[DTM] Round 1 - Hockenheim, 13th April 2008

[JMeissner]

Time for the first race of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters at Hockenheim on April 13th.

Don't miss the DTM Prediction Competition, place your prediction here:

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=105614

Entry list:

1 Mattias Ekström Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Red Bull Audi A4 DTM (2008)
2 Martin Tomczyk Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Red Bull Audi A4 DTM (2008)
3 Bruno Spengler Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Klasse (2008)
4 Paul di Resta AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2008)
5 Jamie Green Salzgitter AMG Mercedes Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2008)
6 Bernd Schneider Original-Teile AMG Mercedes Original-Teile AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2008)
7 Gary Paffett stern AMG Mercedes stern AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2007)
8 Mathias Lauda AMG Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2007)
9 Tom Kristensen Audi Sport Team Abt Audi A4 DTM (2008)
10 Timo Scheider Audi Sport Team Abt GWlus / Top Service Audi A4 DTM (2008)
11 Ralf Schumacher TRILUX AMG Mercedes TRILUX AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2007)
12 Maro Engel JungeSterne AMG Mercedes JungeSterne AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2007)
14 Alexandre Prémat Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi Bank / Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM (2007)
15 Oliver Jarvis Audi Sport Team Phoenix Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM (2007)
16 Susie Stoddart TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Klasse (2007)
18 Mike Rockenfeller Audi Sport Team Rosberg S line Audi A4 DTM (2007)
19 Markus Winkelhock Audi Sport Team Rosberg Playboy Audi A4 DTM (2007)
20 Katherine Legge Futurecom-TME Audi A4 DTM (2006)
21 Christijan Albers Futurecom-TME Audi A4 DTM (2006)

Schedule:

Friday 11.04.2008
09.00-09.15 hrs DTM roll out
09.30-10.30 hrs Formula 3 Euro Series free practice
10.45-12.15 hrs DTM test 1
12.30-13.00 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup free practice 1
13.00-13.30 hrs lunch break
13.30-14.00 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa free practice
14.15-15.45 hrs DTM test 2
15.45-15.50 hrs DTM practice starts
16.05-16.35 hrs Formula 3 Euro Series qualifying for race 1
16.50-17.20 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup free practice 2

Saturday 12.04.2008
08.55-09.25 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa qualifying for race 1
09.40-10.40 hrs DTM free practice
10.55-11.25 hrs ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup free practice
11.50-12.30 hrs Formula 3 Euro Series start race 1
12.45-13.15 hrs Event programme pit walk
13.28-14.15 hrs DTM qualifying
15.00-15.40 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup qualifying
16.05-16.35 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa start race 1
16.50-17.20 hrs ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup qualifying
17.30-18.10 hrs DTM taxi drives (noise reduced)
18.10-18.30 hrs Support Series taxi drives (noise reduced)

Sunday 13.04.2008
09.00-09.30 hrs ADAC Volkswagen Polo Cup start race
09.55-10.30 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup start race
10.55-11.35 hrs Formula 3 Euro Series start race 2
11.45-12.30 hrs Event programme pit walk/taxis drives
12.30-13.00 hrs Event programme pit walk/event programme
13.05-13.15 hrs DTM warm up
13.15-13.25 hrs DTM information laps
13.25-13.40 hrs DTM start grid presentation
14.03 hrs DTM start race
15.05 hrs DTM finish
approx. 15.15 hrs DTM podium ceremony
16.00-16.30 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa start race 2

[Last2LiftOff]

The official ten-tenths logo for Scheider's Team Abt and GW plus.

Thanks for starting a thread JM, we'll see Mr. Ekström and his Audi out there again this year. Baden-Württemberg (just like the way that sounds). A few Brits in the field, interested to see how Jarvis goes among others, Katherine Legge as another example although her only real comparable is Christijan Albers I suppose. Paul Di Resta in an 08 should be a contender.

It does look as though dtm.com is planning some sort of live video feed, guess we'll find out soon enough.

[Last2LiftOff]

The 2008 DTM season will be covered live in more than 50 countries, with the USA, Canada and China joining the live-coverage fraternity for the first time.

Well that's something, we'll take it. Das rennen.

[stedevil]

In http://www.touringcartimes.com/news.php?id=2158
you accidentally got Albers brand wrong in the time listings.

[Hazard]

Found that quite processional. Great dominance from the new A4, and di Resta was incredibly strong until his pit problems.

Winkelhock was a bit of a killjoy - glad di Resta came along to help out Jarvis

New pit stop rules don't really make much difference compared to the old ones I feel. Still think they should just split the DTM into two sprints, that'd be great. Why they keep emulating F1, possibly the dullest motor racing format out there I don't know.

[hadlou]

that's strange for a touring car race, not a lot of overtaking in the track, no contact except on the first lap with bernd schneider and an Audi driver...

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Found that quite processional. Great dominance from the new A4, and di Resta was incredibly strong until his pit problems.

Winkelhock was a bit of a killjoy - glad di Resta came along to help out Jarvis

New pit stop rules don't really make much difference compared to the old ones I feel. Still think they should just split the DTM into two sprints, that'd be great. Why they keep emulating F1, possibly the dullest motor racing format out there I don't know.

*It was processional.

*It never was Jarvis, he was in 9th all along. I assume you were watching Motors; Kirby and Cole (kick those guys out please) misidentified the car for the whole race. It was Premat.

*The pitstop rules made a difference as far as it removed all possible strategies but one. My father predicted beforehand that all of the cars would stop between lap 12 and 14, and 17 and 20. He was spot on except for one car which stopped on lap 21...

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Magnusson

*It never was Jarvis, he was in 9th all along. I assume you were watching Motors; Kirby and Cole (kick those guys out please) misidentified the car for the whole race. It was Premat..

I actually realised that at some point and then forgot

In their defence, on TV - Jarvis's and Premat's liveries do look a little similar - just in real life/glossy photo's, the yucky yellow on Jarvis's car stands out more.

[Alex K]

Y'know what, I really get impression that this is the year Scheider will fulfill everyone's expectations. He was Abt's driver last year and was treatted as the odd guy for Kristensen, Ekstroem and Tomczyk. I always thought he got talent and skills to succeed, same was last year, but Audi Sport didn't treat him correct. How many times did he let Top-3 Audi drivers pass him by? How many times he did slow down, sacrifice position? And... he wasn't even sure, accoedibng to media spec's, of his Abt Sportsline position in February of this year.

He's shown his good, I hope Audi Sport will let him fight with Red Bull backed drivers, he deserves the shot and I am sure he will deliver.

[stedevil]

I must say, I sort of liked the old pitstop rules, because they allowed for a lot of alternative strategies to optimize the drivers and his cars performance.

The only thing that IMO would have had to change would be to disallow the absurd blocking by back markers of frontrunners, which should just be down to eg "waveing the blue flag" when a car with more pitstops close up from behind.

The new rule removes the alternative strategic options without really ensuring we wont see silly backmarker blocking moves. At least they should cut down to 1 pitstop if they keep the current pitstop window rules.

Originally Posted by Alex K

...I hope Audi Sport will let him fight with Red Bull backed drivers, he deserves the shot and I am sure he will deliver.

Well, it seems like it. After all, in this race he wasn't told to drop back and let Kristensen by and help Tomczyk past Spengler. That would have been the likely outcome last year and this year he was allowed to stick to Ekströms tail if he could and likely take advantage if ME did a mistake. That he wasn't allowed to try to pass ME though is quite understandable, why allow inteam fighting between the clear top 2 drivers and risk both crashing out?

[Go_For_Pole]

I am biased of course but...

Well done Mercedes for signing Ralf, he really shone. Half a second slower in qualifying than Paffett but hey, he was faster than all other '07 drivers. In fact their fight was so tight, I mean Lauda was only 0,3 behind Ralf and we all know how talented is Lauda. Nevermind the fact that last year Margaritis and La Rossa kept Paffett honest, it really is triumph for Mercedes and the DTM that this year 4 out of 5 '07 Mercedes cars are doing such a great battle...

...at the end of the grid.

[helgi]

I think Margaritis (missing 10 Mercedes) could be as fast as Paffett and there could be more 07 Mercs in top-eight at Hockenheim.
As for Audis, Scheider was the fastest and it was his race. In their interviews they said, they didn't want to have any risk, so the spectators watch an F1-style race. Tram-race. Is it a Barcelona syndrome?
and that extrem R14 aerodynamics? Maybe it disturbs air behind the car (again in F1-style), so it'1 very difficult to drive close to it?
And two pit-stops regulation is nonsense now.

[Last2LiftOff]

Originally Posted by Mattias Ekström

My new A4 goes like a rocket.

Does Mattias, good on ya'. The Mercs weren't even close...deja vu. And Di Resta's very quick.

Newsreel only (and they'd better still have a highlight package this week), but Jarvis and Scheider impressed, and so did Ralf and Legge but for the wrong reasons. Spengler's 08 slower than the Audi's for sure but he always shows-up. Nothing new about the new cars.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by Last2LiftOff

The Mercs weren't even close...deja vu.

Don't underestimate Di resta behind the wheel of the Mercs. His team screwed it up, but before that he was 3rd on the track and closing the 2 top Audis fast. He also set fastest lap during the race, almost 0.2s lower then the best Audi driver...

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by Go_For_Pole

I am biased of course but...

Well done Mercedes for signing Ralf, he really shone. Half a second slower in qualifying than Paffett but hey, he was faster than all other '07 drivers. In fact their fight was so tight, I mean Lauda was only 0,3 behind Ralf and we all know how talented is Lauda. Nevermind the fact that last year Margaritis and La Rossa kept Paffett honest, it really is triumph for Mercedes and the DTM that this year 4 out of 5 '07 Mercedes cars are doing such a great battle...

...at the end of the grid.

From a sporting point of view I fully agree, it's a real shame that Margaritis didnt get a drive this year. But remember that most morotsport, and especially DTM, is about MONEY and ADVERTISING. It doesn't matter if Margaritis would be lapping 1s quicker per lap, the new paying customers buys the tickets to see little Schumi, not some Greek guy he never heard of (unless he already was into DTM).

Also, don't be too hard on the Merc 07 drivers after only the first race, we already knew from last year that Audi had a huge advantage vs the 07 Merc on Hockenheim. Come next race, which last year was as much of a Merc track as Hockenheim was a Audi one, I predict we will see a very different picture. With all the extra weight they will be carrying, Audi is going to struggle to keep in front.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by stedevil

Come next race, which last year was as much of a Merc track as Hockenheim was a Audi one, I predict we will see a very different picture.

In the past Hockenheim was known as a Mercedes track

• 2003: Schneider (first round) + Alesi (last round)
• 2004: Paffett (first round) + Schneider (last round)
• 2005: Alesi (first round) + Schneider (last round)
• 2006: Schneider (first round) + Spengler (last round)
• 2007: Ekström (first round) + Green (last round)
• 2008: Ekström (first round)

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by stedevil

Don't underestimate Di resta behind the wheel of the Mercs. His team screwed it up, but before that he was 3rd on the track and closing the 2 top Audis fast. He also set fastest lap during the race, almost 0.2s lower then the best Audi driver...

He had problems with his clutch. I am not sure that qualifies a screwup of his pit crew.

Closing a gap is one thing, overtaking is something else. Tomczyk was clearly faster than Sprengler, but could not overtake him.

[gwyllion]

Who added the poll to this topic? For me the driver of the weekend was Timo Scheider.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

In the past Hockenheim was known as a Mercedes track

Indeed, that is why it was such a shock that Audi had a 1-2 first race win there in 2007. My point was that the 07 Audi performs better then the 07 Merc on that track, so that the 07 Merc drivers mostly huddle at the very back this race wasn't really much of a surprise.

And didn't know Di resta had a clutch problem. It seemed like he got away just fine, but got pit instruction to stop again and check if rear left tire was really on properly and then, at the second time trying to get away, his engine stalled.

[gwyllion]

According to Norbert Haug:

During his second pit stop, his car had a problem with the clutch, which did not work properly so that Paul stalled the engine when he started.

[stedevil]

I guess that would also explain why he lost so much pace for the rest of the race as well.

[woolynet]

Hi all. Haven't been following this much last year, but when I last looked Gary Paffet was driving for the works Merc team? What's happened there? Watched Hockenheim and looked as if he was in a satellite team?

[FIRE]

Part 839 of the "New manufacturer joins DTM" soap:

According www.autosport.nl German magazine Motorsport Aktuell reported people from Citroen have visited Hockenheim last weekend. Last year Peugeot visited DTM.

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by woolynet

Hi all. Haven't been following this much last year, but when I last looked Gary Paffet was driving for the works Merc team? What's happened there? Watched Hockenheim and looked as if he was in a satellite team?

He was punished by Norbert because he had F1 aspirations in 2006. For Christijan Albers it's even worse than that. He's no longer allowed to drive in one of Norberts cars.

[woolynet]

Well, thanks for that FIRE. Unbelieveable - what quality racing driver wouldn't have F! aspirations - I for one think he would have done a good job in F1. I thought the young guns drove for Merc and BMW with the hope of getting an F! test contract or drive...amazing! At least Albers got to race in F1 although it didn't do him a lot of good did it!

So, Paffets car is one of the Mercs team cars then? Last years model? Sorry, not really up on DTM - been out of touch for a year. Might he get back in the squad later this year or next?