0 DTM Hockenheim 2013 (I): Sunday's Race Report - Christian Vietoris finishes 3rd

In the DTM season opener at Hockenheim, Christian Vietoris (DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) claimed his maiden DTM podium. Vietoris started on the prime tyres from third on the grid, completing his mandatory pit stops on Laps 6 and 33. In the closing stage of the race, he overtook fellow Mercedes driver Gary Paffett (EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) who then followed him across the finish line in fourth.

Roberto Merhi (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) began his second season in the world’s most popular touring car series by securing tenth place. For the Spaniard, this is the best result so far of his fledgling DTM career.

Mercedes-Benz juniors Pascal Wehrlein and Daniel Juncadella started their first DTM season with a strong performance, achieving eleventh and twelfth positions respectively. Wehrlein in eleventh place narrowly missed securing points in his debut race. He set two new records on his DTM debut: Today, Wehrlein officially becomes the youngest DTM driver in the history of the series, aged just 18 years and 199 days. In addition, he posted his first DTM kilometres in P1 during the race when he led the field from Lap 9 to 25, making him also the youngest driver ever to lead a race in 28 years of the DTM.

Robert Wickens (STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) retired after five laps with a technical problem. The Canadian moved up a position at the start to a place on the podium but had to park his car in the Parabolica while lying in fourth position.

Overall standings: Christian Vietoris is in third position and Gary Paffett fourth in the drivers’ standings after the first race. In the team standings, STIHL / AMG Mercedes are in third place with 28 points. In the manufacturers' standings, Mercedes-Benz is second with 28 points.

VIP at Mercedes-Benz: 87,000 spectators attended the first race weekend of the year at Hockenheim, including Formula 1 star Nico Rosberg, who visited the DTM season-opener on Saturday and Sunday as a guest of Mercedes-Benz. As part of the weekend’s programme, the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS driver took the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz DTM racing taxi, enabling guests and fans to experience the magic of the DTM for themselves.

The next race: The second round of the DTM will take place at Brands Hatch (18th-19th May), and will be a home fixture for Gary Paffett. Paffett won last year’s race at the shortest track on the DTM calendar.

Comments after the Race

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

- Third position
- Pit stops on Laps 6 and 33
- Tyre choice: option/prime/option

„That race was huge fun. The introduction of DRS and option tyres has given us drivers a lot more to do out on track, which makes it all the more interesting. Going into the race, I was optimistic about putting in a good performance. Because of all the different tyre strategies, it was difficult to know what your real position was. I lost some ground early on, but thanks to our excellent pit stops and a faultless drive, I was able to claw my way back and finish on the podium for the first time in my career. I’ll be delighted if the season carries on this way.“

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

- Fourth position
- Pit stops on Laps 6 and 28
- Tyre choice: prime/option/prime

„That was a tough race, but a P4 finish and my first points of the season are a reasonable outcome. Christian had the better tyres and the better strategy towards the end of the race, so congratulations to him on his first DTM podium. The two different tyre compounds and the use of DRS made for an exciting race. Unfortunately, there were some moves out on track that weren’t totally acceptable. Fourth place is OK, but I know I was capable of a better result today.“

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

- Tenth position
- Pit stops on Laps 6, 7 and 32
- Tyre choice: prime/option/prime

„Considering that I started the race from 21st position on the grid, then I can be quite satisfied with the end result. I moved up the field a number of places at the start, but there was a problem with the tyres on my pit stop, which is why I had to come in twice in a row and had to stop three times altogether. On my final pit stop, my pit crew did a great job, producing the second fastest stop of the race. Placed tenth, I’ve secured my first championship point in the DTM – I can build on that in the next few races.“

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

- Eleventh position
- Pit stops on Laps 25 and 32
- Tyre choice: option/prime/prime

„I’ll be leaving Hockenheim with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I led the race for several laps on my very first outing, which must count as a big success; on the other hand, I was starting to think that I might get a better result. The first stint of the race went really well on the soft tyres, but when I switched to the harder compound, the car didn’t feel as good as it had before. We now need to analyse the reason for that. Even so, it was a good performance to almost finish in the points on my DTM debut.“

Daniel Juncadella (21, Spain, stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- Twelfth position
- Pit stops on Laps 26 and 31
- Tyre choice: option/prime/prime

„I’m well satisfied with my DTM debut. The main thing was to see the finish line and so to get as much experience as possible. I’m pleased to say that I managed to do that. The result could have been better, but I drove over a kerb, which didn’t do my car any good. However, mistakes of that kind are all part of the learning process and have to be expected on your first outing. I’m going to work hard on my driving and try to learn the lessons from today in time for Brands Hatch.“

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

- retired on lap 6
- Pit stops: none
- Tyre choice: option

„The start went well, but my accelerator pedal suddenly got stuck as I was tackling the hairpin. Luckily, I was able to avoid a collision with Bruno Spengler. But for the problem, we would have been in the points today, for sure, maybe a podium would even have been possible. It’s a pity that it didn’t come off, but the season still has a long way to go. I see no reason why we should not be up with the front-runners again at Brands Hatch. So, I’ll draw a line under this weekend and focus on the next race.“

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
„Congratulations to BMW on a strong performance and a well-deserved victory in the season opener. We now need to analyse this first race weekend and learn the lessons for future encounters. At the midway stage, the situation was looking very promising for us, but towards the end, the performance fell away for some of our cars on the hard tyres, which came as a bit of a surprise for us. Our Mercedes Juniors deserve special praise: they were brilliant in the race and have been faultless in every aspect this weekend. Christian put in a great performance to claim his maiden DTM podium, and our rookie Pascal has now had his first experience of leading the race over several laps. Unfortunately, he and Daniel were out of luck on the hard tyres towards the end, but they can travel to Brands Hatch with their heads held high.“

Credits: Daimler AG

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

Detail: DTM Hockenheim 2013 (I): Sunday's Race Report - Christian Vietoris finishes 3rd

0 DTM Hockenheim 2013 (I): Saturday's Qualifying Report - Vietoris and Wickens on the second row

In the first qualifying of the new season, Mercedes-Benz Junior Team members Christian Vietoris (DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and Robert Wickens (STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) booked the second row of the grid. Five of the six Mercedes-Benz drivers qualified in the Top Ten, including DTM rookies Pascal Wehrlein and Daniel Juncadella.

Vietoris posted the third-fastest lap in the final shootout: 1:36.194 minutes. His team-mate, Robert Wickens, set a time of 1:36.920 minutes to claim fourth place. Gary Paffett (EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:40.496 minutes) narrowly missed out on going through to Q4 on a drying track. The 2012 championship runner-up will be starting from sixth on the grid in tomorrow’s season opener.

The two DTM rookies Pascal Wehrlein (DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:41.337 minutes) and Daniel Juncadella (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 1:43.775 minutes) start their first DTM race from positions eight and ten respectively. Wehrlein even managed to secure the fastest lap time in the second qualifying session. On Sunday, aged 18 years and 199 days, he will become the youngest competitor of all time in the history of the DTM.

Roberto Merhi (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) spun off track in the wet during the first qualifying session, sustaining damage to some of the car’s aerodynamic components. He was able to continue but, placed 20th with a time of 1:50.810 minutes, he did not progress to Q2.

Looking ahead to the race: The first race of the season at Hockenheim on Sunday (beginning at: 13:15 CET, live on ARD. New start time this season for the race: 13:30 CET) will be run over 42 laps, covering a total distance of 192.108km.

Comments after Qualifying

Christian Vietoris (24, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Third, (1:36.194 minutes)
„Third on the grid is a good launch pad for this opening race of the season. We found it difficult to weigh up the relative strengths of the teams after the test sessions, and even this morning when we had all that rain, it wasn’t easy to compare the pace of the cars. Consequently, I’m all the more satisfied with third place. The guys have done a fantastic job, and under very difficult conditions, they made the right choice on the tyres and the timing. My DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé has been fast all day, which made me optimistic even before qualifying that I might get through to Q4. Even though I could possibly have taken more risks on my lap in the final session, I still met my target and I’m very happy. We can feel very satisfied to have got five Mercedes-Benz drivers into the Top Ten.“

Robert Wickens (24, Canada, STIHL Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Fourth, (1:36.920 minutes)
„The season-opener has gone very well for me so far. I hope it continues like this. Conditions made today’s qualifying very tough, and not only was speed of the essence but also getting the right timing was crucial. My team and I did everything right and I succeeded in going through to Q4 for the first time. The second row is a good starting position for the race.“

Gary Paffett (32, England, EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Sixth, (1:40.496 minutes)
„We were running well in all conditions. It was definitely the right decision to change to slicks. Unfortunately, the track dried out more quickly than we thought it would and the others simply did better with timing. We certainly had the pace for pole position but to finish sixth is not a bad result, given the tough conditions in this qualifying.“

Pascal Wehrlein (18, Germany, DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Eighth, (1:41.337 minutes)
„We had difficult conditions in qualifying today. Our times in Q1 and Q2 proved that our car is fast. When I crossed the finish line in Q3, I was just a few seconds off being able to put in another flying lap. That was a shame, because I think that Q4 was definitely within the bounds of possibility. But all the same, P8 in my first qualifying is a respectable result.“

Daniel Juncadella (21, Spain, stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): Tenth, (1:43.775 minutes)
„To progress into Q3 at my first DTM qualifying is a really nice surprise. Q1 and Q2 went well, even though both times I had cars in front of me on the final lap. Unfortunately, I had a bit of bad luck in Q3. Timing was not ideal, so I could only post one lap on slicks. Nevertheless, we as a team can be pleased with the results. Let's see what we can do tomorrow, when it should be dry.“

Roberto Merhi (22, Spain, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé): 20th, (1:50.810 minutes)
„Sadly, that was not my best qualifying session. Track conditions were very tough – it was extremely wet and slippery. Unfortunately, I ran far too wide over the kerbs and lost control of the car. I subsequently spun off track and did some damage. As a result, I could not improve my time sufficiently to make it through into Q2, which would certainly have been a distinct possibility otherwise. Too bad! I’ll now have to attack in the race and try to achieve the best result I can from my position on the grid.“

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
„This was a strong team performance from our drivers in the first qualifying session of the year. Five Mercedes-Benz drivers, including four of our Mercedes-Benz Junior drivers made it into the Top 10. This is the first proof that we are on the right track with our philosophy of focusing on promising young drivers. Roberto Merhi lost control of his car in difficult conditions, which is part and parcel of the learning process in the DTM. But I am certain that we will see good race results from all of our drivers in the future and maybe even podiums. Christian drove a superb qualifying under difficult conditions. Now in his third DTM season, he has the experience and speed to be up there with the front-runners. Unfortunately, Gary had some bad luck with the timing. In these changeable conditions, the smallest details can make a big difference. Starting from sixth position on the grid, however, he's still got every chance in the race of finishing on the podium.“

Credits: Daimler AG

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

Detail: DTM Hockenheim 2013 (I): Saturday's Qualifying Report - Vietoris and Wickens on the second row

0 DTM Hockenheim 2013 (I): Preview of the season-opener

The first weekend in May (4th-5th May 2013) marks the start of the new season at Hockenheim and is the home fixture for Mercedes-Benz, featuring new drivers, a new schedule and new sponsors.

The drivers: This year, the brand with the three-pointed star has quite consciously taken the decision to field a young squad of drivers. Joining Gary Paffett, the most successful driver currently competing in the DTM and DTM runner-up in 2012, no less than five talented ‘young guns’ will line up at the start in their DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupés. With an average age of 23 years, the Mercedes-Benz team of drivers is the youngest of all the three manufacturers contesting the DTM.

Team Management: Mercedes-Benz begins the 2013 season not only with a newly established, young driver squad, but also with a fresh DTM management team; Austrian Toto Wolff has been motor racing manager at the brand since 21st January 2013. Wolfgang Schattling is responsible for management and communication of all matters concerning Mercedes-Benz and their involvement with the DTM. The sporting and technical management of the DTM teams is the responsibility of HWA AG Chairman Gerhard Ungar. In addition, Ralf Schumacher has switched roles, moving from the cockpit into team management at RSC Mücke Motorsport, where he will be giving support and advice to young drivers Daniel Juncadella and Pascal Wehrlein.

Sporting and Technical Regulations: Important changes to the DTM regulations have been introduced for the 2013 season. Firstly, race weekends have become more streamlined: Friday practice has been dropped. In future, DTM drivers will work on set-up during a 90-minute session on the Saturday morning. Also, to provide even more excitement and overtaking opportunities, a second, softer compound tyre (option tyre) and Drag Reduction System (DRS) have been introduced. Both these innovations are well-known from Formula 1.

The track: The DTM traditionally starts and finishes the season at the 4.57km Hockenheimring in Baden-Wurttemberg. The section of track from the Parabolic to the hairpin is the fastest piece of track on the DTM calendar and is taken at about 270km/h – the full-throttle percentage over one lap is 64%. Seven turns are negotiated at more than 100km/h and only four at less than 100km/h.

VIP guest at Mercedes-Benz: Formula 1 star Nico Rosberg will appear as a guest in Hockenheim on Saturday and Sunday (4th and 5th May 2013). This season, Nico Rosberg will mentor members of the Mercedes-Benz DTM junior teams, offering them advice and support. Nico will be on hand to answer journalists’ questions during a press conference on Sunday 5th May at 10:00am in the Baden-Württemberg Centre, along with the Mercedes-Benz juniors Daniel Juncadella, Roberto Merhi, Christian Vietoris, Pascal Wehrlein and Robert Wickens.

Comments on the 2013 DTM season-opener at Hockenheim

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

- has won four times at Hockenheim (2004, 2009, 2010, 2012) during his DTM career
- has secured eight podiums at Hockenheim

“Hockenheim simply suits Mercedes-Benz and me. Our brand has been victorious 32 times here and I myself have won four races. Last year, we achieved a one-two victory in the season-opener – a perfect start. I hope we can do it again this year. My batteries are fully charged after the long winter break and I’m really looking forward to the new DTM season. Thanks to many new features, option tyres and DRS, this will certainly be an interesting and exciting year. After the many kilometres of testing this winter, I can’t wait to finally get started in Hockenheim and intend to be back on the attack once again in my EURONICS Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. My goal is clear: to fight for the championship and not be pipped at the post again in the finale at Hockenheim.”

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

- begins his second DTM season at Hockenheim
- has won five Formula 3 Euro Series races at Hockenheim

“Now we can finally get started. I can’t wait for the season to begin. Preparations have gone extremely well. I learned a great deal in my first DTM season last year. I intend to extend my knowledge this season and put lessons learnt to good use and achieve some decent results. Everything is now in place: During the test sessions, I was able to familiarise myself with the technical innovations and worked on my driving style to ensure that I continue to progress during the year ahead.”

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

- finished the 2012 DTM season-opener at Hockenheim in fourth place
- was in the Top 10 for start of race on his DTM debut at Hockenheim in 2011

“After this winter’s testing, we don’t yet know how we will compare in terms of power to the other teams in the new season – we will find that out at Hockenheim. I’ve now contested four DTM races at this track and know that my engineers and me will have a tough job deciding on setting up the car, whether to go for downforce in the turns or for high straight-line top speed. The shortened practice time will make that task even trickier for drivers this year. But I’m highly motivated and optimistic as my third season gets under way.”

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

- made his DTM debut at Hockenheim a year ago
- won a GP3 Series race at Hockenheim in the 2010 season

“Here we go, can’t wait for my second DTM season! I’ve driven on many tracks during my career, but the fantastic atmosphere in the Motodrom and in the Mercedes grandstand is simply the best and I get quite excited when I start thinking about the season-opener. The introduction of DRS and the two different tyre compounds for the new season not only promise more excitement for the spectators in the stands and at home in front of their TVs, but more action for us drivers out on the track. My first DTM season was a training year, but this season, I now really want to go on the offensive and to consistently finish in the points and maybe achieve a podium.”

Daniel Juncadella (21, Spain, stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):

- has won four Formula 3 Euro Series races in Hockenheim
- on the Tuesday (7th May) after his DTM debut, will celebrate his 22nd birthday

“My promotion to the DTM is like a dream come true for me. The DTM is a hard-fought series, and I certainly don’t expect it will be easy this year as a rookie, but I am a fighter and felt at ease in my car during the winter tests and have coped well so far with the transition from Formula 3 to the DTM. Now I am looking forward to finally experiencing the superb atmosphere in Hockenheim’s Motodrom from the cockpit of my stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé.”

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

- will be the youngest DTM driver ever to compete at Hockenheim, aged 18 years and 199 days
- achieved two podiums at the finale of the 2012 Formula 3 Euro Series in Hockenheim

“Right now, time is passing so quickly. One moment, I was having my first tests in the DTM AMG Mercedes C-Coupé and now I’m preparing for my DTM debut. I can hardly believe it myself sometimes, but I’m ready for this challenge. I will treat the season-opener in Hockenheim just like any other race and try to do my best, learn as much as possible and have a good race – maybe I might even finish in the points, which would, of course, be a dream result. What is vitally important, though, is that I quickly get to know the team and the car and gain experience for the rest of the season.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“Hockenheim is the perfect place, indeed, a marvellous setting to start the new DTM season. It is a challenging and demanding race track. Hockenheim is not just a home fixture for Mercedes-Benz, but also represents extremely successful territory for us. It may sound like a cliché when I say that this year’s DTM is as open and exciting as ever, but it is very true. Thanks to DRS and the new option tyres supplementing the usual tyres, the DTM will be even more exciting and unpredictable in this second year with the new generation of vehicles. Our goal for this season is very clear-cut: We aim to win races and secure the championship. Gary Paffett may be our spearhead, certainly, but with our five Mercedes-Benz juniors we have a youthful line-up hungry for success. Our young drivers have shown their talent already with wins and championships in some of the world’s best junior series – Formula 3 Euro Series, GP3 and the World Series by Renault – and have the potential to forge successful careers. Mercedes-Benz has a long tradition of bringing on young drivers and we are certain that we are on the right path and will reap the rewards in the future.”

Credits: Daimler AG

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

Detail: DTM Hockenheim 2013 (I): Preview of the season-opener