DTM 2009 SCHEDULE
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19th April 2009 DTM Launch Dusseldorf
17th May Hockenheimring Baden-Wurttemberg (D)
31st May EuroSpeedway Lausitz (D)
28th June Norisring (D)
19th July Circuit Park Zandvoort (NL)
2nd August Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (D)
16th August Nurburgring (D)
6th September Brands Hatch (GB)
20th September Circuit de Catalunya, Barcelona (E)
11th October Dijon (F)
25th October Hockenheimring Baden-Wurttemberg (D)
DTM DRIVERS 2009
NO DRIVER COUNTRY TEAM CAR
1 Timo Scheider Germany Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline A4 DTM 2009
2 Tom Kristensen Denmark Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline A4 DTM 2009
3 Paul di Resta Scotland AMG Mercedes Mercedes
C Klasse 2009
4 Ralf Schumacher Germany Trilux AMG Mercedes Mercedes
C-Klasse 2009
5 Mattias Ekstrom Sweden Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline A4 DTM 2009
6 Martin Tomczyk Germany Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline A4 DTM 2009
7 Jamie Green G Britain Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes Mercedes
C-Klasse 2008
8 Susie Stoddart Scotland TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes Mercedes
C-Klasse 2008
9 Bruno Spengler Canada Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Mercedes-Benz
C-Klasse 2009
10 Gary Paffett G Britain Salzgitter AMG Mercedes Mercedes
C-Klasse 2009
11 Mike Rockenfeller Germany Audi Sport Team Rosberg A4 DTM 2008
12 Markus Winkelhock Germany Audi Sport Team Rosberg A4 DTM 2008
14 Alexandre Premat France Audi Sport Team Phoenix A4 DTM 2008
15 Oliver Jarvis G Britain Audi Sport Team Phoenix A4 DTM 2008
16 Maro Engel Germany GQ AMG Mercedes Mercedes
C-Klasse 2008
17 Mathias Lauda Austria AMG Mercedes Mercedes
C-Klasse 2008
18 Christian Bakkerud Denmark Futurecom-TME A4 DTM 2007
19 Johannes Seidlitz Germany Futurecom-TME A4 DTM 2007
21 Katherine Legge G Britain Audi Sport Team Abt Lady Power A4 DTM 2008
Here are the 2009 DTM Drivers
The DTM drivers for 2009 - Christian Bakkerud, Paul di Resta, Mattias Ekstrom, Maro Engel, Jamie Green, Oliver Jarvis, Tom Kristensen, Mathias Lauda, Katherine Legge, Gary Paffett, Alexandre Premat, Mike Rockenfeller, Timo Scheider, Ralf Schumacher, Johannes Seidlitz, Bruno Spengler, Susie Stoddart, Martin Tomczyk, and Markus Winkelhock.
FINAL 2009 SEASON DTM DRIVERS POINTS
(AFTER HOCKENHEIM, OCTOBER 25, 2009)
POS DRIVER POINTS
1 Timo Scheider 64
2 Gary Paffett 59
3 Paul Di Resta 45
4 Bruno Spengler 41
5 Mattias Ekstrom 41
6 Martin Tomczyk 35
7 Jamie Green 27
8 Tom Kristensen 21
9 Oliver Jarvis 18
10 Markus Winkelhock 11
11 Ralf Schumacher 9
12 Maro Engel 8
13 Alexandre Premat 6
14 Mike Rockenfeller 4
15 Mathias Lauda 1
FINAL 2009 SEASON DTM TEAM POINTS
(AFTER HOCKENHEIM, OCTOBER 25, 2009)
POS TEAM POINTS
1 Salzgitter / Mercedes-Benz Bank 100
2 Audi Sport Team Abt 85
3 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 76
4 Trilux AMG Mercedes 54
5 TV Spielfim / Junge Sterne AM 27
6 Audi Sport Team Phoenix 24
7 Audi Sport Team Rosberg 15
8 GQ / stern AMG Mercedes 9
HOCKENHEIMRING
BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG
OCTOBER 25, 2009
PAFFETT WINS THE FINALE - SCHEIDER IS DTM CHAMPION
Hockenheim. Timo Scheider is the 2009 DTM champion. Second place in the grand finale of the season at the Hockenheimring Baden-Wuerttemberg was enough for the 30 year old Audi driver to clinch his second overall DTM win after 2008. The winner of the race and main rival in the battle for the title, Gary Paffett (GB/Mercedes-Benz) was able to make up two points on the German, but eventually was beaten with a difference of five points. Audi became the first manufacturer in history of the DTM to win three consecutive drivers' titles.
Accompanied by a huge fireworks display and the cheers from the fans and numerous VIPs like Boris Becker and top model Eva Padberg, Scheider thanked his team on the radio after crossing the finish line: "This is just awesome. You are the greatest." After DTM record champion Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz) in 2000 and 2001, Scheider became the first driver to successfully defend his title. Although Paffett crossed the finish line as the race winner four times this season, Scheider came out on top because of his greater consistency. The German won two races, scored four second places and one fourth, one fifth and one sixth place. The 2009 teams' classification brought victory for Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank with 100 points from Audi Sport Team Abt with 85 points. British driver Jamie Green won the title as the best-placed driver of a 2008 spec car for Mercedes-Benz.
The finale couldn't have been any closer. On the second lap after the start, Paffett already overtook Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom and took the lead. On lap three, the Swede moved back up into first place again, but had damaged the radiator of his car in the battle with Paffett and parked his Audi A4 DTM in the pits two laps later. Paffett led and Scheider followed him in second place until the finish.
Dane Tom Kristensen (Audi) had a turbulent race. After two spins, the Le Mans record winner bowed out of the DTM with a 15th place finish. "It didn't go so well today, but all in all, I had a marvellous time in the DTM. I hope that in 2010, I will be able to win the Le Mans 24 Hours for the ninth time", said Kristensen.
Frenchman Alexandre Premat was the best placed driver of a 2008 spec car in the finale. With his Audi A4 DTM, he ended up fourth behind Scottish driver Paul Di Resta with the AMG Mercedes C-Class.
Ralf Schumacher ended his second season with only a brief appearance. On the second lap, the Mercedes-Benz driver lost the bonnet of his car and had to retire. Schumacher ended up eleventh in the final points' standings.
QOUTES AFTER RACE:
2009 DTM champion 2009 Timo Scheider (Audi Sport Team Abt): "This is a moment in my life that I can only hardly describe. I owe all this to my team, to Audi and especially to my family, and that makes me really proud. I had a lot of pressure and expectations resting on my shoulders, particularly the fact that I was defending the title. Gary was a hard, but fair rival and would have deserved the title, too.
I had a great race with two good pit stops. Today, I didn't want to take any big risks. For me, it was just about brining it home. All in all, I am very happy. At the start of this year, I gave my word that I will marry my fiancee Jasmin. And I kept all the promises I have made in my life. Now, It looks like I will have to deliver on another promise."
2009 DTM runner-up Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes): "This season, we have scored four victories. That means that we had a great car throughout the year. Still, in some races, it didn't go really well. I reckon that the races at Barcelona and Nuerburgring have cost me the title. After Dijon, the championship came within reach for us once more. We haven't won the championship and obviously, I am now slightly disappointed. However, we can be satisfied. We had a good year."
Audi motorsport director dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: "Timo has simply always managed to concentrate for 100 percent on what is important and he has managed to get the maximum out of it. Of course, one also needs a little bit of luck, you don't always have it in your own hand. I call that the luck of those who are determined. The third title in a row for Audi, that is a great joy for me. Especially because it probably was the most difficult title that we had to fight for. We had an extremely strong rival who will be making life difficult for us again next year."
Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug: "I am highly satisfied: Gary has won four races this season and we have managed to decide 60 percent of all the races in our favour. That is a good percentage. Timo has scored five more points, but Gary has scored twice as many wins. I am happy that we had a great race to round off the season. We have shown that we can race out in front. I am very happy, never mind about the five points. The winner takes it all. Next year, we will attack again. We have won the teams' classification and for us, that is not just a consolation. It is the biggest accolade that a team can win."
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RACE RESULTS HOCKENHEIM, OCTOBER 25, 2009
POS NO DRIVER NAT CAR LAPS GAP
1 10 Gary Paffett GBR Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 09 39
2 1 Timo Scheider GER GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM 09 39 01.043
3 3 Paul Di Resta GBR AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 09 39 01.792
4 14 Alexandre Premat FRA Audi Bank A4 DTM 08 39 05.234
5 7 Jamie Green GBR Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 09 39 05.994
6 15 Oliver Jarvis GBR AUDI A4 DTM 08 39 07.737
7 9 Bruno Spengler CAN Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Klasse 09 39 08.664
8 12 Markus Winkelhock GER Playboy Audi A4 DTM 08 39 09.847
9 11 Mike Rockenfeller GER S line Audi A4 DTM 08 39 10.355
10 16 Maro Engel GER GQ AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 08 39 11.009
11 20 Tomas Kostka CZE AUDI A4 DTM 07 39 16.744
12 18 Christian Bakkerud DEN AUDI A4 DTM 07 39 20.574
13 19 Johannes Seidlitz GER AUDI A4 DTM 07 39 23.587
14 17 Mathias Lauda AUT stern AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 08 39 41.679
15 2 Tom Kristensen DEN 100 Jahre Audi - A4 DTM 09 39 2:23.250
16 8 Susie Stoddart GBR TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 08 31 8 laps
17 21 Katherine Legge GBR Audi Collection A4 DTM 08 30 9 laps
NOT CLASSIFIED
5 Mattias Ekstrom SWE Red Bull Audi A4 DTM 09 5 34 laps
4 Ralf Schumacher GER Trilux AMG Mercedes C-Klasse 09 1 38 laps
6 Martin Tomczyk GER Red Bull Cola Audi A4 DTM 09 0 39 laps
DIJON-PRENOIS
FRANCE, OCTOBER 11, 2009
PAFFETT WINS, TITLE SHOWDOWN WITH SCHEIDER AT THE FINALE
Dijon-Prenois. The premiere of the DTM in the French city of Dijon was much to the liking of the 26,000 spectators. Great recoveries, spectacular pit stops and door to door fights marked the ninth round of the season. Eventually, the fans celebrated the victory of the overjoyed British Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett. The 28 year old started from eighth place, made his way up and ran in second place behind Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom from Sweden for a huge part of the race. With six laps remaining, the left rear tyre on Ekstrom's car blew and that left the road clear for Paffett to claim victory and ten valuable points for the championship battle. "The result in qualifying wasn't what we had wanted. Making up from eighth to first was our goal, and we succeeded. Moreover, scoring the first victory here is just fantastic. Following Mattias' puncture, I was able to back off a little bit. But finding the balance between attack and caution wasn't easy", said Paffett about the 13th victory of his DTM career. With 49 points, Paffett is seven points down on reigning champion Timo Scheider (Audi), who still finished sixth after a great recovery from 16th place on the grid, in spite of a puncture in the race, and managed to score three points. "That was a topsy turvy race. I had a puncture during my first stint two corners before the pitlane entry. With luck, I still made it into the pits and there wasn't any further damage to the car. From 16th place on the grid, we have made up ten positions. We have to be happy with that", said Scheider about the race.
Paul Di Resta,Gary Paffett and Bruno Spengler
Dijon, France - October 11, 2009
In ninth place, Ekstrom just missed out on scoring any points and now has no chance of playing a role in the battle for the title anymore. This will be decided by Scheider and Paffett in a fortnight during the season finale at the Hockenheimring Baden-Wurttemberg.
Four further Mercedes-Benz drivers in second to fifth place completed the lock-out of the top five for the brand from Stuttgart. Scotsman Paul Di Resta, Bruno Spengler from Canada, Brit Jamie Green as the best placed driver of a 2008 spec car and exFormula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher crossed the finish line behind the winner. For Schumacher, this was his best result in a DTM race to date.
The finale at the Hockenheimring promises excitement. Scheider could become the first driver after DTM record champion Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz) to successfully defend his title. When Paffett wins the title, he would be inducted into the DTM Hall of Fame after his championship win in 2005. On top of that, victory in the teams' championship is also still at stake in the finale. Here, Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Mercedes is leading with 88 points from Audi Sport Team Abt with 77 points. The grand final weekend of the DTM will be taking place at the Hockenheimring Baden-Wurttemberg from October 23rd till 25th.
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RACE RESULTS BARCELONA, SEPTEMBER 20, 2009
POS NO DRIVER NAT CAR LAPS GAP
1 10 Gary Paffett GBR Salzgitter AMG Mercedes 09 52
2 3 Paul Di Resta GBR AMG Mercedes 09 52 00.834
3 9 Bruno Spengler CAN Mercedes-Benz Financial AMG 09 52 01.055
4 7 Jamie Green GBR Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes 08 52 01.308
5 4 Ralf Schumacher GER Trilux AMG Mercedes 09 52 01.807
6 1 Timo Scheider GER Audi Sport Team Abt 09 52 02.239
7 6 Martin Tomczyk GER Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 09 52 03.260
8 17 Mathias Lauda AUT stern AMG Mercedes 08 52 04.021
9 5 Mattias Ekstrom SWE Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 08 52 04.577
10 12 Markus Winkelhock GER Audi Sport Team Rosberg 08 52 04.988
11 14 Alexandre Premat FRA Audi Sport Team Phoenix 08 52 05.228
12 16 Maro Engel GER GQ AMG Mercedes 08 52 05.938
13 11 Mike Rockenfeller GER Audi Sport Team Rosberg 08 52 08.158
14 8 Susie Stoddart GBR TV Spielfim AMG Mercedes 08 52 09.715
15 15 Oliver Jarvis GBR Audi Sport Team Phoenix 08 51 1 lap
16 21 Katherine Legge GBR Audi Sport Team Abt Lady Power 08 51 1 lap
17 20 Tomas Kostka CZE KOLLES Futurecom-BRT 07 51 1 lap
18 2 Tom Kristensen DEN Audi Sport Team Abt 09 48 4 laps
NOT CLASSIFIED
18 Christian Bakkerud DEN KOLLES Futurecom-TME 07 10 42 laps
19 Johannes Seidlitz GER KOLLES Futurecom-TME 07 9 43 laps
CIRCUIT DE CATALUNYA, BARCELONA
SPAIN, SEPTEMBER 20, 2009
TIMO SCHEIDER ON COURSE FOR DTM TITLE
Montmelo - A perfect strategy, two ideal pit stops and a flawless race. At the Circuit de Catalunya, this was the base for Audi driver Timo Scheider for a big step towards his title defence. After 59 laps and a total of 175.643 kilometres, the reigning DTM champion from Germany scored a dominant victory in the eight DTM round of the season. His two fellow Audi drivers Tom Kristensen from Denmark and German Martin Tomczyk completed Audi's winning trio on the podium. "I had a rocket start. I think that it would be nice when you could plan something like this. But today, it was largely luck and good work by my team. A margin of twelve points in the championship sounds very good. Now, we can take on the two remaining races in a relaxed way", said the joyful winner about his fifth career victory in the DTM and his second win of the season.
#1 Timo Scheider (Audi Sport Team Abt / GW:plus/Top Service 2009 Audi A4 DTM
in Pits at Barcelona, September 20, 2009
With ten points for first place and a total of 53 points, the 30-year old remains in the lead of the points' standings. His main rivals are Swede Mattias Ekstrom (Audi) at 41 points, who ended up fifth in the Spanish DTM round behind Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz), and Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett at 39 points. The Briton was the best-placed driver with an AMG Mercedes C-Class by finishing fourth. "Of course, I am disappointed. We want to be in contention for the top positions and we wanted to beat Audi. Unfortunately, that didn't work out, we just didn't have the necessary speed. In qualifying, we had the same speed as Audi. But today, it wasn't enough - for whatever reason. Probably, fourth place was all we could achieve", said Paffett about his result.
The eighth round of the most popular international touring car series started with a tactical masterpiece by Audi. Both Kristensen, who started from pole position, and Tomczyk, who was standing right behind the Dane in third place, moved over to the right side of the track at the start and thus made way for Scheider, who, in fifth place, was also starting from the left grid row. The eventual winner took the lead coming out of the second corner and wasn't to lose it anymore until the end of the race. Behind him, there were numerous fascinating duels to be enjoyed by the fans. It was particularly exciting after Ekstrom's late second pit stop on lap 43. The two times' DTM champion from the years 2004 and 2007 rejoined the field right behind Paffett and attacked the Brit several times. This resulted into some bodywork contact, for which Ekstrom was warned with the black-and-white flag. With one lap to go, Ekstrom tried overtake Paffett on the outside. The attempt didn't succeed and Spengler was able to overtake the Swede.
The best-placed driver of a 2008-spec car was Frenchman Alexandre Premat with his Audi A4 DTM in eighth place. Ralf Schumacher showed a great recovery. After the 34-year old had to start from 20th place following an engine chance after warm-up, the Mercedes-Benz driver made it all the way up to finish 13th.
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RACE RESULTS BARCELONA, SEPTEMBER 20, 2009
POS DRIVER NAT CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 Timo Scheider DE Audi 59 1:08:38.739
2 Tom Kristensen DK Audi 59 1:08:40.896 02.157
3 Martin Tomczyk DE Audi 59 1:08:42.772 04.033
4 Gary Paffett GB Mercedes 59 1:09:02.208 23.469
5 Bruno Spengler CA Mercedes 59 1:09:02.731 23.992
6 Mattias Ekstrom SWE Audi 59 1:09:03.202 24.463
7 Paul Di Resta GB Mercedes 59 1:09:11.982 33.243
8 Alexandre Premat FR Audi 59 1:09:21.068 42.329
9 Oliver Jarvis GB Audi 59 1:09:21.458 42.719
10 Maro Engel DE Mercedes 59 1:09:22.087 43.348
11 Mathias Lauda AT Mercedes 59 1:09:33.660 54.921
12 Mike Rockenfeller DE Audi 59 1:09:34.013 55.274
13 Ralf Schumacher DE Mercedes 59 1:09:34.320 55.581
14 Jamie Green GB Mercedes 59 1:09:38.715 59.976
15 Susie Stoddart GB Mercedes 58 1:09:04.101 1 lap
16 Tomas Kostka CZ Audi 58 1:09:14.733 1 lap
17 Christian Bakkerud DK Audi 58 1:09:16.341 1 lap
18 Johannes Seidlitz DE Audi 57 1:09:07.567 2 laps
NOT SCORED
Markus Winkelhock DE Audi 29 34:24.651 30 laps
Katherine Legge GB Audi 27 33:10.638 32 laps
BRANDS HATCH
GREAT BRITAIN, SEPTEMBER 6, 2009
PAUL DI RESTA WINS AT BRANDS HATCH
Fawkham - Scottish driver Paul Di Resta made the best use of his home advantage at the British circuit of Brands Hatch, driving home a dominant lights to flag victory for Mercedes-Benz. For the 23 year old, this was the first win of the season and the third victory in his DTM career. "It couldn't have been any better. This year, we already had a lot of bad luck and hopefully, we will be more often on the podium from now on. My only worry were the two safety car interventions. But we had the speed and there was nobody who would have been able to beat us. For me, this was a special win, because I had many friends and my family supporting me here today. We are back, and I want to stay on the top step of the podium, because I think that is where I belong", said Di Resta about his success in the seventh DTM round of the season. In the direct comparison, Mercedes-Benz is now leading Audi with four to three race wins. However, the brand from Ingolstadt has the points' leader in its ranks. Reigning DTM champion Timo Scheider scored eight valuable points in the battle for the title by finishing second behind Di Resta. "My goal for today was finishing ahead of Gary and Mattias. My start was good. I was able to keep up with Paul, but sitting in the car during the pit stops was frustrating. Of course, I am very happy with the result. We have extended our points' lead", said a delighted Scheider. Fellow Audi driver Martin Tomczyk (D) again showed a good performance following his victory at the Nuerburgring a fortnight ago and finished fourth ahead of British driver Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz).
In the points' standings, Scheider remains in the lead with a total of 43 points from his main rival Mattias Ekstrom (Audi). The Swede finished the race in fifth place and is trailing the 30-year old at 38 points. Third is Paffett with 34 points.
20,400 spectators got to see an action-packed DTM weekend in Kent county. Especially in the race, there were numerous duels at the track, the shortest circuit on the DTM calendar at 1.929 kilometres. Di Resta had an impeccable getaway and drove a nearly undisputed victory home in front of the field. Scheider, who had started second, held on to his position for a long time, but had problems during both pit stops. During the first stop, he left the pit lane together with fellow Audi driver Christian Bakkerud (DK) and just managed to avoid a collision. During the second stop, he lost valuable seconds and slotted back in behind Tomczyk. On lap 49, the Audi driver benefited from a battle between Tomczyk and Canadian Bruno Spengler with the AMG Mercedes C-Class. Scheider was up into second again, followed by Tomczyk. Spengler lost his position due to a puncture. The Canadian, who came to Brands Hatch placed third in the points' standings, ended up sixth in the race and dropped back to fifth in the points, tied at 29 points with today's race winner Di Resta. The best-placed driver with a 2008-spec car was Mike Rockenfeller, who finished seventh with his Audi A4 DTM.
In the closing stages of the race, there were two big moments for the drivers. On lap 73, Mathias Lauda (Mercedes-Benz/A) hit the tyre barrier. The safety car led the field until lap 81. After the re-start, there was another incident. Danish driver Tom Kristensen (Audi) also hit the tyres and caused another safety car intervention. Nobody was injured in the course of the accidents.
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RACE RESULTS BRANDS HATCH, SEPTEMBER 6, 2009
POS DRIVER NAT CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 Paul di Resta SCO Mercedes 90 1:10:31.3
2 Timo Scheider D Audi 90 1:10:32.2 0.896
3 Martin Tomczyk D Audi 90 1:10:32.7 1 422
4 Gary Paffett GB Mercedes 90 1:10:33.2 1.880
5 Mattias Ekstrom S Audi 90 1:10:33.6 2.264
6 Bruno Spengler CDN Mercedes 90 1:10:36.3 5.048
7 Mike Rockenfeller D Audi 90 1:10:37.9 6.646
8 Oliver Jarvis GB Audi 90 1:10:38.5 7.197
9 Ralf Schumacher D Mercedes 90 1:10:39.0 7.733
10 Maro Engel D Mercedes 90 1:10:41.9 10.622
11 Alexandre Premat F Audi 89 1:10:34.8 1 lap
12 Jamie Green GB Mercedes 89 1:10:35.8 1 lap
13 Susie Stoddart SCO Mercedes 89 1:10:37.6 1 lap
14 Tomas Kostka CZ Audi 89 1:10:40.3 1 lap
15 Katherine Legge GB Audi 89 1:11:11.2 1 lap
16 Christian Bakkerud DK Audi 88 1:10:42.4 2 laps
17 Johannes Seidlitz D Audi 86 1:10:41.5 4 laps
18 Markus Winkelhock D Audi 81 1:01:46.0 9 laps
19 Tom Kristensen DK Audi 80 1:00:59.3 10 laps
20 Mathias Lauda A Mercedes 72 53:36.8 18 laps
NUERBURGRING, NUERBURG
GERMANY, AUGUST 16, 2009
MARTIN TOMCZYK IS BACK: VICTORY AT THE NUERBURGRING
Nuerburg- In spite of temperatures over 30 degrees at the Nuerburgring, Audi driver Martin Tomczyk kept cool in the sixth DTM round of the season. After 48 laps, the German scored an undisputed lights-to-flag victory. For the 27-year old, it was the fourth DTM race victory of his career. "The car was just fantastic; I didn't have one single problem this weekend. Moreover, it was a comfortable race for me with two Audis behind me. However, winning a race is always the most beautiful thing. I had been lacking the speed I had this weekend for a long time, but now, I am back", said the winner after the race.
Second placed Timo Scheider (Audi) was also happy with his result, because with eight points, the reigning DTM champion brought his total to 35 and took over the lead in the championship standings again. His closest rival is yet another Audi driver: Swede Mattias Ekstrom ended up third in the race in the Eifel region and is only one point down on Scheider in the battle for the title. Driving a 2008 spec Audi A4 DTM to fourth place, Markus Winkelhock impressed, as did British driver Jamie Green with his year old AMG Mercedes C-Class in fifth position. "I was surprised being the best placed Mercedes-Benz driver at the finish. But I had a good speed, I was consistent and the tyres were good, too. These were the keys to success. Today, we have seen once again that competition in the DTM is very close. But with three victories for Mercedes-Benz from six races, we are looking ahead in a positive way", said Green.
86,000 fans got to see an exciting DTM racing weekend at the Nuerburgring, which has been turned into an event park. The undisputed highlight was the race on Sunday. In the phase right after the start, Ekstrom and Scheider, who had started third and fourth respectively, overtook Mercedes Benz driver Bruno Spengler. In the heat of the action, Spengler and Ekstrom damaged their cars, but they were able to continue. Ekstrom lost one place and dropped back to third behind Scheider. In the course of the race, Canadian Spengler lost two more positions and ended up sixth behind Green.
Ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher made up a total of eight positions during the race and again scored championship points for finishing seventh. In spite of a great recovery from 16th place on the grid, British Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett, who finished eighth, lost his lead in the points' standings. In the battle for the title, Paffett is now third behind Ekstrom and Scheider with 29 points.
QUOTES AFTER THE RACE:
Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Cola Audi A4 DTM 2009 #6), 1st place
"That was a perfect weekend, and the race win perfectly rounded it off. From the first lap on Saturday forward, everything was going perfectly. Such a dominant showing is any driver's wish, and it's anything but easy to achieve something like this. That makes me even happier. I want to thank Audi and Team Abt Sportsline for such a great car and two super-fast pit stops."
Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM 2009 #1), 2nd place
"Congratulations to Martin (Tomczyk), who had a great performance this weekend. He was a good reference point for us in terms of the set up and the choice of lines. With second place I'm very happy, and even more so with the lead of the championship. Standing on the podium at my 'home Grand Prix' is a nice feeling."
Mattias Ekstrom (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM 2009 #5), 3rd place
"It was a nice weekend. Audi was really fast here. Congratulations to Martin (Tomczyk), who set the pace and was simply unbeatable here. At least, I drove the fastest race lap in the race. The grid position and the first turns were crucial. After that, I maintained my third place and scored valuable points."
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RACE RESULTS NUERBURG, AUGUST 16, 2009
POS DRIVER NAT CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 Martin Tomczyk GER Audi 48 1:10:19.195
2 Timo Scheider GER Audi 48 1:10:20.400 01.205
3 Mattias Ekstrom SWE Audi 48 1:10:22.164 02.969
4 Markus Winkelhock GER Audi 48 1:10:35.224 16.029
5 Jamie Green GB Mercedes 48 1:10:42.544 23.349
6 Bruno Spengler CAN Mercedes 48 1:10:46.697 27.502
7 Ralf Schumacher GER Mercedes 48 1:10:47.291 28.096
8 Gary Paffett GB Mercedes 48 1:10:54.914 35.719
9 Mathias Lauda AT Mercedes 48 1:11:01.343 42.148
10 Mike Rockenfeller GER Audi 48 1:11:25.427 1:06.232
11 Susie Stoddart GB Mercedes 48 1:11:28.750 1:09.555
12 Maro Engel GER Mercedes 48 1:11:31.520 1:12.325
13 Christian Bakkerud DK Audi 47 1:10:28.159 1 lap
14 Johannes Seidlitz GER Audi 47 1:10:30.367 1 lap
15 Tomas Kostka CZ Audi 47 1:11:11.515 1 lap
NOT SCORED
Paul Di Resta GB Mercedes 15 23:01.526 33 laps
Tom Kristensen DK Audi 13 20:12.369 35 laps
Alexandre Premat FR Audi 7 11:50.335 41 laps
Oliver Jarvis GB Audi 6 9:39.489 42 laps
Katherine Legge GB Audi 0 00.000 48 laps
MOTORSPORT ARENA OSCHERSLEBEN
GERMANY, AUGUST 2, 2009
TIMO SCHEIDER LEADS AUDI 1-2-3 AT OSCHERSLEBEN
Oschersleben. DTM-champion Timo Scheider (Audi) won the fifth DTM season round at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. After 48 laps, the German crossed the finish line with his Audi A4 DTM in first place for the first time this season. Behind Scheider, his fellow Audi drivers Mattias Ekstrom and Martin Tomczyk came home in second and third place. In fourth place with his AMG Mercedes C-Class, Paul Di Resta only just missed out on a podium finish.
The race in detail:
Start - Scheider takes the lead into the first corner from Tomczyk and Kristensen.
Lap 1 - Rockenfeller off the track, continues. Kristensen has taken back second place at the first corner. Kristensen under investigation for not correctly placing his car in the starting box.
Lap 2 - Kostka off the track, continues, but pulls into the pits at the end of the lap. Ekstrom past Tomczyk for third place.
Lap 3 - Drive-through for Tom Kristensen for not lining up correctly in his box on the starting grid.
Lap 4 - Seidlitz into the pits.
Lap 5 - Scheider is leading from Kristensen, Ekstrom, Tomczyk, Jarvis, Di Resta, Spengler, Premat, Paffett. Seidlitz into the pits again - retires.
Lap 6 - Paffett overtakes Premat and is now seventh. Kristensen comes in for his drive-through.
Lap 9 - Di Resta is putting Jarvis under pressure in the battle for fourth place.
Lap 11 - Lauda attacks Legge for 15th place.Jarvis, Spengler, Green, Rockenfeller, Legge, Kristensen into the pits for their first mandatory stops.
Lap 12 - Di Resta, Premat, Engel, Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 13 - Di Resta and Jarvis almost tangle as Di Resta comes out of the pits. On Premat's car, the tank can got stuck. Paffett, Winkelhock into the pits.
Lap 14 - Schumacher, Lauda into the pits.
Lap 16 - Scheider into the pits.
Lap 17 - Ekstrom into the pits. Lauda and Legge tangle in the battle for 16th place. Legge briefly pushed off the track, continues.
Lap 18 - Tomczyk into the pits, Spengler comes in for his second stop.
Lap 19 - Lauda under investigation - 3 seconds' pit stop penalty for pushing another car. Jarvis into the pits.
Lap 20 - Premat into the pits.
Lap 21 - Engel, Kristensen into the pits.
Lap 22 - Schumacher into the pits.
Lap 23 - Di Resta into the pits.
Lap 24 - Eighth placed Winkelhock off the track before Hasseroder corner, puncture right rear. Green, Lauda, Kostka into the pits.
Lap 25 - Green and Schumacher tangle twice, Green briefly into the gravel.
Lap 26 - Schumacher under investigation.
Lap 27 - Warning for Schumacher because of pushing another car. Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 29 - Scheider and Ekstrom in for their second stops.
Lap 31 - Rockenfeller into the pits.
Lap 32 - Tomczyk, Paffett into the pits.
Lap 33 - Spengler gets past as Jarvis runs wide in the battle for sixth. Legge into the pits.
Lap 34 - After the pit stops, Scheider is leading Ekstrom, then Tomczyk, Di Resta, Paffett, Spengler, Jarvis, Engel, Premat and Schumacher. Warning for Jarvis because of dangerous manoeuvre.
Lap 36 - Premat puts Engel under pressure in the battle for eighth place.
Lap 38 - Paffett close on the tail of Di Resta's car in tbe battle for fourth. Legge off the track at Hasseroder corner.
Lap 40 - Schumacher off the track, continues.
Lap 43 - Rockenfeller closely behind ninth-placed Premat.
Lap 45 - Premat briefly in the dirt, continues.
Lap 46 - Seventh placed Oliver Jarvis spins off the track at the chicane. Premat pused off the track at final corner by Rockenfeller, who also spins himself.
Lap 47 - Final lap. Rockenfeller under investigation.
Lap 48 - Kristensen attacks Green for eighth place and gets past. Scheider wins, Ekstrom is second, Tomczyk is third, followed by Di Resta, Paffett, Spengler, Engel and Kristensen, Green and Rockenfeller.
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RACE RESULTS OSCHERSLEBEN, AUGUST 2, 2009
POS DRIVER NAT CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 Timo Scheider D Audi 48 1:08:39.0
2 Mattias Ekstrom S Audi 48 1:08:44.4 05.417
3 Martin Tomczyk D Audi 48 1:08:48.6 09.603
4 Paul di Resta SCO Mercedes 48 1:08:55.9 16.868
5 Gary Paffett GB Mercedes 48 1:08:56.4 17.338
6 Bruno Spengler CDN Mercedes 48 1:09:14.9 35.843
7 Maro Engel D Mercedes 48 1:09:20.0 40.996
8 Tom Kristensen DK Audi 48 1:09:23.0 44.015
9 Jamie Green GB Mercedes 48 1:09:23.7 44.636
10 Mike Rockenfeller D Audi 48 1:09:27.1 48.100
11 Susie Stoddart SCO Mercedes 48 1:09:29.2 50.177
12 Ralf Schumacher D Mercedes 48 1:09:36.9 57.906
13 Mathias Lauda A Mercedes 48 1:09:38.5 59.523
14 Tomas Kostka CZ Audi 46 1:08:50.4 2 laps
15 Oliver Jarvis GB Audi 45 1:04:54.7 3 laps
16 Alexandre Premat F Audi 45 1:05:00.6 3 laps
17 Katherine Legge GB Audi 36 52:48.249 12 laps
18 Markus Winkelhock D Audi 23 33:22.246 25 laps
19 Johannes Seidlitz D Audi 5 8:40.213 43 laps
CIRCUIT PARK ZANDVOORT, NL
JULY 19, 2009
GARY PAFFETT WINS AT ZANDVOORT
Zandvoort. With excellent tactics, British driver Gary Paffett wins the fourth season round of the DTM at Zandvoort in The Netherlands. For the Mercedes-Benz driver, it already is his second season win after his success at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. The 2005 DTM champion takes over the lead in the points' standings with a total of 24 points from Mattias Ekstrom (22 points). "The track is really difficult, but we had a great car and a superb performance today. The Mercedes-Benz team has done an outstanding job throughout the weekend", said Paffett about the twelfth DTM victory of his career. After a great recovery from ninth on the grid, Audi driver Ekstrom crossed the finish line in second place, 1.431 seconds down. "That was a race with a lot of action. I started well down on the grid, but of course, I hoped to be able to move up the order, because I was really fast. The car was very good and I was able to keep a consistent pace. I think that I can be happy with my result", said the Swede, who won the race on the circuit in the dunes last year. With an impressive performance in his year-old Audi A4 DTM, Briton Oliver Jarvis claimed third place. With Alexandre Premat (F), Martin Tomczyk (D) and Markus Winkelhock (D), three more Audi drivers followed in fourth to sixth place, completing the quintet of Audi drivers behind the winner.
For 15 laps, Jarvis, who had started from pole position, and Paffett were involved in a thrilling battle. Then, the 25-year old Audi driver made a slight driving error and came off the track, which allowed Paffett to take the lead with his AMG Mercedes C-Class. Two ideally timed pit stops were also the basis for success.
Bruno Spengler eventually wasn't able to maintain his third starting position. The Mercedes-Benz driver opted for a late first pit stop on lap 16 and the second one only four laps later. Eventually, the 25-year old Canadian ended up seventh ahead of reigning DTM champion Timo Scheider (D/Audi). In the points' standings, the two are tied at 18 points behind Paffett and Ekstrom. Jamie Green (GB/Mercedes-Benz), who had won the race at the Norisring, failed to score any championship points, finishing twelfth. Ralf Schumacher started from 18th place with his AMG Mercedes C-Class and after 41 laps was classified 13th.
The race in detail:
Start - Jarvis takes the lead from Paffett. Rockenfeller collides with Di Resta.
Lap 1-Tomczyk had a good start and is already sixth. Jarvis leads from Paffett, Spengler, Premat, Di Resta. Rockenfeller dropped back to ninth.
Lap 2-Paffett keeps the pressure on race leader Jarvis.
Lap 4-Jarvis and Paffett are closely together. First attempt by Paffett coming out of the chicane, but Jarvis retains the lead.
Lap 5-Ekstrom has overtaken Tomczyk and is now sixth.
Lap 6-Paffett tries to overtake Jarvis on the outside at Tarzan, but Jarvis remains in front. Maro Engel overtakes Schumacher and is now 14th.
Lap 8-Jarvis slightly wide coming out of Luyendijk corner, but remains in front.
Lap 9-Jarvis and Paffett both in for their first mandatory pit stops. Also Di Resta, Rockenfeller and Green.
Lap 10-Coming out of the pit lane, Jarvis remains ahead of Paffett. Bakkerud between Jarvis and Paffett, blue flags for the Dane.
Lap 11-Scheider, Kostka, Lauda into the pits. The Austrian retires.
Lap 12-Tomczyk, Bakkerud into the pits.
Lap 13-Scheider attacks Di Resta for 11th place. Schumacher, Legge into the pits.
Lap 15-Jarvis runs wide; Paffett gets past and is now fifth. Jarvis comes into the pits at the end of the lap for his second stop.
Lap 16-Spengler, Kostka into the pits.
Lap 17-Green, Legge into the pits for their second stops. Legge retires.
Lap 18-Rockenfeller into the pits.
Lap 19-Winkelhock into the pits for his first stop.
Lap 20-Ekstrom is leading from Engel; the two still have to make their first stop. Paffett is third from Premat, Tomczyk, Spengler, Di Resta. Kostka, Spengler, Kristensen into the pits. Kostka retires.
Lap 21-Ekstrom, Engel into the pits for their first stops. Premat, Scheider in for their second stops.
Lap 22-Ekstrom rejoins behind Di Resta. The Swede attacks Di Resta and overtakes him coming out of Scheivlak. Tomczyk into the pits.
Lap 23-Di Resta into the pits.
Lap 24-Paffett comes into the pits for his second stop as the race leader.
Lap 25-Paffett rejoins ahead of Jarvis, Susie Stoddart lets Paffett past.
Lap 26-Jarvis and Premat close up on Stoddart, who turns into the pits. Schumacher also into the pits.
Lap 27-Paffett is 3.5 seconds ahead of Jarvis.
Lap 28-Engel, Bakkerud into the pits.
Lap 29-Ekstrom, Winkelhock into the pits.
Lap 30-Paffett has extended his margin over Jarvis to 4.1 seconds. After the pit stops, Paffett is leading from Jarvis, Premat, Ekstrom, Tomczyk, Winkelhock, Spengler, Scheider, Di Resta and Kristensen.
Lap 32-Rockenfeller into the pits for the third time - retires
Lap 33-Stoddart off the track at Tarzan.
Lap 35-Ekstrom past Premat. Jarvis' last lap was 2.3 seconds slower than Paffett's.
Lap 37-Ekstrom past Jarvis, the Swede is now second.
Lap 38-Tomczyk is closely behind Premat, but the Frenchman defends his position.
Lap 40-Scheider attacks Spengler for seventh under braking for Tarzan, but the Canadian stays in front. Ekstrom laps 2.2 seconds faster than Paffett.
Lap 41-Final lap. Paffett wins from Ekstrom, Jarvis, Premat, Tomczyk, Winkelhock, Spengler, Scheider, Di Resta and Engel.
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RACE RESULTS ZANDVOORT, JULY 19, 2009
POS NAT DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 GB Gary Paffett Mercedes 41 1:05:52.6
2 S Mattias Ekstrom Audi 41 1:05:54.1 01.431
3 GB Oliver Jarvis Audi 41 1:05:58.9 06.235
4 D Martin Tomczyk Audi 41 1:06:03.6 10.984
5 CDN Bruno Spengler Mercedes 41 1:06:06.0 13.353
6 SCO Paul di Resta Mercedes 41 1:06:07.0 14.319
7 D Maro Engel Mercedes 41 1:06:07.3 14.655
8 DK Tom Kristensen Audi 41 1:06:20.2 27.609
9 GB Jamie Green Mercedes 41 1:06:21.4 28.778
10 D Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 41 1:06:33.7 41.108
11 SCO Susie Stoddart Mercedes 41 1:06:34.5 41.826
DNF D Mike Rockenfeller Audi 32 52:00.886 9 laps
DNF CZ Tomas Kostka Audi 19 32:10.219 22 laps
DNF GB Katherine Legge Audi 17 28:21.770 24 laps
DNF A Mathias Lauda Mercedes 11 18:20.577 30 laps
DQ F Alexandre Premat*2 Audi Sport Team Phoenix
DQ D Markus Winkelhock*1 Audi Sport Team Rosberg
DQ D Timo Scheider*2 Audi Sport Team Abt
DQ DK Christian Bakkerud*3 Audi KOLLES Futurecom-TME
*1 Less than 1 kg of fuel remaining after the race
*2 Arrived at weigh-in too late
*3 Failed to arrive at weigh-in
NORISRING
JUNE 28, 2009
JAMIE GREEN WINS THRILLING DTM RACE AT NORISRING
Nuremberg. British driver Jamie Green wins an absolutely thrilling DTM race at the Norisring for Mercedes-Benz and thus continues the winning streak of the brand from Stuttgart in the only race on a street circuit on the DTM calendar. Since 2003, a Mercedes-Benz driver has been on the top step of the podium every year. For Green, it was
the fifth victory of his DTM career and the second in a row at this circuit. "I just can't find words to express my joy. Timo has closed the gap very well and I wasn't sure as to what strategy I should take. I was in a new car for four years, and now, with a year-old car, it all went so well. Being back here again and facing all the critics was nice", the 27-year old said. His fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Bruno Spengler (CDN) completed the 1-2 for Mercedes-Benz by finishing second. Swede Mattias Ekstrom finished third, which made him the best-placed Audi driver. "The race was good and fair, although I am sorry that Audi hasn't won. I am looking forward to the upcoming races", the DTM champion of 2004 and 2007 said.
What a great finale for the DTM weekend at the Norisring, that attracted a total crowd of 132,000 spectators. On the final four laps of the 80 laps' race, the fans saw three different race leaders. Driving his Audi A4 DTM, defending champion Timo Scheider was ahead of Spengler and Green until four laps before the end. At times, the trio were less than 0.6 seconds apart. On the penultimate lap, Green takes the lead from Scheidetr after a door-to-door battle. Spengler and even Mattias Ekstrom, who had been running in fourth place up to that point, also overtake Scheider, claiming second and third place with less than four kilometers remaining. Scheider still scores five points in the battle for the championship by finishing fourth and thus remains on top in the points' standings.
There was a reason to celebrate for Mercedes-Benz driver Ralf Schumacher, too. The former F1 driver scored his best result in a DTM race so far in sixth place. As the chequered flag was out, he was only 0.31 seconds down on his fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett, the winner of the second season round at the EuroSpeedway. Dane Tom Kristensen (Audi), who had won the season opener of this year's DTM, ended up eighth behind Scottish driver Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz).
British racer Katherine Legge was unhappy after the race. Having started from fifth place for the third round of the season, the 28-year old had a rather poor start and finished only twelfth after 184 kilometers. The second lady in the field, Susie Stoddart (GBR/Mercedes-Benz), ended up tenth.
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RACE RESULTS NORISRING, JUNE 28, 2009
POS NAT DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 gb Jamie Green Mercedes 80 1:08:39.223
2 ca Bruno Spengler Mercedes 80 1:08:40.580 1.357
3 swe Mattias Ekstrom Audi 80 1:08:40.901 1.678
4 de Timo Scheider Audi 80 1:08:41.849 2.626
5 gb Gary Paffett Mercedes 80 1:08:42.163 2.940
6 de Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 80 1:08:42.473 3.250
7 gb Paul Di Resta Mercedes 80 1:08:43.030 3.807
8 dk Tom Kristensen Audi 80 1:08:48.489 9.266
9 de Mike Rockenfeller Audi 80 1:08:49.010 9.787
10 gb Susie Stoddart Mercedes 80 1:08:53.646 14.423
11 de Martin Tomczyk Audi 80 1:09:08.554 29.331
12 gb Katherine Legge Audi 80 1:09:09.653 30.430
13 de Markus Winkelhock Audi 80 1:09:10.154 30.931
14 at Mathias Lauda Mercedes 79 1:08:45.334 1 lap
15 dk Christian Bakkerud Audi 79 1:09:02.894 1 lap
NOT SCORED
de Maro Engel Mercedes 46 40:33.673 34 laps
fr Alexandre Premat Audi 36 32:15.486 44 laps
cz Tomas Kostka Audi 1 1:19.575 79 laps
gb Oliver Jarvis Audi 00.000 80 laps
EUROSPEEDWAY-LAUSITZ
MAY 31, 2009
TOP 3 DRIVERS POST RACE QUOTES
Gary Paffett (2009 Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) winner: "I am really happy about my victory today. I always knew that our C-Class is a great car and I was confident to achieve a great result today and that was what we did. Thank you to my team - they had the optimum strategy which they executed perfectly."
Bruno Spengler (2009 Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) second: "I'm completely satisfied with second position and eight championship points today - not a bad result from fifth on the grid. In the closing stages I was faster than Gary, but not fast enough to overtake. Congratulations to him on his win. I now look forward to the next race at the Norisring where I won already twice - I will give it my all again."
Mattias Ekstrom (2009 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline A4 DTM) third: "I drove a race without any mistakes and still, I wasn't as fast as the two Mercedes. Of course, when you start from pole, the goal is to win, but we will be faster next time round."
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RACE RESULTS EUROSPEEDWAY-LAUSITZ, MAY 31, 2009
POS NAT DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 GB Gary Paffett Mercedes 52 1:10:01.572
2 CAN Bruno Spengler Mercedes 52 1:10:02.687 01.115
3 SWE Mattias Ekstrom Audi 52 1:10:15.800 14.228
4 GB Paul Di Resta Mercedes 52 1:10:16.706 15.134
5 GER Timo Scheider Audi 52 1:10:17.327 15.755
6 GB Jamie Green Mercedes 52 1:10:17.898 16.326
7 GER Mike Rockenfeller Audi 52 1:10:32.744 31.172
8 GER Maro Engel Mercedes 52 1:10:43.118 41.546
9 AT Mathias Lauda Mercedes 52 1:10:51.540 49.968
10 GER Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 52 1:10:52.224 50.652
11 GB Susie Stoddart Mercedes 52 1:11:17.903 1:16.331
12 DK Tom Kristensen Audi 51 1:10:24.681 1 lap
13 CZ Tomas Kostka Audi 51 1:10:32.258 1 lap
14 DK Christian Bakkerud Audi 51 1:10:35.289 1 lap
NOT SCORED
FR Alexandre Premat Audi 17 23:32.003 35 laps
GB Oliver Jarvis Audi 17 24:38.203 35 laps
GER Martin Tomczyk Audi 13 18:03.053 39 laps
GER Markus Winkelhock Audi 11 15:19.754 41 laps
GB Katherine Legge Audi 10 13:41.241 42 laps
HOCKENHEIMRING BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG
MAY 17, 2009
DTM IS A GO...
The DTM started into the new season with the first roll-out of the year 2009 at the Hockenheimring Baden-Wuerttemberg. In pouring rain, some cars remained in the pit box for the final function test before first free practice.
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STARTING ORDER FOR HOCKENHEIMRING MAY 17, 2009
POS NO DRIVER ENTRANT CAR
1 5 Ekstrom M. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline AUDI A4 DTM09
2 2 Kristensen T. Audi Sport Team Abt AUDI A4 DTM09
3 6 Tomczyk M. Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline AUDI A4 DTM09
4 15 Jarvis O. Audi Sport Team Phoenix AUDI A4 DTM08
5 1 Scheider T. Audi Sport Team Abt AUDI A4 DTM09
6 3 Di Resta P. AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse09
7 16 Engel M. GQ AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse08
8 12 Winkelhock M. Audi Sport Team Rosberg AUDI A4 DTM08
9 14 Premat A. Audi Sport Team Phoenix AUDI A4 DTM08
10 11 Rockenfeller M. Audi Sport Team Rosberg AUDI A4 DTM08
11 10 Paffett G. Salzgitter AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse09
12 4 Schumacher R. Trilux AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse09
13 21 Legge K. Audi Sport Team Abt Lady Power AUDI A4 DTM08
14 8 Stoddart S. TV Spielfim AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse08
15 17 Lauda M. stern AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse08
16 20 Kostka T. KOLLES Futurecom-BRT AUDI A4 DTM07
17 18 Bakkerud C. KOLLES Futurecom-TME AUDI A4 DTM07
18 19 Seidlitz J. KOLLES Futurecom-TME AUDI A4 DTM07
19 9 Spengler B. Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG AMG Mercedes C-Klasse09
Mattias Ekstrom had this to say after qualifying 1st in his Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #5.
"It's always nice to come to the first race and build confidence - for myself as well as for my mechanics, my engineer, the entire team and for Audi. Our work in winter now pays off. Actually, I'd expected Mercedes to make the qualifying clearly more difficult for us. But I'm sure they'll recover their strength. We know their fighting spirit. I'm already looking forward to the race and the remainder of the season."
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TOM KRISTENSEN WINS DTM SEASON OPENER
Hockenheim. For Audi, the start into the 2009 DTM season could hardly have been better. Tom Kristensen (DK), Timo Scheider (D), Oliver Jarvis (GB) and Markus Winkelhock (D) crossed the finish line of the Hockenheimring Baden-Wuerttemberg with their Audi A4 DTMs in that order and thus completed the four-fold victory for the manufacturer from Ingolstadt in the 100th DTM race after the series' revival in 2000. With only two laps to go, everything looked set for a dominant lights-to-flag victory for two times' DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom (S). However, on the penultimate lap, the Audi driver had a puncture and had to let Kristensen and the other drivers past. "Today, Mattias absolutely deserved victory. But I know that situation, I have had the same myself", happy winner Kristensen said after his fourth victory in the DTM. Fellow Audi driver Ekstrom still made it home in seventh place. Second place was taken by reigning DTM champion Timo Scheider. A big surprise was caused by the drivers in third and fourth place, because Briton Oliver Jarvis and German Markus Winkelhock are both racing a 2008-spec Audi A4 DTM.
Best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver in the DTM season opener was Scot Paul Di Resta in fifth place from Maro Engel, also with an AMG Mercedes C-Class. "Of course, we are disappointed. This weekend, we haven't achieved what we should have. But I keep my faith in the team and we will work even harder. It just wasn't our weekend", Di Resta said.
In summery warm temperatures, 91,000 fans (weekend crowd) got to see exactly what they like so much about the most popular international touring car series: fascinating door-to-door battles, thrilling overtaking manoeuvres and perfectly executed pit stops. While Ekstrom had a perfect getaway from pole position, there already was a collision on the first lap a little bit further down in the field. Gary Paffett (GB/Mercedes-Benz) and Frenchman Alexandre Premat (Audi) collided, after which the bonnet of the Mercedes-Benz driver came loose. This hit Ralf Schumacher's AMG Mercedes C-Class, which caused a safety car intervention. Schumacher's pit crew reacted well and was able to repair the damage to the roof of the car. Schumacher rejoined the race without even losing one lap and finished the first race of his second DTM season in ninth place.
Canadian Mercedes-Benz driver Bruno Spengler had a great recovery. Having started 19th, the 25-year old made it up into fifth place. However, a broken right rear suspension on lap 24 forced him to retire. The youngest driver in DTM history, 18-year old Johannes Seidlitz finished 13th upon his DTM debut for Audi.
In the overall standings, Kristensen is leading with ten points from Scheider (8) and Jarvis (6). The second DTM race weekend will take place at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz from May 29th till 31st.
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RACE RESULTS HOCKENHEIMRING, MAY 17, 2009
POS NAT DRIVER CAR LAPS TIME GAP
1 DK Tom Kristensen Audi 39 1:05:35.819
2 DE Timo Scheider Audi 39 1:05:36.172 00.353
3 GB Oliver Jarvis Audi 39 1:05:40.269 04.450
4 DE Markus Winkelhock Audi 39 1:05:46.659 10.840
5 GB Paul Di Resta Mercedes 39 1:05:57.651 21.832
6 DE Maro Engel Mercedes 39 1:06:00.796 24.977
7 SWE Mattias Ekstrom Audi 39 1:06:12.549 36.730
8 GB Jamie Green Mercedes 39 1:06:22.166 46.347
9 DE Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 39 1:06:31.518 55.699
10 AT Mathias Lauda Mercedes 39 1:06:36.797 1:00.978
11 CZ Tomas Kostka Audi 39 1:06:51.158 1:15.339
12 GB Katherine Legge Audi 39 1:06:56.701 1:20.882
13 DE Johannes Seidlitz Audi 39 1:06:59.593 1:23.774
14 DK Christian Bakkerud Audi 39 1:07:11.740 1:35.921
NOT SCORED
DE Martin Tomczyk Audi 24 42:08.722 15 laps
CA Bruno Spengler Mercedes 24 42:09.194 15 laps
GB Susie Stoddart Mercedes 24 43:02.050 15 laps
DE Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1 2:11.662 38 laps
FR Alexandre Premat Audi 1 2:28.026 38 laps
GB Gary Paffett Mercedes 0 00.000 39 laps
2009 DTM LAUNCH DUESSELDORF
APRIL 19, 2009
NEW RECORD CROWD AT THE DTM PRESENTATION IN DUESSELDORF
Wiesbaden, Apr 19, 2009/ DTM stars from up close, the impressive engine sound and great weather in the sports city of Duesseldorf were a guarantee for a new record crowd during the fourth DTM presentation at the Koenigsallee. 210,000 spectators were the reason that the access roads to the Koengsallee had to be closed temporarily." For us, it is always a happy moment when we see how popular the DTM is. There is something for the entire family. That is what makes the DTM so special", said Hans Werner Aufrecht, chairman of the ITR e.V.
Claus Lufen, anchorman of TV partner ARD, hosted the varied show programme together with Nazan Eckes. Next to autograph sessions and interviews with the DTM stars, the spectators had the opportunity to take a close look at pit stop competitions and demonstration laps by the DTM cars from Audi and Mercedes-Benz and the race cars from the partner series Formula 3 Euro Series, Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup and SEAT Leon Supercopa. "As the reigning champion, one is enjoying such a presentation even more. The crowd was really impressive", said Audi works driver Timo Scheider. Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes-Benz) was also really impressed."The people in Duesseldorf are just so enthusiastic, it is really electrifying. A new record crowd yet again - just great. I am really feeling well here."
There was plenty of action off the temporary "race track" at the Koenigsallee. "The Rattles" and Reamonn performed live on the DTM show stage, and all that free of charge. "Being able to take such a close look at the DTM is just great. I have come with my wife and the two kids", said a family father.
On May 17th, the action will start in earnest for the 19 drivers. At the Hockenheimring Baden-Wuerttemberg, the battle for lap times and points will start in the season opening round.
April 8, 2009 DTM-Press Conference in Duesseldorf: Timo Scheider (Audi) and Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes-Benz)
April 14, 2009, Katherine Legge in Audi A4 DTM at DTM-Test, Dijon-Prenois
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