In spite of rain, 72,000 fans celebrate DTM presentation in Wiesbaden
DTM
Wiesbaden. A great backdrop for the start into the new era of the DTM. In spite of changing weather conditions with sun, rain and hail, 72,000 fans flocked to the centre of Wiesbaden, the capital of the German province of Hessen, to witness the DTM presentation. The official unveiling of the Audi A5 DTM, the BMW M3 DTM and the DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé and the presentation of the drivers were followed by a varied show programme for the entire family.
The event was hosted by Verena Wriedt and her colleague Claus Lufen from TV partner ARD. “For the third time already, Wiesbaden is hosting the presentation and thus, it is a tradition in the DTM”, said Lufen. The mayor of Wiesbaden, Dr. Helmut Müller, summed up his role as a host: “The DTM is simply fun for us.”
The fans and drivers also had plenty of fun. “The DTM is known for being very close to the fans anyway, and we are getting really close here in Wiesbaden. Talking with the fans in this great atmosphere is really fun”, said Audi driver Timo Scheider. His colleague from BMW, Bruno Spengler, also enjoyed the interaction with the crowd. “It really sends me shivers down my spine when I see how excited the fans are and how they are enjoying the show.” The drivers signed autographs for hours on end and smiled into the visitors’ cameras. “Seeing the excitements of the fans is a great experience and makes the anticipaton of the first round next Sunday even bigger”, said British Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett.
Next to interviews with the DTM stars, the spectators got a close view of pit stop competitions and demonstration laps with the DTM cars from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz as well as the race cars from the partner categories Formula 3 Euro Series, Porsche Carrera Cup and Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup. An oldtimer parade sparked nostalgic feelings, a motorcycle stunt show provided action. Grid-girl photo shoots and the presentation of the Wiesbaden Phantoms’ cheerleaders were additional optical highlights along the Wilhelmstrasse. On the giant DTM show stage, the band “Stereolove” performed the official song of the 2012 DTM, “This is it”. After that, a live performance by top act Stefanie Heinzmann also thrilled the fans.
Next weekend (April 27th till 29th), action starts in earnest for the 22 DTM drivers when the first of ten DTM rounds takes place at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg.
