The pit crews have to do their best and we’ve got to deliver a strong team performance. In the DTM, more than ever, speed will be more important than strategy.“

____________________________________________________

Quotes from Mercedes-Benz before the start to the DTM season

​

Bruno Spengler, start number 3 (2008 Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):
“My target is clear: After finishing runner-up twice in 2006 and 2007, I want to win the title this year. I will fight for it from the very first lap in Hockenheim.”

Paul di Resta, start number 4 (2008 AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“Four podium finishes and fifth place overall last year were a reasonable balance of my rookie season. I want to justify my promotion to the HWA team with more good results and hopefully I will achieve the first one already in Hockenheim.”

Jamie Green, start number 5 (2008 Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“In my six races at Hockenheim so far, I started from pole position twice, posted four fastest race laps and took one victory - in the 2007 season finale in October 2007. I like the circuit and that’s a good basis to repeat my win from last race here.”

Bernd Schneider, start number 6 (2008 Genuine Parts AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“I want to fight for the title and preferably I will lay the foundations for it already in Hockenheim. I did a lot of training for an optimum preparation. For me and my team mates, racing for Mercedes-Benz means total commitment to give it our all. I really hope that at the end of the year the title will be back at Mercedes and that I as a driver can contribute significantly to that.”

Gary Paffett, start number 7 (2007 stern AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“Four years ago, I won my first DTM race in Hockenheim; two and a half years ago I won the 2005 DTM Championship title here. This is my best motivation for an optimum start to the new season.”

Mathias Lauda, start number 8 (2007 Pixum AMG Mercedes C-Class 2007):
“Last year, I scored points twice, this season I want more. Hockenheim will be the first of 11 opportunities.”

Ralf Schumacher, start number 11 (2007 Trilux AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“Following my many test kilometres during the winter I am really keen on my first DTM race. I got acquainted with the DTM Mercedes C-Class intensively and I am well prepared for the new season. Now I want to see where I am compared to the competition.”

Maro Engel, start number 12 (2007 JungeSterne AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“I am really looking forward to my first DTM season. The DTM is motor racing at the highest level. I will probably have to learn a lot to establish myself in the series. During my first season, I want to improve continuously and to score points in as many races as possible.”

Susie Stoddart, start number 16 (2007 TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class):
“A circuit I like. About two years ago, I began my DTM career in Hockenheim with 10th place. This time, my target is my first point in the championship - that would be the perfect start of the season.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“The new season will start where the previous one ended, traditionally in Hockenheim. After our jubilee with a win in the 300th DTM race of Mercedes-Benz last October, such a result is our target also for the 301st start. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz has started racing in this series 20 years ago; on the occasion of ‘20 years after’ we will therefore present successful DTM Mercedes cars of this period of time as well as many more attractions.”

____________________________________________________​

And finally good news for some of you guys...

DTM conquers Asia and North America - first-time live coverage in China and the USA​

This weekend, DTM is going to kick off its 2008 season at Hockenheim - and the world is going to witness the race action live. For the very first time, the most popular international touring car series will be covered live and at full length on four continents.

The 2008 DTM season will be covered live in more than 50 countries, with the USA, Canada and China joining the live-coverage fraternity for the first time. This means that DTM is represented on every core market of the automotive industry, now.

In addition to the long-established DTM partners in South America, Middle East and Africa, stations on the Asian continent and North America are going to cover the battle between Audi and Mercedes-Benz without any time delay for the first time. At the same time, DTM’s popularity also keeps on increasing in Europe. This is demonstrated by the new live-coverage timeslots in Spain, Norway and Austria where ORF is going to cover DTM live. Consequently, the full DTM season is can be watched live in nearly every European country.

Even those motor-racing enthusiasts that miss a race, during the course of the season, won’t have to make do without DTM pictures. Extensive DTM highlight programmes will be broadcasted in about 50 countries all over the world: numerous European TV stations as well as stations from Peru to Japan in Middle East and from Australia to Northern Africa will broadcast the DTM highlights.

And while the crowds on site still let the race day end, the latest DTM news already are on their way around the world. Right after the race, the most important pictures of the DTM weekend are made available to the major TV agencies, such as Reuters, EBU and sntv. So, the crucial moments of the race, results and interviews will be at the disposal of every important news room - just two hours after the race and free of charge.
In 2008, DTM already achieved an international TV presence of more than 2,500 hours but all the signs are that this figure will once again be exceeded, in the new season.

In Germany, ARD will cover DTM live: the qualifying sessions on Saturday from 13:30hrs CEST (12:30hrs BST) and the races on Sunday from 13:45hrs CEST.

____________________________________________________​

Once again sorry for the lack of news updates, ive been busy recently and have not been able to update the thread

 

[Appie]

Good to see how Mercedes will kick the butt of Audi again.

 

[LouTs337]

Hopefully no car-wars ala barcelona again this year...
I find the new merc looking audi looks sharp!

Im rooting for Audi since mika isnt driving anymore!

[fanboymode]
GO ALBERS/EKSTROM/LEGGE!!!
[/fanboymode]

sorry

 

[CAMikaze]

And finally good news for some of you guys...

DTM conquers Asia and North America - first-time live coverage in China and the USA​

This weekend, DTM is going to kick off its 2008 season at Hockenheim - and the world is going to witness the race action live. For the very first time, the most popular international touring car series will be covered live and at full length on four continents.

The 2008 DTM season will be covered live in more than 50 countries, with the USA, Canada and China joining the live-coverage fraternity for the first time. This means that DTM is represented on every core market of the automotive industry, now.

In addition to the long-established DTM partners in South America, Middle East and Africa, stations on the Asian continent and North America are going to cover the battle between Audi and Mercedes-Benz without any time delay for the first time. At the same time, DTM’s popularity also keeps on increasing in Europe. This is demonstrated by the new live-coverage timeslots in Spain, Norway and Austria where ORF is going to cover DTM live. Consequently, the full DTM season is can be watched live in nearly every European country.

Even those motor-racing enthusiasts that miss a race, during the course of the season, won’t have to make do without DTM pictures. Extensive DTM highlight programmes will be broadcasted in about 50 countries all over the world: numerous European TV stations as well as stations from Peru to Japan in Middle East and from Australia to Northern Africa will broadcast the DTM highlights.

And while the crowds on site still let the race day end, the latest DTM news already are on their way around the world. Right after the race, the most important pictures of the DTM weekend are made available to the major TV agencies, such as Reuters, EBU and sntv. So, the crucial moments of the race, results and interviews will be at the disposal of every important news room - just two hours after the race and free of charge.
In 2008, DTM already achieved an international TV presence of more than 2,500 hours but all the signs are that this figure will once again be exceeded, in the new season.

In Germany, ARD will cover DTM live: the qualifying sessions on Saturday from 13:30hrs CEST (12:30hrs BST) and the races on Sunday from 13:45hrs CEST.

____________________________________________________​

Once again sorry for the lack of news updates, ive been busy recently and have not been able to update the thread

A question for you. Any idea as to which channel in the US will be airing the DTM races this season? I know for the past few years SPEED aired the races in the winter months.

 

[Tommi]

A question for you. Any idea as to which channel in the US will be airing the DTM races this season? I know for the past few years SPEED aired the races in the winter months.

Ive looked all over the place - forums, news pages, even SPEED and everyone is asking the same question or giving the same answer, no one seems to know, although a few people have been guessing that it could be SPEED, ESPN(No news/info on the website though) or some kind of live web feed.

Either way the first race of the season is tomorrow(GMT), so whoever is showing it better hurry up and tell everyone!.

 

[Appie]

Wow, Mercedes got some major pwnage today. Grats for Audi for the wonderful job:tup:

 

[Tommi]

Wow, Mercedes got some major pwnage today. Grats for Audi for the wonderful job:tup:

I wish I hadn't missed it now, for everyone that missed it or who couldn't catch it:

Source: dtm.com

Audi locks out top three in DTM season opener

​

The title defence has started. At the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, Swedish Audi driver, Mattias Ekström, won the first DTM race of the year. After 169.238 kilometres, the 29-year old was the first to cross the finish line. “My new A4 goes like a rocket”, said the overjoyed winner of the season opener about his car.


For Ekström, it is the eleventh DTM victory of his career. For Audi, it was the 43rd DTM race win. Pole-sitter Timo Scheider came home second, 0.824 seconds down on the winner. Danish driver, Tom Kristensen completed Audi’s clean sweep of the podium by finishing third. Best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver was last year’s runner-up, Bruno Spengler (CDN), in fourth place. Ralf Schumacher showed a respectable performance by finishing 14th in his maiden DTM-race. Over the weekend, a total of 93,000 spectators came to witness the first of this year’s eleven DTM events.

A perfect start and two impeccable pit stops were the basis for Ekström’s first victory of the season. At the start, the Swede had the upper hand over Scheider and took the lead. His mechanics were equally quick. Both his pit stops were completed within only three seconds. His fellow Audi drivers Kristensen and Tomczyk also benefited from their second tyre change. Kristensen overtook Spengler with the AMG Mercedes C-Class and continued the race in third. Tomczyk moved up into fifth place. One lap after another, the Bavarian kept the pressure on the Mercedes-Benz driver, but couldn’t overtake him. On the final lap of the race, Tomczyk had a moment. He locked up under braking, came off the track, but continued and managed to defend his fifth place and four points. He was followed by the Mercedes-Benz trio of Jamie Green (GB), Gary Paffett (GB) with the best-placed year-old car and Bernd Schneider (D). Scotsman Paul di Resta (Mercedes-Benz), who started fourth, had problems with the clutch during his second stop and dropped back to 13th. As a consolation, he set the fastest lap time of the race in 1.34.104 minutes, a new DTM lap record at Hockenheim. Lady racers Susie Stoddart (GB/Mercedes-Benz) and Katherine Legge (GB/Audi) finished 16th and 18th. Former F1 driver Christijan Albers (NED) had to park his car in the pits on lap two after a collision and subsequent problems with the suspension.

In the overall standings, reigning DTM champion Ekström is leading with 10 points from fellow Audi drivers, Scheider (8) and Kristensen (6). The second DTM round of the year is already taking place next weekend (April 18th - 20th) at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.

Mattias Ekström (winner, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): “From Friday onwards, our car has been very good and I was confident that I would be able to score a good result here. I had a very good start and the pit stops were excellent. During the race, I lost some time when I was stuck behind Bernd Schneider and Timo Scheider put me under quite some pressure. Especially at the start of the season, everybody wants to get a good result and so I am very happy with my ten points and the 1-2-3 for Audi. Such a start is beautiful.“

Timo Scheider (2nd place, Audi Sport Team Abt): “It has been a remarkable weekend for us. Especially as it was the first weekend of the season and as we managed to come off with such a result. I lost first place at the start, but I was very well able to keep up with Mattias Ekström during the race. There were some possibilities to attack and I put the pressure on. However, there was no real chance to overtake. The car has been great from the word go, many thanks to Audi and to Abt.”

Tom Kristensen (3rd place, Audi Sport Team Abt): “Today, I started from the same position as in last year’s season opener, in which I had my big accident. I was happy that it all went well through the first few corners. My car was great from the very beginning and during the race, I had some fair fights with Paul di Resta and Bruno Spengler. I am happy that I ended up where I am now.”

Bruno Spengler (4th place, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Mercedes): “On one hand, I am a little bit disappointed. But when you look at the past few years, I have never been able to score points here in the first race at Hockenheim. Now, I have at least five points and I am happy with it, as every point counts in the end. It was the first of eleven races and a lot of things can still happen in the ten rounds to come. I am confident that I will be quick again at Oschersleben.“

Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: “It went very well today. Not only the drivers were quick, Abt did very good pit stops. It was clear to us that Mercedes would be strong here as well. We have achieved the maximum with three cars on the podium. That is great for the team, that has been working very hard during the last few weeks. Especially because of that, this victory is well deserved.”

Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug: “It hasn’t been a very good weekend for us. In the race, Paul di Resta was really quick. Too bad that his clutch didn’t work properly during the pit stop. Otherwise, he could have been further up front. All in all, it was a good season opener with a good show for the spectators. Ralf Schumacher has done well in his first race. He wasn’t the slowest driver with a year-old car by far and his performance is decent. I am especially happy with the fact that we have seen a new Ralf here at Hockenheim.”

___________________________________________________​

Congratulations to the Audi Team & drivers, a great start to the season:tup:👍

BTW: Sorry for the late update, ive been on holiday.

 

[dougiemeats]

Round 2 was not a good race for Kristensen.

It was a good fight in the end with Prémat trying to get by Ekström for the final championship point. I was really hoping to see the overtake. It seemed like he had the faster car in the latter stages of the race. I don't know if that safety car hurt his chances too much, but I would have enjoyed seeing a few more laps to see what he could do.

 

[Tommi]

For all of you who did not manage to catch the Mugello race(inc. me)here are the results, finally a win for Mercedes..


Source: dtm.com

Excitement in the battle for the DTM title - victory for Jamie Green in Mugello

With a double victory, Mercedes-Benz has proven to be back in the battle for the DTM title. After 33 laps at the 5.245 kilometres long track, the longest circuit featuring on the DTM calendar, British driver, Jamie Green won the third round of the season in Mugello in Italy. With the third DTM victory of his career, the 25-year old driver also secured the first win of the season for Mercedes-Benz.

“I am happy with this victory, especially after the start of the season that has been particularly difficult for all of us“, said a delighted Green. His fellow-Mercedes-Benz driver, Paul di Resta (GB) came home in second place, 3.166 seconds down. Third place went to Audi driver Tom Kristensen from Denmark, who was already on the podium after having finished third in the season opener at Hockenheim. In the drivers’ standings, Timo Scheider remains in the lead with 18 points, just ahead of today’s winner Green (17) and Mattias Ekström (Audi/S) with 14 points. The race result from Mugello has led to a situation in which there are now seven drivers within seven points, all with good chances in the drivers’ standings.

At the start, Green and di Resta had the upper hand over the leader in the points’ standings, Timo Scheider (Audi), who had started from pole position. Both drivers didn’t lose their positions until the race was over. For Scheider, the racing weekend in Tuscany brought mixed emotions. On Saturday, the 29-year old made it to pole position in the final minutes, but in the race, he started a little bit too early. A drive-through penalty for his jump start deprived the Austrian-based German of all his chances of a possible race win. After a recovery with fascinating overtaking manoeuvres, Scheider eventually came home tenth. Canadian Bruno Spengler, who had been the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver in the points’ standings in fourth place before Mugello, only finished one place better. Having started sixth, he was involved in a collision on the opening lap and lost six places.

Behind the trio on the podium, DTM record champion, Bernd Schneider, was classified fourth with his AMG Mercedes C-Class. Briton Oliver Jarvis was delighted by finishing fifth, scoring points with his year-old Audi A4 DTM. He was followed immediately by a trio of Audi drivers with reigning DTM champion Mattias Ekström (S), Markus Winkelhock (D) and Frenchman Alexandre Prémat, the two latter drivers also with year-old machinery. Canadian, Bruno Spengler, was the third driver with an AMG Mercedes C-Class to make it into the top ten, finishing ninth.

Ralf Schumacher didn’t make it to the finish in the third DTM race of his career. Schumacher’s car was damaged in a collision and he had to retire after lap two already. Audi driver, Martin Tomczyk, had his share of problems, too. After a collision with fellow-Audi driver, Mike Rockenfeller, on the opening lap, the 26-year old Bavarian had to come into the pits, losing valuable time, which he could’t make up anymore in the course of the race. Tomczyk finished 17th. The fourth round of the DTM will be taking place at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz on May 18th.

Jamie Green (winner, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes): “I had a good start and I was well able to control the race and the margin over the cars behind me. I am happy with victory, especially after the start of the season that has been particularly hard for all of us. We are proud of what we have achieved today. In the DTM, there is no way to predict anything and this year is tougher for us than last year.”

Paul di Resta (2nd place, AMG Mercedes): “I reckon that Mercedes-Benz and I can be equally happy with this result. We have been working hard and had to wait for a long time to make it on the podium. The weekend didn’t go that well for me, I was lacking consistency all the time. Yesterday’s qualifying wasn’t too good as I made a slight mistake and had to start from fifth place today. I am all the more happy with my second place.“

Tom Kristensen (3rd place, Audi Sport Team Abt): “The DTM is really tough. I am more or less happy with the result and I am happy with being on the podium again. My car was excellent. The team has done two great pit stops. Jamie Green really has deserved this victory, he has driven a great race.”

Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug: “It was a great race. We had a good strategy, quick pit stops and our speed was good. In qualifying yesterday and this morning after warm-up, it didn’t look like that. Sometimes, differences in temperature of only three or four degrees can have an effect on the set-up. The team has done a great job and found exactly the right set-up for this temperature. All in all, I am very happy. We have deserved this victory, but it came earlier than I had expected.”

Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: “I am not happy with the result. Apparently, Mugello doesn’t suit us as we just don’t succeed in repeating our qualifying results in the race. It is clear that we have lost the race at the start. Additionally, some things happened in the first couple of corners, which mixed up the order. At a track like this, making up during the race is very difficult. Especially when your opponent is quick, has a good tactic and does good pit stops. We will continue to give everything and now we are focussing on the next race and try to win it. I am very pleased with the performance of our 2007-spec cars, which were absolutely competitive and showed some good fights between them.”

Results:​

1. Jamie Green Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 59mins 39.961secs 33 laps
2. Paul di Resta AMG Mercedes Mercedes C-Klasse +3.166secs
3. Tom Kristensen Audi Sport Team Abt Audi A4 DTM +5.313secs
4. Bernd Schneider Original-Teile AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +9.410secs
5. Oliver Jarvis Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi A4 DTM +15.037secs
6. Mattias Ekström Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi A4 DTM +15.798secs
7. Markus Winkelhock Audi Sport Team Rosberg Audi A4 DTM +16.989secs
8. Alexandre Premat Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi A4 DTM +22.656secs
9. Bruno Spengler Daimler-Chrysler-Bank AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +23.260secs
10. Timo Scheider Audi Sport Team Abt Audi A4 DTM +23.774secs
11. Maro Engel JungeSterne AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +35.741secs
12. Gary Paffett Stern AMG Mercedes Mercedes C-Klasse +41.366secs
13. Christijan Albers Futurecom-TME Audi A4 DTM +45.259secs
14. Mike Rockenfeller Audi Sport Team Rosberg Audi A4 DTM +55.234secs
15. Susie Stoddart TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +71.329secs
16. Mathias Lauda Pixium AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +72.233secs
17. Martin Tomczyk Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi A4 DTM +73.944secs
18. Katherine Legge Futurecom-TME Audi A4 DTM +76.587secs

Not classified:

Rtd Ralf Schumacher TRILUX AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 4 laps completed

 

[dougiemeats]

Wow Mercedes won...

Fortunately, Kristensen bounced back from an awful race in Rd. 2. Audi needs to practice their starts.

 

[LouTs337]

Tribunes are empty in italy Citroen might join DTM!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67078

 

[Jim Prower]

But to quit WRC for it? I dunno...

 

[Appie]

Its because WRC doesn't get more attention lately. He also says that there are more Manufacturers are wanting to come in DTM. It's only better for the sport anyway:tup:

 

[Tommi]

Tribunes are empty in italy Citroen might join DTM!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/67078

Oh man, I wish I had seen this earlier, I'd hate to have another Works Team leave WRC, although I don't mind another team entering DTM (Audi Would Still Own them), it'd be nice to have OPEL, BMW or Alfa Romeo come back:tup:

_________________________________________________________​

Here are the Eurospeedway results:

Mercedes-Benz draws level: victory for Di Resta in the Lausitz

Two wins for Audi, two for Mercedes-Benz. That is the situation after four DTM races this season. Scotsman Paul di Resta brought the equalizer on Sunday by claiming his maiden DTM victory after only 14 races with a lights-to-flag win at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. “It can’t be any better than today”, di Resta said. After 51 laps, the 22-year old crossed the finish line in his AMG Mercedes C-Class with the considerable margin of 5.562 seconds over his main rival

Second place in the Lower Lausitz was taken by Timo Scheider with his Audi A4 DTM, who remains the points’ leader. The podium was completed by Scheider’s fellow Audi driver, Mattias Ekström (S) in third. In the battle for the DTM title, di Resta with 23 points and Jamie Green Mercedes-Benz/GB) with 21 points are in the best positions in the hunt for Scheider (26).

It can hardly be more balanced: four DTM races, four different winners. After Jamie Green’s success in Mugello in Italy a fortnight ago, di Resta confirmed the increasing tendency at Mercedes-Benz at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in front of 80,000 fans. Having started from pole position, the Scot didn’t lose his lead and drove a never-challenged victory home. With a fastest race lap of 1.18.938 minutes, the 2006 Formula 3 Euro Series’ champion also set a new DTM lap record in the Lausitz.

Scheider and Ekström were followed by another Audi driver. Bavarian Martin Tomczyk came home fourth ahead of Green. Very quick pit stops by the Audi crews of Scheider, Ekström and Tomczyk and problems during Bruno Spengler’s stop were the reason that the Canadian lost second place with his AMG Mercedes C-Class, but still scored three points for the drivers’ standings, in which the 24-year old is also sixth. After Alexandre Prémat (Audi) was excluded from the results because of using a tyre that wasn’t allocated for use in qualifying or race, Oliver Jarvis (Audi) became the best-placed driver with a year-old car, scoring one point for the drivers’ standings for finishing eighth behind DTM record champion, Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz).

In his fourth DTM race, Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes-Benz) finished 14th and came home one place ahead of the runner-up of the 2003 DTM, Christijan Albers. Le Mans record winner, Tom Kristensen (Audi), spun on the first lap of the race after a collision and had to come into the pits. The Dane finished 17th. Markus Winkelhock (Audi) caused a moment of shock on lap three. After a tyre failure, he hit the pit wall on the main straight, after which the safety car was out for two laps. Winkelhock remained unscathed.

After a break because of the football Eurocup, the battle for victory continues for the 19 drivers on the day of the Eurocup finale (June 29th) at the legendary Norisring street course in Nuremberg.

Paul di Resta (winner, AMG Mercedes): “I have had already a couple of podium finishes in the DTM, that were great, but it can’t be any better than today. Hopefully, there are many more of such days to follow.”

Timo Scheider (2nd place, Audi Sport Team Abt): “We can be very happy with this result. It is better than expected. Throughout the race, I have given everything, but today, Paul was simply better. Important is I have been able to extend my points’ lead with this second place.”

Mattias Ekström (3rd place, Audi Sport Team Abt Sortsline): “In fact, I had quite a good race. The start wasn’t really perfect, but apart from that, it went quite well. Compared to the race at Mugello, we have changed some things on the car which better suit my driving style. Now, first of all, I am looking forward to the summer break and to watching football.”

Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug: “That was a great race from Paul di Resta. Today, he was in a class of his own and has deserved this win. Paul di Resta’s first race in the DTM isn’t that long ago and I really hope that he can continue this streak. The group of Audis behind us was very strong. But I don’t think that they would have been able to beat Paul. All in all, we are very happy with the result.“

Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: “First of all, congratulations to Mercedes-Benz and Paul di Resta. He has driven a great race and we didn’t have a possibility to overtake him. We have shown a great team performance and thus achieved an excellent result. Bearing in mind that the previous races at the EuroSpeedway didn’t go particularly well for us, we have had a good speed. I am not unhappy with the result. For the next round at the Norisring, we have less weight and we are looking forward to the second half of the season.”

Results:​

1. Paul di Resta
AMG Mercedes
AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 1:10:23.407(Overall Time)
2. Timo Scheider
Audi Sport Team Abt
GW: plus / Top Service Audi A4 DTM +05.562
3. Mattias Ekström
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
Red Bull Audi A4 DTM +08.629
4. Martin Tomczyk
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
Red Bull Audi A4 DTM +10.379
5. Jamie Green
Salzgitter AMG Mercedes
Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +15.911
6. Bruno Spengler
Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG
Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Klasse +18.188
7. Bernd Schneider
Original-Teile AMG Mercedes
Original-Teile AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +20.668
8. Oliver Jarvis
Audi Sport Team Phoenix
Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM +34.508
9. Mike RockenfellerAudi Sport Team Rosberg
S line Audi A4 DTM +35.107
10. Gary Paffett
stern AMG Mercedes
stern AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +35.752
11. Maro Engel
JungeSterne AMG Mercedes
JungeSterne AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +50.698
12. Mathias Lauda
Pixum AMG Mercedes
Pixum AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +57.739
13. Ralf Schumacher
TRILUX AMG Mercedes
TRILUX AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +58.367
14. Christijan Albers
Futurecom-TME
Audi A4 DTM +1:09.220
15. Katherine Legge
Futurecom-TME
Audi A4 DTM +1:11.202
16. Tom Kristensen
Audi Sport Team Abt
Audi A4 DTM +1 lap
17. Susie Stoddart
TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes
TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Klasse +11 laps

DNF​

Markus Winkelhock
Audi Sport Team Rosberg
Playboy Audi A4 DTM +49 laps

Disqualified​

Alexandre Prémat
Audi Sport Team Phoenix
Audi Bank / Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM

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