| Users Online |
 Guests Online: 1
No Members Online
Registered Members: 22
Newest Member: saihen
|
|
 |
Welcome |
|
|
Welcome to DTM Online, a fansite for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.
Make sure to check out our definitive 2008 entry list.
|
|
“Everything I had read about Ralf to date was rubbish” |
|
 In the 2008 DTM season, Mücke-Motorsport is responsible for executing a task with major publicity effect: the Berlin based team enters the AMG Mercedes C-Class for former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher. The six-time Grand Prix winner had the reputation to sometimes be a difficult character.
Prominent figurehead of the Mücke squad: Ralf SchumacherWith three rounds of the 2008 season contested, Team Principal Peter Mücke comes to a positive interim conclusion. In the run-up to the race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, local hero Mücke talks about his prominent driver and the development of his independent team in DTM.
Mr Mücke, how does the co-operation with your new driver, Ralf Schumacher, work? Is it fun or a burden.
Okay, in the beginning I thought: Jesus, what are we going to face? But I have to admit that everything I had read about Ralf to date proved to be rubbish. He is a truly pleasant driver and one of the best I ever have worked with. If something doesn’t run the way it should he doesn’t get choleric but says: ‘Relax guys, I also make my mistakes.” I was honest to him right from the start and told him what he would have to cope with when opting for DTM and the 2007-spec car. And he knowingly made the decision to go this hard way. That’s something I take my hat off to. He is keen on being involved in motor racing - pure motor racing. He is a racer who loves what he is doing - and that speaks in his favour.
So you would say the independent Mücke team was the perfect choice for Ralf?
We have got the impression that he enjoys the feeling that everyone in our team - up to our cook - is fully supporting him.
Why is it that Formula 1 drivers seem to find DTM that difficult?
A DTM car requires a completely different approach. Other than in Formula 1, driving aids are banned in DTM - and the aerodynamic devices are limited. A situation that is similar to the one in Formula 3. Therefore, the young Formula 3 drivers encounter fewer problems on the way to adapting to DTM.
Coming from the capital, you are accustomed to hassle - but how does the team cope with the media hype around Ralf?
The hype takes place outdoor, outside of the garage. Inside, nothing has changed. I truly admire Ralf in some areas. Even when just going to the bathroom he nearly can’t make it back to the pits because of all the fans. Still, he always remains kind. He’s a good sport.
In the meantime, your team has got a 75-person staff and you are the biggest independent team in Germany. Doesn’t this represent a huge responsibility?
I have called myself a racer for all my life and lived my life like racing. From this point of view, this big squad represents a challenge I’m ready to accept. Quite obviously, there is the pressure to be successful but come on: I have coped with this pressure for 34 years. So, you may rely on me also coping with it for the rest of my life. At the same time, I only rarely have got the opportunity to contest a race myself, today, as my son Stefan has got nearly no time for working on my car, due to his sports-car commitment.
Today, Mücke enters cars in four different series: in DTM, the Formula 3 Euro Series, the ADAC Formula Masters and the Formula BMW Europe, with many rounds of the latter being held in the support programme of seven Formula 1 GPs held on European soil. A major organisational challenge, isn’t it?
We necessarily had to advance as a team and the different departments are working more independently, today. I have allocated responsibilities and consequently, the respective persons can work extremely autonomously and I haven’t to be on site, all the time. Basically, this is a positive development for our team - and for me too.
The team from Berlin and the EuroSpeedway Lausitz - a special relationship?
Well, first of all there is the very special relationship - that has grown during the course of many years first - to ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg and its entire team and Jürgen Stamm in particular. After all, he was the one who supported us when we formed our team. Consequently, we regard the race at the Lausitzring as our home event. A race that always is attended by quite a lot of people from our Berlin environment. Therefore, it’s obvious that it’s something special
|
|
|
Scheider: "The EuroSpeedway has got everything a race track needs" |
|
 The EuroSpeedway Lausitz is a facility that is second to none. The ultra-modern complex, which was only opened in 2000 and is thus the "youngest" race track on the DTM schedule, stands for state-of-the-art safety technology, comfort galore and ample space conditions. Audi driver Timo Scheider finds the various combinations of corners on the 3.478-kilometre circuit version highly attractive. The fourth round of the DTM season will be broadcast live on "Das Erste" on Sunday, starting at 1:45 p.m. (local time).
What are the distinctive features of the EuroSpeedway Lausitz?
"The circuit has a very special appeal. The huge grandstand across from the pit lane continues to impress me, even eight years after the circuit was opened. As soon as you leave your own garage, you take in this panoramic view. Better yet is that the grandstand is always crowded because the local fans really enjoy the DTM."
How would you describe the circuit’s characteristics?
"I find the course very harmonious. The EuroSpeedway has got everything a race track needs. Quick corners at the beginning, where aerodynamics counts, very slow places in the rear part of the circuit, where mechanical traction is crucial, and a very long straight that enables slip stream duels."
Do you benefit from the modern facility?
"Everyone benefits from it - the drivers benefit from the good safety standards, the fans from the nice and clean facility and, last but not least, the teams and their mechanics do. There’s an extreme amount of space available for working inside and in front of the garages. This makes pitting safer and more relaxing, even when a large number of cars are stopping or accelerating again at the same time."
How do you perceive the new first turn?
"The idea behind it was to create a braking corner to make overtaking easier. In the actual racing situation that’s okay, but in the starting phase the idea is pretty theoretical, and the line is not typical at all. With two or three cars running side by side, you simply can’t see the kerbs along the edge of the race track any more and can find yourself out on the grass very quickly. Actually, that shouldn’t be the purpose of a modification."
|
|
|
Three Winners in Three Races - Seven Drivers within Seven Points |
|
 Three Winners in Three Races - Seven Drivers within Seven Points
The Lausitzring is the venue for the fourth round of the 2008 DTM; it will be the 10th DTM event at this track since its inauguration in 2000. Following the first three races there are seven drivers at the top of the overall ranking. Jamie Green (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), winner of the previous race in Mugello 10 days ago, is second with 17 points, one point behind Timo Scheider (Audi). Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class), second in Mugello, is fourth overall with 13 points; Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) is seventh with 11 points. One year ago, Mika Häkkinen drove the AMG Mercedes C-Class to victory at the Lausitzring; seven C-Class drivers finished among the top eight in 2007.
Statistics: Nine DTM races have been staged at the Lausitzring so far. After eight laps behind the Safety Car, the first race in 2000 was stopped due to heavy rain without classification. The second race on the same day was not started for the same reason. Mercedes-Benz won six out of the eight races held there so far; Bernd Schneider won three races (2002, 2003 and 2006); Peter Dumbreck (2001), Gary Paffett (Mai 2005) and Mika Häkkinen (2007) won one race each.
Fastest pit stops: In the addition of the total duration of both mandatory pit stops, the Mercedes-Benz teams did the fastest jobs in the three DTM races of the 2008 season so far:
• In Mugello, Susie Stoddart and the Persson team took an impressive best time of 46.607sec ahead of Bernd Schneider and HWA with 46.999sec. The best time of the competition, Timo Scheider and the Abt team were 0.429sec slower than Persson’s best.
• In Oschersleben, HWA was the fastest working team; here, Jamie Green recorded the best time with 49.305sec ahead of Paul Di Resta with 49.446sec. Ekström needed 49.653sec.
• In Hockenheim, Bernd Schneider and HWA did the fastest job; it took him 36.175sec including pit entry and exit; Ekström, was 0.411sec slower.
Both pit stops have to be completed during the second third of the respective race. In the 48-lap race at the Lausitzring this will be between lap 16 and lap 32.
|
|
|
Audi aims to defend DTM championship lead |
|
 Hockenheim, Oschersleben, Mugello and now the EuroSpeedway - the action moves on quickly in the 2008 DTM. Only 14 days after the excursion to Italy the most popular international touring car series returns to Germany. Audi aims to defend the DTM championship lead at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz.
Tom Kristensen at MugelloThe new Audi A4 DTM is unbeaten on German soil. This should remain so if possible, even if the four cars fielded by Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline must again race with additional success ballast. This time the handicap to Mercedes is ten kilograms. And it does not stop here: The year old A4 Audis are also heavier than the rivals from Stuttgart.
The last time Audi won in the DTM at the EuroSpeedway was during the 2005 season. Then Mattias Ekström had a breathtaking duel with Mercedes driver Gary Paffett over the entire race distance. The win also went to Mattias Ekström last year - admittedly after the race, since the Mercedes that crossed the line in front of him did not have the correct amount of fuel in the tank as stipulated by the regulations.
Mercedes won at the EuroSpeedway in 2006 and 2007, whereby last year’s race finished in commotion due to the contentious use of the Safety Car. After much discussion only half points were awarded.
Timo Scheider was the only Audi driver to score points in the Lausitz last year. This time, the German comes as championship leader to the EuroSpeedway. The 29-year old took pole position with the new Audi A4 DTM at each of the first three races and celebrated his first DTM victory at Oschersleben. Scheider also mounted the podium at Hockenheim. The Audi driver was a little unlucky at Mugello: Because his car lurched forward when the start-lights were still red Scheider was awarded a drive-through penalty. Without this mishap the German would certainly have more than a one-point lead in the standings over Mercedes driver Jamie Green.
DTM fans can enjoy the close battle at the head of the table: After three races the first seven are separated by a mere seven points and therefore all have a chance of leaving the EuroSpeedway as championship leader. Four drivers of the new Audi A4 DTM, who are currently first, third, fifth and sixth, are among the contenders.
The race at the EuroSpeedway starts on Sunday (18 May) at 2:00 p.m. local time. ARD broadcasts live from the Lausitz on "Das Erste" from 1:45 p.m. local time. Qualifying is also broadcast live on "Das Erste" (from 1:30 p.m. local time). Free practice on Saturday morning can be seen live on www.dtm.tv. Background features and interviews are available on Audi tv.
|
|
|
Quotes before the race at the EuroSpeedway |
|
Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #1): "I’m really looking forward to the Lausitz. I think that it’ll be a tough battle again for the points. The championship is incredibly close. At the end every point will be important."
Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #2): "The EuroSpeedway will be a huge challenge for us because Mercedes was always very strong there over the last few years. We’ll prepare ourselves for a tough race. Audi has a new car; however, we are unsure as to just how well we can tune it to suit the circuit. Maybe we’ll have a little more potential than in the previous years."
Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM #9): "The EuroSpeedway is the complete opposite of Mugello: In Italy there were long and fast corners, in the Lausitz there are predominantly slow corners and direction changes. The majority of the corners are taken in second or third gear; there is only one fast corner. At every other point it’s all about braking and traction. The tarmac has very little grip. I’m convinced that my edelweiss car will be strong there also. I want to continue my improving trend."
Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM #10): "I’m pleased that our cars are ten kilos lighter than at Mugello. We have a good package, and I’m still at the top of the table. I hope that I can defend the lead at the EuroSpeedway. It won’t be easy but we are heading in the right direction. The new A4 was very strong in the first three races."
Alexandre Prémat (Audi Bank/Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM #14): "I really like the circuit and was the best Audi driver in qualifying there last year. The circuit is quite fast, has a couple of tight chicanes, and it’s difficult to be really fast there."
Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM #15): "This’ll be my first time at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, so I’ll have a lot to learn. However, together with Audi Sport Team Phoenix I want to continue our strong form and hope to have a good race."
Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM #18): "It won’t be any easier at the Lausitzring because we’ll have another five kilos in the car. Our pace wasn’t so good last year, so it’ll be even more difficult than at Mugello. I’m personally not a great fan of the track, but I’ll try everything. I’m hoping to have a race without an accident. Then with a little bit of luck you can finish in the points."
Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM #19): "The track has always suited my style. I won one of my first Formula 3 races there, which is why I hope that I’ll also be on the pace in the DTM."
Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM #20): "I’m already really looking forward to the EuroSpeedway - even though it’s a circuit that I’ve never driven on. The track looks as if it should be a lot of fun to learn."
Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM #21): "It’ll probably be very difficult at the EuroSpeedway. I wasn’t particularly successful there in 2003 and 2004. But now I’m driving an Audi! I was flying towards the end of the race at Mugello. I hope that things continue as they are. My motto is maximum attack!"
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "Over the last few years things haven’t usually run so well for us in the Lausitz. However, this shouldn’t be a reason not to do things much better this year. We’ll concentrate on bringing home another good result."
|
|
|
Marquess and Revolverheld to entertain the Lausitz crowds |
|
The motor-racing enthusiasts attending the EuroSpeedway Lausitz round may look forward to listening to a lot of varied music, on race Sunday. In addition to the German band ‘Revolverheld’ who already inspired the crowds with their hits performed during the DTM Launch in Düsseldorf, the band Marquess that took the charts by storm also are going to entertain the fans with a live concert.
Marquess is the cross sum of the work of four musicians from Spain, Germany, Italy and Romania. The music quartet gained the major part of its popularity with its summer hit ‘Vayamos Compañeros’ that made it to the second place in the German charts. With their album ‘Frenetica’, Marquess demonstrated that they aren’t just summer-hit specialists. Just as their first single, ‘Vayamos Compañeros’, ‘Frenetica’ also achieved gold status in Germany and secured second position in the official German charts. And both publications held top-100 positions in the ‘Mediacontrol Charts’ for many months. For the ‘Echo 2008’, one of the globally most renowned music awards, Marquess have been nominated in the category ‘Group of the Year’.
The four musicians play tunes with emotions and fun, with catchy hooks and a sound that makes you start dreaming in the twinkling of an eye. In the meantime, Marquess also are remarkably successful beyond the German borders. In the air-play charts of Poland and the Czech Republic, they leaped to No 1 right away - and the same applies to the official sales charts of Switzerland. In Austria, Finland and Sweden they also made it to the sales-chart top 15 and were played in the radio day in and day out.
Revolverheld and Marquess will play on race Sunday during the pit walk. Tickets for the fourth DTM round still can be ordered online at www.dtm.com/tickets or by telephone at the ‘DTM-Ticketline’ +49 1805 723000 (14 ct./min, mobile-call prices can differ).
|
|
|
Interesting to know that… |
|
...Timo Scheider’s pole position was the eighth consecutive pole for Audi. Since the 2007 Mugello round (15th July, 2007), every DTM pole position was secured by an Audi.
...Timo Scheider clinched his third consecutive pole position. In the season kick-off at Hockenheim and in round two at Oschersleben, the Audi driver also was the pole-sitter.
…that Jamie Green did not only win the race alone, at Mugello, but also set the fastest race lap.
…race winner Jamie Green also established a new DTM lap record: the Briton lapped the 5.245-kilometre circuit located in the Tuscany in 1:45.273 minutes, thus being 0.853 seconds faster than Martin Tomczyk when setting last year’s fastest race lap (1:46.126 minutes).
…Jamie Green lost his race lead for just two laps. On laps 16 and 17, Markus Winkelhock was the race leader, while Green held the lead for 31 laps, representing a total mileage of 162.595 kilometres.
...it was the first time since ten races that Bruno Spengler had to leave a DTM venue empty-handed. The last time the Canadian encountered this fate was the second round of the 2007 DTM season, held at Oschersleben.
…Jamie Green scored points in each of the past six rounds, thus replacing Spengler - who failed to score at Mugello - as the most consistent point-scorer.
…Oliver Jarvis finished fifth in his third DTM race, thus scoring his maiden DTM points. In his DTM debut, at Hockenheim, he also came close to score by finishing ninth.
…Markus Winkelhock is the best placed 2007-spec car driver, with three rounds of the season contested. With five points on his tally, he currently holds ninth position in the drivers’ championship.
…Bruno Spengler set the fastest lap of the entire weekend when crossing the line in 1:42.425 minutes, in Saturday’s practice session.
…Mercedes-Benz drivers Paul di Resta, Jamie Green and Bruno Spengler completed 127 laps each, thus covering the biggest mileage (666.115 kilometres) of the weekend.
...the Audi and Mercedes-Benz teams completed a total of 2,244 laps on the 5.245-kilometre circuit, representing a total mileage of 11,769.78 kilometres. The Audi drivers covered 6,078,955 kilometres (1,159 laps), while the Mercedes-Benz drivers completed 1,085 laps (5,690.825 kilometres).
|
|
|
Mugello: Analysis |
|
The third round of the 2008 DTM season, held at Mugello, Italy, featured enthralling battles and several surprising situations for the crowds. Prior to the start, it looked as if it would be another Audi dominated race but this assessment quickly proved to be wrong. Right at the start, Jamie Green and Paul di Resta rocketed away to take the lead - and defended it until having crossed the finish line. Tom Kristensen, the best of the Audi drivers, finished third, thus completing the podium. The result: the championship remains thrilling. After all, the top-seven drivers are split by just seven points, with three of the eleven DTM rounds being contested. dtm.com took a close look at the performances of all the 19 DTM drivers and teams - and analysed them.
Jamie Green (3/ 10 / 4 / 2 / 8 / 1): In the third race of the season - the Mugello round - Jamie delivered whenever it counted: in the qualifying session on Saturday and the race on Sunday. It’s true, he was pipped in the battle for pole but his second grid position represented the basis for his third DTM win. At the start he benefited from Scheider’s false start but then, none of his rivals was able to match the pace of the Briton. This also was demonstrated by the fastest race lap Jamie set as early as on lap two. A well-deserved victory - for both Jamie and Mercedes-Benz.
Grade: 1
Paul di Resta (6 / 1 / 10 / 5 / 5 / 2): He had to leave Hockenheim, the venue of the season kick-off, empty-handed, but afterwards, Paul improved continuously. He was reasonably contented with having qualified fifth - yet, he would have loved to have done even better. From his fifth grid position he made a great start and leaped to second position, behind Green, before entering turn one. The Scot had announced to be ready to fight hard for a podium finish - but hadn’t to do so. Jus as Green, he quickly opened a gap on the rest of the field. Second place was the well-deserved reward for an impressive race.
Grade: 2
Tom Kristensen (4 / 6 / 5 / 3 / 3 / 3): In qualifying, things looked different but it had been in the offing that the Mugello round would be a difficult one, for Audi. At the Tuscany rollercoaster, the 20kg additional weight proved to be a particularly severe handicap. Still, Tom succeeded in impressing by securing top positions in every single session. The Dane was completely happy with his third grid position and the final podium finish secured in the race. A better result just wasn’t possible, at Mugello.
Grade: 2
Bernd Schneider (8 / 3 / 9 / 7 / 10 / 4): Having finished eighth in the season opener and twelfth in round two, DTM Record Champion Bernd Schneider was happy with his Mugello achievements. By securing fourth place, he came close to making it to the podium. An even more impressive result in consideration of the fact that he had qualified only seventh, with a lap time half a second slower than the one of the pole-sitter. In the race, however, Schneider made perfect use of his huge experience. He drove an unobtrusive but fast and clever race. At the end of the day, Schneider demonstrated that he always must be taken into account.
Grade: 3
Oliver Jarvis (11 / 9 / 8 / 11 / 15 / 5): It didn’t take Oliver a long time to score his maiden DTM points. At Hockenheim, he came close to doing so by finishing ninth and at Mugello, he finished fifth to score four drivers’-championship points. The rookie slowly turns into an insider tip and it seems to be just a question of time when the Briton will celebrate his first podium finish. Following his good start, he succeeded in keeping his team-mate Prémat behind him, in the first third of the race. And in the closing stages, he successfully fended off the pressurising reigning champion, Mattias Ekström.
Grade: 2
Mattias Ekström (1 / 2 / 2 / 4 / 2 / 6): Following this win in the season opener, things went anything but perfectly, for the Swede - and this also applies for the Mugello round. From his fourth grid position he made a poor start and dropped back to a midfield position before entering turn one. Consequently, he had no chance of becoming a factor in the battle for the top positions. Afterwards, he was involved in numerous battles that cost him a lot of time and his chance of securing a better result. In the closing stages, he had to give his very best to keep Winkelhock in the 2007-spec car at bay.
Grade: 3
Markus Winkelhock (12 / 5 / 7 / 8 / 7 / 7): Markus scored points for the second consecutive time. Having finished sixth at Oschersleben, he drove another fine race at Mugello and was rewarded with seventh place. The German delivered in consistent style throughout the weekend and in qualifying, he proved to be the only driver of a 2007-spec car to make it to the final leg of the session. Altogether, he didn’t quite match the performance of Oliver Jarvis but experienced a solid weekend, nevertheless.
Grade: 2
Alexandre Prémat (9 / 8 / 12 / 9 / 9 / 11 / 8): Compared to his team-mate, Alexandre again proved to be inferior, at Mugello. From his ninth grid positions, he delivered a fine race in the opening stages and worked his way up to sixth place. When it came to the pit stops, however, Jarvis was the first to be called in and as a result, the Frenchman dropped back behind Ekström and Winkelhock - to hold this position until the race was over.
Grade: 3
Bruno Spengler (5 / 7 / 1 / 6 / 6 / 9): While his team-mates secured the first Mercedes-Benz win in 2008, Bruno, the self-styled title contender, had to settle for coming close to scoring a point. The Canadian made a really poor start and in turn one, he was involved in a close encounter with Martin Tomczyk. In the incident, his aerodynamics were damaged and consequently, he wasn’t able to match the pace Green, di Resta and Schneider.
Grade: 4
Timo Scheider (2 / 4 / 3 / 1 / 1 / 10): On Saturday top, on Sunday a flop. In the third DTM round of the season, Timo secured his third consecutive pole. But he mulled the start by rolling (for a short moment) off the line too early. He stopped again, was passed by Green and di Resta - to then receive a drive-thru penalty for a false start. The end of his hopes for securing another top result. Still, Timo displayed a lot of fighting spirit and entertained the crowds with numerous overtaking manoeuvres. In the closing stages, he closed in on Spengler but failed to pass him. At the end of the day, Timo had to leave Mugello empty-handed but still holds the championship lead, nevertheless.
Grade: 3
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
Quotes from the Audi drivers after the race |
|
Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM #9): "The start was okay. In the first turn Jamie (Green) was in front already, but there was a nice fight with Paul di Resta and Timo Scheider. We went into the next corners side by side, and I was in third position. Up to the first pit stop, I was quicker than Paul. My pit stop was good, but so was Paul’s. After leaving the pit lane I kept trailing him closely. Then, unfortunately, we caught a white Mercedes, which let di Resta pass but slowed me for a whole lap. I lost a little more than four seconds in the process. On this circuit that means the race is over. That was a shame because I’d have liked to keep fighting with Paul for second place. I think the spectators would have enjoyed that too. My car was superb. But 20 kilograms of additional weight do make a difference over a whole racing distance.”
Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM #15): "My start was good, I overtook two cars and went through turn one on the outside line. This proved yet again how important it is to make a good start. In the first third of the race Alex (Prémat) put on a lot of pressure but I wouldn’t let him pass. During the pit stops the team did a fantastic job. Unfortunately, I stalled the engine at the first stop, but this didn’t cost us a position. In the final third of the race Mattias Ekström was running behind me and I had to give everything up to the finish. It was a tough race in which I scored my first points, coming fifth. The team definitely deserved this - I’m happy for everyone.”
Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #1): "I had a very bad start and lost a lot of places. In the first turn I made up some ground again. Then I got entangled in fights throughout the race and at least scored a few points in sixth place.”
Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM #19): "My start was less than perfect. I did overtake a Mercedes, but Prémat and Jarvis had fantastic starts on the side of the track with better grip. This cost me some places. The car’s balance in the race wasn’t bad. After the last pit stop I came back out after Mattias Ekström, was able to easily keep the pace and, maybe, was even a little quicker. That’s a shame because it means my poor start decided the outcome of my race. Also, there were some problems during the pit stop. I can live with seventh place, because we scored two points.”
Alexandre Prémat (Audi Bank/Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM #14): "That was a very tough race. From the start, I gave everything. In our team, Oliver (Jarvis) used the first opportunity for his first pit stop. That was perfect for him. Unfortunately, I lost some time because Winkelhock and Ekström passed me at the pits. Otherwise fifth or sixth place would have been possible easily, because the car was very pleasant to drive on the first and second set of tyres. But it was good for the team to have scored points.”
Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM #10): "The race itself was great but my start was the reason for the flop. I probably didn’t warm up my brakes enough. Although the parking brake was closed there was a jolt. So the pressure wasn’t high enough. When preloading it the car moved. I’m really sorry about that. That was my mistake. My thanks go to the boys - the car was sensational. The positive part about it is that we’re still leading the standings. It was clear that days like this would come. We’re not going to stick our heads in the sand. Another positive thing is that our performance was right. We showed that Mugello has good opportunities for overtaking.”
Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM #21): "The start wasn’t so good. In turns one and three I was pushed towards the outside in traffic. Then I fought, but Mathias Lauda was in front of us. Mike Rockenfeller and Ralf Schumacher wanted to pass but it didn’t work. This cost us a lot of time. I was able to pass only after the second stop. After that, I was able to get away from my immediate rivals and my race wasn’t bad. I’m satisfied with the good times I set.”
Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM #18): "I had a good start and was on the outside next to Markus (Winkelhock). But in the first corner someone ran into my car and I almost spun. My car was very heavily damaged. Actually, I could have just quit. But I did finish the race and came fourteenth.”
Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #2): "I had a perfect start and made up a lot of places. In the first turn I got into a sandwich between Ekström and Rockenfeller. As a result, my front bonnet came loose and that was the end of my race. I could have scored points. But these things happen if you start from the rear of the grid. Of course it’s a shame that something like this happens when you’re only surrounded by Audi colleagues.”
Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM #20): "We didn’t have a particularly good race. We fought hard, but for some reason we keep losing too much time. That was the case in qualifying as well as throughout race Sunday. We’re struggling with massive oversteer. We need to take our time and carefully analyse the situation. We’re still simply lacking experience.”
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "For some reason, racing luck just doesn’t seem to be on our side at Mugello. Like last year, after a very good showing in qualifying, we finished with a less favourable result in the race. At least we managed to get Tom (Kristensen) on the podium and many cars into the points. Considering our performance, which we showed in qualifying despite carrying 20 kilograms more weight compared to Mercedes, we’d been hoping for a better result, though. But when you give away your chances at the start, it’s very difficult on this circuit to move to the front. Particularly, if you’ve got to deal with additional weight. That’s hard on the tyres as well. At the EuroSpeedway we’ll attack again with a little less weight.”
|
|
|
Quotes from all Mercedes-Benz drivers after the race |
|
Jamie Green (2008 Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), winner: “The start was the key for my win today. The car was perfect and with the pit stops and the strategy our team didn’t put a foot wrong. I am proud of the team performance of Mercedes-Benz and HWA and I am happy that I could reward everybody for their hard work with my victory today.“
Paul Di Resta (2008 AMG Mercedes C-Class), second: “At the start I saw a chance to move up and I did it. Yesterday in qualifying I made a few mistakes, but today everything went well and I am happy about my second place. I thank my team for a great car and perfect pit stops.”
Bernd Schneider (2008 Genuine Parts AMG Mercedes C-Class), fourth: “I got off the line very well and this was the basis for my fourth place. The car ran really well and our team did a great job; accelerating after my second pitstop I almost overtook Tom Kristensen. After the first two races of the year I am happy with today’s fourth place.”
Bruno Spengler (2008 Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class), ninth: “I made a poor start and lost several positions. Then I had a coming-together with another car and as a consequence some aerodynamic parts were damaged. Therefore I wasn’t able to push as usual and had to be content with ninth place.”
Maro Engel (2007 JungeSterne AMG Mercedes C-Class), 11th: “I didn’t expect to become best driver with a 2007 AMG Mercedes C-Class and therefore I am really happy about 11th place. Our team did a great job and that I came home ahead of Gary is like a little win for me.”
Gary Paffett (2007 stern AMG Mercedes C-Class), 12th: “At the start I improved by a couple of positions, but my speed was not perfect and therefore I was not able to move up more places.“
Susie Stoddart (2007 TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class), 15th: “I started well and during the first stint I drove a solid race. Unfortunately I later lost some places and I didn’t have the speed to improve.”
Mathias Lauda (2007 Pixum AMG Mercedes C-Class), 16th: “Following a collision after the start my car was damaged at the right side. I suffered from oversteer and was not able to move up. However, I enjoyed the fights, particularly that one with Martin Tomczyk towards the end of the race.”
Ralf Schumacher (Trilux AMG Mercedes C-Class 2007), retired after a collision: “I had wheelspin and therefore didn’t start so well and lost some positions. When I tried to catch up I collided with another car and a carbon part intruded the wheelhouse and damaged the tyre. Therefore I wasn’t able to continue.”
Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “A deserved 1-2 victory for Jamie and Paul. Like Lewis Hamilton, they came from our Formula 3 junior programme and all three have been Euro Series champions. I am particularly glad, that both Jamie and Paul are able to race at the front also in the DTM. Congratulations to them and also to Bernd who finished fourth and almost managed to finish third after his second stop. On his fastest race lap at this really challenging circuit, Jamie was four tenths of a second faster than the best competitor which is almost exactly according to our 20 kilo weight advantage at this race. We had a good strategy, a good speed and optimum pit stops. Gerhard Ungar, Hans-Jürgen Mattheis and their HWA team did a great job here. Thank you to the entire team.”
|
|
|
| Login |
Not a member yet? Click here to register.
Forgotten your password? Request a new one here.
|
|
v6.01.13 © 2003-2005