Category: DTM

For the second time since 2005, Gary Paffett was crowned DTM champion at the season finale in Hockenheim on Sunday. The Briton’s third place finish was enough to beat his closest rival René Rast (Audi), securing the title with only a four-point lead. Racing24-7.net met with the new champion to talk about his experience in his last-ever DTM race.

The very last DTM race in 2018 was run at Hockenheim, and like yesterday, under beautiful blue sky. Marco Wittmann had improved from yesterday’s nightmare race and grabbed a BMW Pole Position. One of the championship contenders Rene Rast would start from P2, right in front of the championship leader Gary Paffett. The other contender for the championship, Paul Di Resta started the race all the way down from P11. Rast got a perfect start. He already went in front before Turn 1, and had a big lead towards Turn…

A new DTM record was set, under a sunny Saturday at Höckenheim. Lucas Auer  had taken Pole Position ahead of championship contender Gary Paffett. Rene Rast was the other championship contender, and was the same time the best Audi driver in P3, followed by the first BMW driver, Augusto Farfus. Paul di Resta was the last championship candidate and had to start the race from P6. Marco Wittmann must start from the last position, after having an accident in the training, which prompted him to miss the qualifying. Auer and…

The Belgian racing team, WRT, will be a new team in the DTM series, when the 2019 season starts on 3 to 5 May. The team has made an agreement with Audi Sport, who will deliver two brand new Audi RS 5 DTM cars. They will be the first costumer team in the DTM series, who is not directly connected to the constructor. ABT Sportline, Phoenix Racing and Team Rosberg has been partners with Audi Sport in the DTM for mnay years. WRT are not unknown for the German brand…

The 2019 DTM schedule has been announced today by the organizers behind the series, ITR. There will be 9 rounds, on 8 different circuits. 6 of those were on the 2018 version too, while the other two are new. The season will start at Hockenheim in May, starting with a date clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship round at Spa Francorchamps, which BMW surely won’t be happy about. That round will be followed by the first new one compared to 2018, in the shape of the Belgian Zolder circuit.…

There will be a new constructor in DTM in the coming season. This evening, R-Motorsport announced that they will collaborate with HWA, building an Aston Martin Vantage DTM car, that they intent to participate with in the 2019 season. HWA has been partners with Mercedes-AMG in DTM, but since the big German car brand has chosen to pull out after the 2018 season, HWA has time to help others with a DTM programme and loads of knowledge. They will also be behind Mercedes-AMG’s new ABB FIA Formula E Championship programme,…

After yesterday’s turbulent race, it looked like another dramatic day was waiting at Red Bull Ring in DTM. Gary Paffett had taken Pole Position ahead of Nico Müller and Championship leader Paul Di Resta. Yesterday’s winner Rene Rast would start from P7, while yesterday’s Polesitter Daniel Juncadella would start from eighth. Opposite to the race yesterday, it started on a bone-dry asphalt, with lots of sunshine. Paffett got the best start, but Rast did a super start and was up to P4 after only three corners. There was close driving…

The DTM circus arrived in Spielberg, Austria, for 17th round of the season Saturday started with rain at the Red Bull Ring, which cause the teams to tear their hair out in the qualifying. Daniel Juncadella had taken Pole Position for Mercedes-AMG while Timo Glock had taken his yellow BMW to P2. Mike Rockenfeller was the best Audi man in P3, before the championship contender Paul Di Resta who would start fourth. The championship leader Gary Paffett was all the way back to P10 – just behind third driver in…

Pascal Wehrlein will leave Mercedes-AMG, when the 2018 DTM season ends. That has been announced by Mercedes-AMG today. Wehrlein has been with the manufacturer for 6 seasons, where he stepped into the DTM in 2013 as the youngest driver ever. He became the youngest race winner in the history in 2014, before claiming the DTM Title in 2015, as the youngest champion ever. The quick rise sent him to Formula 1 in 2016 at Manor, before he moved to Sauber in 2017. The Formula 1 musical chairs 2018 stopped without…

Rene Rast had taken Pole Position for second day in a row, in the 16th DTM round at the Nürburgring. The Audi Sport driver beat Mercedes-AMG man Gary Paffett and Philipp Eng from BMW. A number of BMW and Mercedes drivers came after them, while Mike Rockenfeller, like yesterday’s race, was the second best Audi driver. The sun was shining when the 18 cars cruised down to Turn 1. Even though Rene Rast was first in Turn 1, Lucas Auer did a fantastic start from P5 and was already P2…

Round 15 of DTM was run on the short version of Nürburgring Grand Prix Strecke, leaving about 30% of the lap that we know from Formula 1 races. The Audi Sport driver Rene Rast had taken Pole Position ahead of Mercedes-AMG man Gary Paffett and BMW driver Bruno Spengler. After that there was a mix of Mercedes and BMW drivers until we found the second Audi driver, Mike Rockenfeller, in P11. The 55 minutes plus a lap race started under clear blue sky; perfect conditions for the drivers. While top…

Weather once again played a part, when the season’s 14th round was run at the Italian Misano. The qualifying was done under pouring rain, where Loic Duval for Audi Sport was the fastest man. It was the Frenchman’s first Pole Position in DTM, after one and a half season that had more challenges than success. Edoardo Mortara was the second fastest, ahead of his Mercedes-AMG teammate Daniel Juncadella and Audi drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Rene Rast, while Marco Wittmann was the best BMW driver in P6. Guest driver Alex Zanardi…

The first DTM race in the dark was run in Italian Misano, where 19 drivers were ready to drive under the floodlights. The round was also the 13th in this year’s championship. The qualifying had extra challenges for the drivers due to rain, which tripped some of the drivers. Paul Di Resta had taken Pole Position ahead of his Mercedes-AMG teammate Edoardo Mortara, while Audi Sport driver Rene Rast would start from P3. The championship leader Gary Paffett started the race from fourth, right in front of BMW’s best man,…

It was an all British front-row, when the 12th round of this year’s DTM season was run at Brands Hatch in Great Britain. Championship leader Gary Paffett had grabbed Pole Position ahead of number two in the Championship, Paul di Resta, while Pascal Wehrlein completed the Mercedes-only top 3. Rene Rast was once again the best Audi Sport driver in P4, ahead of Lucas Auer and Robin Frijns, before Augusto Farfus was the first BMW man in P7. Yesterday’s winner, Daniel Juncadella was starting all the way back in 14th.…

The second half of the DTM 2018 season started today at the Brands Hatch circuit in England. This is the first time since 2013 for the German touringcar series to be racing in Great Britain. Daniel Juncadella had taken Pole Position ahead of his Mercedes-AMG teammate Lucas Auer. Rene Rast was the best Audi in P3 ahead of Philipp Eng in a BMW on P4. Another BMW in the shape of Augusto Farfus had sneaked in ahead of the championship leader and local hero Gary Paffett. His closest opposition in…

DTM will have a very prominent visitor when the series goes to Red Bull Ring in Austria on 21-23 September this year. The five times FIA World Rally Championship World Champion Sebastien Ogier will run with Mercedes-AMG at this round. That makes all three manufacturers each have one extra car once during the season. At Hockenheim it was Audi Sport, who gave Mattias Ekström one final goodbye race, while BMW will give Alessandro Zanardi the opportunity at Misano in two weeks time. Ogier has primarily raced in Rally cars, but…

The second DTM race of the weekend at Zandvoort in the Netherlands was a hot and sunny one, where the drivers needed a lot to drink both before and during the race. Mercedes driver Gary Paffett had taken Pole Position just like yesterday, while Philipp Eng at BMW had grabbed P2 ahead of Audi driver Rene Rast. Pascal Wehrlein and Paul di Resta got two more Mercedes cars into Top 5, before Mike Rockenfeller got his Audi ahead of the two BMW cars piloted by Bruno Spengler and Augusto Farfus.…

DTM 2018 had reached the Netherlands at the Zandvoort circuit, 30 kilometers west of Amsterdam Gary Paffett had taken Pole Position ahead of teammates Pascal Wehrlein, Paul di Resta and Lucas Auer. Timo Glock and Marco Wittmann had driven their two BMWs ahead of three Audi drivers Robin Frijns, Nico Müller and Rene Rast. The start went quite well, with a bit of bumping around Mike Rockenfeller and Bruno Spengler in the midfield. Local hero Frijns was on the forward, having overtaken both Timo Glock and Marco Wittmann during the…