0 DTM Spielberg 2013: Sunday's Race Report - Three Mercedes-Benz drivers finish in Top 10

The third race of the DTM season took place on Sunday, 2nd June at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg. 44,000 spectators attended the race weekend at the track in Styria to watch racing in the world’s most popular touring car series. Three Mercedes-Benz drivers – Christian Vietoris (DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Gary Paffett (EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and Pascal Wehrlein (VfB Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) – finished in the points.

After a tough qualifying session, Mercedes Junior Vietoris started the race from P16 on the grid but moved nine places up the field to finish the season’s third race in seventh position. Despite a two-second pit stop penalty, his Mercedes-Benz team-mate Gary Paffett came home in P9 and also finished in the points. Wehrlein completed the Top 10 by taking the chequered flag in tenth place. And so, in only his third DTM race, the youngest driver in DTM history finished in the points for the second time.

Canadian driver Robert Wickens (STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) finished the race in twelfth place, just ahead of team-mate Daniel Juncadella (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) in 13th. Roberto Merhi (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) took the chequered flag in P20.

Overall standings: After winning the third race of the season at Spielberg, Bruno Spengler (BMW) now leads the drivers’ championship on 53 points. Christian Vietoris is in fifth place on 25 points. In the constructors’ championship, Mercedes-Benz has scored 65 points in the first three of ten races.

The next race: The fourth DTM race weekend will be held from 15th to 16th June 2013 at the Lausitzring.

Statements after the Race

Christian Vietoris (24, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Seventh place
„In view of the difficult position we found ourselves in after qualifying, I am thoroughly satisfied with the way my race went. Thanks to a sound strategy, I was able to move nine places up the field and once again to score valuable points. Our race pace is good, as can be seen from our two podium finishes on the first two weekends. We need to increase our pace on Saturdays so that we can start from further up the grid. Then we would be in a position to battle it out for the top race positions. Our car is generally easy on tyres and our strategy worked as planned, so, my compliments to the team! We have extracted the maximum out of the current package and must now endeavour to improve it overall.“

Gary Paffett (32, England, EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Ninth place
„My pace seemed to be quite decent as compared to the front-runners. The start was really good, but then, I was forced to the outside going into Turn 3 and lost two places. Considering how some other drivers treated me, I’m surprised that it was me who got a penalty. We stayed with the option tyres for a long time and the pace was really good on them. We did well on the primes too. Unfortunately, there were a few drivers on a different strategy, who got the jump on us. Saturday’s problem cost me quite a few positions today.“

Pascal Wehrlein (18, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Tenth place
„This is my second points finish in successive races, which has to count as a good result. The pace of my DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was good today, and we posted consistent lap times throughout the race. Unfortunately, we were some way off the leaders. These first three races of the season have gone OK for me, and we’ve seen that I’ve always been in with a chance of scoring points. But in future races, we want to achieve more than that.“

Robert Wickens (24, Canada, STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Twelfth place
„Unfortunately, my race did not go according to plan. I still cannot understand how I fell back from seventh to twelfth place. I was even in sixth position on my first stint. I didn’t get stuck in traffic at all, nor did I make any mistakes. The car didn't feel in any way different to yesterday either. We need to analyse exactly what happened before the next race.“

Daniel Juncadella (22, Spain, stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): 13th place
„I was satisfied with my race pace today, and the car was good enough to secure points. My start was not brilliant, though, and then, unfortunately, Jamie Green rear-ended me just afterwards, which made me spin and drop way back down the field to last place. My chances of finishing in the points were over by then. I felt very comfortable on the option tyres. But for the incident at the start of the race, tenth place might well have been possible.“

Roberto Merhi (22, Spain, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): 20th place
„A tough weekend in Spielberg ended with a disappointing result for me. I had some exciting scraps in the race including the one with Martin Tomczyk. It was an unfortunate situation as far as I’m concerned, since I was handed a 10-second penalty, but I think that people might think differently once they’ve seen the replay. Unfortunately, my hopes of points received a setback right at the start in Saturday’s qualifying. Points might have been possible with a better starting position.“

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
„I had obviously imagined my home race at Spielberg turning out rather differently. Unfortunately, we have had a tough time here today. But that is just as much a part of motor racing as winning – Congratulations to BMW. Our people are working flat out to raise the level of our performance, and in the run-up to the next race at the Lausitzring, we will be analysing this weekend in detail. Gary was pushed wide in the first turn and lost quite a few positions. His penalty was a tricky decision. Christian had a good strategy and scored some valuable points with his seventh-place finish. I am especially delighted for Timo Glock who has claimed his first ever podium in the DTM – that’s one great piece of news for the whole series.“

~ Official photos and report courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: DTM Spielberg 2013: Sunday's Race Report - Three Mercedes-Benz drivers finish in Top 10

0 DTM Spielberg 2013: Saturday's Qualifying Report - The race start order decided on thousandths

The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg is hosting the DTM for the sixth time this weekend. Mercedes Junior Robert Wickens (STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) will be in seventh position on the grid at the start of the season’s third race of the world’s most popular touring car series. The Canadian posted a time of 1:24.973 minutes, missing the cut and a place in the fourth qualifying session by less than two tenths of a second.

Current DTM runner-up Gary Paffett (EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) had technical problems in the third qualifying session and was unable to post a lap time as a result. The British driver will start the race from P9 on the grid, though, after Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) was handed a penalty.

Pascal Wehrlein (VfB Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:25.146 minutes) is lining up in the colours of DFB Cup finalists VfB Stuttgart for the race weekend here at the Red Bull Ring. The 18-year-old secured the twelfth best time in the second part of qualifying, missing a place in Q3 by two hundredths of a second, which equates to 96.5 centimetres per lap. He also moves up the grid as a result of Rockenfeller’s penalty and will start the race from P11. Team-mate Daniel Juncadella (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) finished in P14 with a time of 1:25.259 minutes. Christian Vietoris (DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:25.518 minutes) was placed 16th.

Spanish driver Roberto Merhi (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) finished the first qualifying session in P21 with a lap time of 1:25.761 minutes. However, Audi driver Jamie Green was subsequently handed a penalty and so Merhi will start from 20th on the grid in the race at the Red Bull Ring.

Looking ahead to the race: The third DTM race at Spielberg starts on Sunday at 1:30pm (live on ARD, from 1:15pm onwards). Occupying pole position will be Bruno Spengler (BMW / 1:24.836 minutes). The race at the Red Bull Ring covers 47 laps and is the season’s longest at 203.322 kilometres.

Statements after Qualifying

Robert Wickens (24, Canada, STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Seventh, (1:24.973)
„That was a tough qualifying session today, but from my perspective, it was at least better than Brands Hatch. My first lap in Q3 started off fantastically, but then I made an error in Turn 6. Who knows – if it hadn’t been for that, I might have made it through to Q4? When you consider that I finished on the podium two weeks ago after starting from 13th, I can feel well satisfied with P7 in qualifying today. “

Gary Paffett (32, England, EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Ninth, (no timed lap)
„Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to post a timed lap in Q3. As I was just about to leave the box, I heard a strange noise and suddenly lost all power, which meant I wasn’t able to continue the session. We now have to analyse the reason for this, and in tomorrow’s race, we’ll have to stage another charge from the back – just like at Brands Hatch – and try to pick up as many points as possible. Despite all this, the pace of my EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was good – certainly better than at Brands Hatch – which gives me cause for optimism.“

Pascal Wehrlein (18, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Eleventh, (1:25.146)
„It’s a shame that a deficit of two hundredths of a second stopped me from progressing further – that equates to less than one metre at this track. On the positive side, we have improved significantly compared to free practice. In the race itself, it will all depend on who can get his tyres to work best and who can extract the maximum from the options. The weather forecast for Sunday is still not yet clear – there’s a good chance of rain again tomorrow – so we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.“

Daniel Juncadella (22, Spain, stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): 14th, (1:25.259)
„No doubt about it, this result represents an improvement as compared to Brands Hatch, and I'm quite happy with my position overall. Maybe using only one set of tyres in the second qualifying session was not the best way to go, but I have to admit to making one or two mistakes and so did not improve in the end. My stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé felt good and I expect another exciting race tomorrow, particularly in view of the weather forecast. If conditions out on track are variable, I hope to utilise strategy to move one or two places up the field.“

Christian Vietoris (24, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): 16th, (1:25.518)
„The first part of qualifying went really well for me, but unfortunately in Q2, I had noticeably less grip with both sets of tyres, so I wasn’t able to improve my lap times. Last year’s race at the Red Bull Ring showed that this is a circuit which offers good opportunities for overtaking. Also, we can use DRS this season to increase our chance of getting past. Qualifying was a disappointment, but the points won’t be handed out until tomorrow, and we intend to score as many as possible.“

Roberto Merhi (22, Spain, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): 20th, (1:25.761)
„It’s a pity, but qualifying at Spielberg did not go as I’d hoped. I don’t know exactly what the problem was. I think I probably lost most time in the second sector. Now we need to analyse the data and focus on the race. My team-mates proved at Brands Hatch that you can still move up the field a fair number of positions with the right strategy and good race pace.“

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
„Our congratulations to BMW, they are very strong at the moment and have got their nose in front. We were dissatisfied with the race weekend at Brands Hatch and today's qualifying session here in Spielberg has also been disappointing, but we are all fighters and racers through and through in our team and we intend to strike back in tomorrow’s race. I am confident that Gerhard Ungar and his crew will pull it off and that together we can overcome this temporary setback. Gary had a bit of bad luck today, unfortunately, but he still has every chance of achieving a decent result on this track where there are plenty of overtaking opportunities. It’s going to be an exciting race.“

Qualifying results: Top Ten

~ Official photos and report courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: DTM Spielberg 2013: Saturday's Qualifying Report - The race start order decided on thousandths

0 DTM Spielberg 2013: Preview

The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg will host the DTM for the sixth time this weekend (1st-2nd June).

The circuit: The length is exactly 4.326km, the Red Bull Ring is the second longest track on the DTM racing calendar – only the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg is longer at 4.574km. The race is held over 47 laps, which equates to a total distance of 203.322 kilometres, making it the longest of the entire season.

Support for VfB Stuttgart: Qualifying at Spielberg is not the only sporting event taking place on Saturday 1st June. VfB Stuttgart play FC Bayern Munich in the DFB Cup final that same evening. To mark the final in Berlin, Pascal Wehrlein will line up for the Spielberg race weekend in the VfB Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, sporting the white/red club colours of five-time German football champions and three-time DFB Cup winners, VfB Stuttgart, who are sponsored by Mercedes-Benz Bank.

Warming up for the race weekend: Pascal Wehrlein was in action at the Red Bull Ring on the Monday before the race. As part of ongoing driver training, the Mercedes junior gave the two Austrian football internationals, Andreas Ivanschitz and Sebastian Prödl, tips on finding the racing line and took them out on a hot lap of the south circuit in a C63 AMG Performance Car.

Statements about the DTM race in Spielberg

Gary Paffett (32, England, EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- was third on the podium last year in Spielberg
- won a Formula 3 race at Spielberg in 2002

“The start to the season could hardly be more varied. After the short and twisty Brands Hatch circuit, one of the longest and fastest tracks of the year now awaits us in Spielberg. I had a decent race there last year, was placed third and finished on the DTM podium for the first time at this track. I would really like to repeat a similar showing with my first podium of the season, but would, of course, prefer to be two places up than one year ago! Our race pace was great at Brands Hatch, and we aim to be among the front-runners once again in qualifying at Spielberg, just like last year.”

Christian Vietoris (24, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- was one of the Top 10 on the grid at Spielberg in his debut season

“After a tricky qualifying session at Brands Hatch, my DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was much better in the race and I was able to move up the field eight positions thanks to our good race pace and clever strategy. But for the mistake in qualifying, more than P8 would have been possible – I intend to make up for my error in Brands Hatch now in Spielberg. The track is great. It goes uphill and down, and the many fast turns are really challenging for the drivers. It will be interesting to see how the option tyres behave on this roller coaster and which strategies will bring success this time. My engineers and I will again spend a lot of time deciding the right tactics, for sure.”

Robert Wickens (24, Canada, STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- finished on podium for first time in his DTM career at Brands Hatch

“My first podium finish at the last race came unexpectedly, but that made the champagne at the winners’ ceremony all the sweeter. Now that I’ve tasted it once, there’s no holding me back and I aim to finish on the podium more often! My STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé prepared by HWA is a highly competitive car and never far from victory – Gary has proven that often enough. I’ll have a good chance of being in contention for a top position if qualifying at Spielberg goes better than it did at Brands Hatch. I’ve already demonstrated that I can hold my own in a scrap against all comers over a full 98 laps at Brands Hatch.”

Roberto Merhi (22, Spain, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- won two Formula 3 Euro Series races at Spielberg in 2011

“Spielberg is a very special track and one of the best on the DTM calendar in my opinion. Long straights, a unique atmosphere in the Austrian mountains and large variations in altitude – not many race tracks can offer such a thrilling combination. The challenge in Spielberg is to find a compromise between having as much downforce as possible for the twisty sections of track and high top speed for the relatively long straights. I drove a good race in Austria last season. I aim to do even better this year and secure a points-scoring finish for the second time this season after that tough Brands Hatch weekend.”

Pascal Wehrlein (18, Germany, VfB Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- secured a point for first time at Brands Hatch in his second DTM race 
- achieved podiums at Spielberg in the Formula 3 Euro series and in the Formel ADAC

“My first DTM point at Brands Hatch was nice, but I would like to do even better in Spielberg and secure more than one solitary point. I have fond memories of this track where I have constantly been on the podium both in Formel ADAC and in the Formula 3 Euro Series. Overtaking in Spielberg is possible even without DRS, so I wonder how it will affect the race. We had one decent qualifying and then one good race during my first two DTM race weekends, so we are now going to combine the two on Saturday and Sunday in Spielberg.”

Daniel Juncadella (22, Spain, stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- has won two Formula 3 Euro series races at Spielberg

“Brands Hatch was a weekend to forget as far as I’m concerned, so now I’m really looking forward to the Red Bull Ring, which is one of my all-time favourite tracks. I’ve won there in Formula 3 Euro Series during the past two years, and so hopefully, I can find the same form in the DTM. Spielberg has many fast turns and only one hairpin, at Turn 2. Consequently, it is particularly important to have good aerodynamic balance. My goal is to quickly find the rhythm that we had in the season-opener at Hockenheim and then aim to score my first DTM points.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“I have been to so many countries around the world with the DTM and Formula 1 during the season and am very much looking forward to a race in Spielberg, in my Austrian homeland, for a change. Every year, I never fail to be amazed by the fantastic atmosphere in front of the packed grandstands, and the track in its mountain setting is unique on the DTM calendar. We achieved one podium in each of the first two races this year. We would now like to occupy the very top spot for the first time this season at Spielberg. Gary Paffett is further motivated to secure his first win of the season following his penalty at Brands Hatch, but our Mercedes juniors have also shown in the first two races that podiums are possible.”

~ Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: DTM Spielberg 2013: Preview

0 Pascal Wehrlein to drive DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé in colours of VfB Stuttgart

Mercedes-Benz combines motor racing and football: Mercedes junior Pascal Wehrlein lines up for the third DTM race of the season at Spielberg’s Red Bull Ring (1st-2nd June) in a car sporting paintwork especially for the fixture. To mark the occasion of the DFB Cup final between VfB Stuttgart and FC Bayern Munich on Saturday 1st June in Berlin, Wehrlein’s DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé will be decked out in VfB Stuttgart’s white/red club colours for the Spielberg weekend. The logos of the five-time German football national champions and three-time DFB Pokal (German Cup) winners are displayed on the bonnet, side doors and the rear of the car.

Mercedes-Benz has close ties with VfB Stuttgart: Mercedes-Benz Bank is the main sponsor of the German side and Mercedes-Benz the exclusive automobile partner of VfB Stuttgart. In addition, the six-time DFB Cup finalists contest their home games in the Mercedes-Benz Arena and travel to away matches in a new Mercedes-Benz Travego Edition 1 team bus.

Pascal Wehrlein: “Football is my biggest passion after motor racing. I am therefore especially pleased to race at Spielberg in a car sporting VfB Stuttgart’s white/red design. This is something very special for me since I am from the small town of Sigmaringen not too far from Stuttgart. As far as I’m concerned, Saturday is all about qualifying initially, but the evening belongs to football. I think it would be nice for all VfB Stuttgart fans for their club to win on Saturday and then see me produce a decent result on Sunday. I will watch Saturday’s game in our hospitality suite and can’t wait to find out whether the guys can deliver. Anyway, I will do my best on Sunday to secure a place as far up the field as possible in my VfB Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. I hope that fans have a really exciting time this weekend and enjoy the action both on the football pitch and on the track.”

Fredi Bobic, VfB Stuttgart’s Director of Sport: “This is a great initiative that emphasises the special relationship between the two partners. We hope, of course, that we can emulate Pascal’s performance on Saturday afternoon in the final that same evening. Hopefully, Pascal will then round off a perfect weekend for Stuttgart and the region on Sunday with a successful outing on the track.”

~ Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

Copyright © 2013, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

Detail: Pascal Wehrlein to drive DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé in colours of VfB Stuttgart