Spengler takes victory at the Norisring

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By Glenn Freeman Sunday, June 24th 2007, 13:29 GMT


Bruno Spengler has taken his first DTM win of the season from pole position at the Norisring.

The Canadian was able to maintain a small gap to reigning champion Bernd Schneider in the closing stages of the race, as he celebrated his second win in as many years at the street circuit.

Spengler had been fortunate that he had made his first pit stop just before the safety car came out, as some drivers were caught out and had to wait until the race restarted before making their first stop.

The safety car came out after Vanina Ickx was hit from behind by Mathias Lauda at the first corner on lap 22. Spengler was already in the pits, although a red light appeared at the pit exit just as he rejoined the track.

Hakkinen had been running second in the early stages, but his race was ruined by the new rule that forbids pit stops while the safety car is on track, and the Finn eventually finished ninth.

Schneider was able to close on Spengler during the second half of the race, but the German was unable to get any closer than one second, and he eventually settled for second, just ahead of Audi's Mattias Ekstrom.

Gary Paffett had a lonely run to fourth after Ekstrom passed him during the pit stops, while Tom Kristensen took fifth position on his return to the DTM.

Jamie Green closed in on the Dane in the last few laps, but he ran out of time and had to settle for his fourth sixth place finish of the season.

Alexandros Margaritis led for a long period during the middle of the race before his second pit stop, and the Greek driver's impressive pace enabled him to get up to eighth when he rejoined. He then snatched seventh from Alexandre Premat at the last corner on lap 60.

Pre-race championship leader Martin Tomczyk only lasted one lap in the race, as he damaged his car in a collision at Turn 1 with Paul di Resta and Susie Stoddart.

The incident caused di Resta to spin, and the 21-year-old's day got worse after that as he had not pitted before the safety car came out.

He spun again at the first corner while chasing Adam Carroll, and eventually finished 15th.

Classified:

Pos  Driver            Make       Time
 1.  Bruno Spengler    Mercedes   1:03:59.350
 2.  Bernd Schneider   Mercedes   +     1.803
 3.  Mattias Ekstrom   Audi       +     2.501
 4.  Gary Paffett      Mercedes   +     9.160
 5.  Tom Kristensen    Audi       +    13.750
 6.  Jamie Green       Mercedes   +    14.201
 7.  A.Margaritis      Mercedes   +    19.477
 8.  Alexandre Pr?mat  Audi       +    20.928
 9.  Mika Hakkinen     Mercedes   +    21.699
10.  Christian Abt     Audi       +    36.069
11.  Mathias Lauda     Mercedes   +    37.299
12.  Daniel La Rosa    Mercedes   +    45.537
13.  M.Rockenfeller    Audi       +    1 lap
14.  Timo Scheider     Audi       +    1 lap
15.  Paul Di Resta     Mercedes   +    1 lap
16.  Susie Stoddart    Mercedes   +    2 laps
17.  Adam Carroll      Audi       +    9 laps
18.  Lucas Luhr        Audi       +   15 Laps

Not Classified:

     Driver            Make         Laps
     Vanina Ickx       Audi          20
     Martin Tomczyk    Audi           1

Fastest lap: Spengler, 48.792 on lap 7

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Spengler not focusing on standings

By Glenn Freeman Monday, June 25th 2007, 16:01 GMT


Bruno Spengler has said that he will not be keeping a close eye on the DTM points standings until the closing stages of the season.

The Canadian was one of the pre-season title favourites this year after he won four races in 2006, but after a difficult start to the season he had just seven points after four races.

However, Spengler took his first win of the season at the Norisring on Sunday, and he now believes that the title is a realistic possibility.

"For me everything is possible, so I'm going to push really hard race after race and we will count the points later in the year," Spengler told autosport.com.

Spengler's win means that he is just 8.5 points behind championship leader Bernd Schneider, while this time last season he was 14 behind the German.

The 23-year-old added that he still believed he was a title contender even when he was eighth in the standings after four of the 10 races.

"The start of the season was crazy, but even after four races I was still thinking the championship is possible," he said.

"Now it is even more possible, as I am only 8.5 points behind the leader and I never give up."

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Audi accept call on Spengler pit exit

By Glenn Freeman Monday, June 25th 2007, 10:44 GMT


Audi have accepted that Bruno Spengler would have been unable to react to the red light that appeared at the pit exit as he rejoined the track at the Norisring.

The Canadian made his first pitstop just before the safety car came out, and the pitlane was closed just as he reached the pit exit.

Onboard footage from Spengler's car showed that the light changed just before he reached the end of the pitlane, but the Mercedes driver did not receive a penalty, and he went on to win the race.

Audi's head of motorsport Wolfgang Ullrich said: "I went to race control after the race to see the footage again, and now I'm convinced that there was nothing Spengler could have done.

"He was so close it was impossible for him to react. It could have happened to anyone.

"This is alright, and I see no other possibility. Now we can concentrate on the second half of the season."

Not all of Audi's drivers agreed with Ullrich though, and Mattias Ekstrom was particularly disappointed that Spengler was not penalised.

"For me, red means stop," the 2004 champion told autosport.com. "All drivers can react in time. This is unacceptable."

Spengler dismissed the controversy immediately after the race, as he felt that he had done nothing wrong.

"Other people are saying things, but for me the red light was not an issue," he said. "There's nothing to discuss."

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DTM 2007 ? Press Release No. 43
Bruno Spengler wins DTM race at the Norisring
Nuremberg. The season highlight of the DTM at the Norisring in Nuremberg saw Bruno Spengler claiming his first win of the season with his AMG Mercedes C-Class. After 74 laps at the 2.3 kilometres short street circuit, the 23-year old crossed the line in first place ahead of his team-mate Bernd Schneider. The success at the Norisring is the fifth DTM career win for Spengler, who clinched his maiden victory in the series at the same venue one year ago. The podium was completed by Swede, Mattias Ekstr?m with the Audi A4 DTM. Since the start of the DTM in 1984, 333 races have been held including today?s round at Norisring. By finishing second, Bernd Schneider took over the lead in the championship standings of the DTM at the halfway point of the season. After five of ten rounds, the reigning champion is in first place with 25.5 points. Mattias Ekstr?m is second with 24 points from Martin Tomczyk (20 points).

The race in detail
Spectators during the weekend: 141,000
Weather conditions: sunny
Air temperature: 25.3 ?C
Track temperature: 34.3 ?C

Start    Spengler takes the lead from H?kkinen, Paffett inside from Schneider in third place, Lauda, Tomczyk, Stoddart and di Resta collide at Grundig hairpin. Rockenfeller through the grass at first corner. Di Resta spins coming out of the corner.
Lap 1    Tomczyk has dropped down the order, comes into the pits with damage to the right front part of his car.
Lap 2    Tomczyk retires.
Lap 3    Spengler is leading from H?kkinen, Schneider, Paffett, Ekstr?m, Scheider, Abt and Kristensen.
Lap 6    Ekstr?m into the pits for his first mandatory stop.
Lap 7    Schneider, Kristensen into the pits, Susie Stoddart's car is driving without the bonnett after a collsion with Vanina Ickx at Dutzendteichkehre.
Lap 8    Pr?mat and Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 9    Green and Carroll into the pits. Stoddart gets a drive-throuh because of the collsion with Vanina Ickx.
Lap 11    Abt into the pits. Stoddart comes in for her penalty.
Lap 14    Bruno Spengler is two seconds clear from Mika H?kkinen. Paffett is third from Scheider, La Rosa, Margaritis.
Lap 15    Kristensen and Abt collide at Grundigkehre, both continue. Paffett into the pits.
Lap 17    Lauda into the pits.
Lap 18    Margaritis into the pits.
Lap 19    Timo Scheider into the pits. Ekstr?m and Paffett battling for ninth place.
Lap 21    Pr?mat, Margaritis and Carroll in a three-way fight, Margaritis overtakes both on the inside. La Rosa into the pits.
Lap 22    Ickx hits the barriers in the run-up to Grundigkehre after being hit by Lauda. Race leader Spengler into the pits.
Lap 23    Safety car is deployed, in the field in front of Lauda. The pitlane is closed.
Lap 24    Luhr into the pits - although the pitlane is closed.
Lap 27    Kristensen and Green into the pits.
Lap 28    Restart. H?kkinen is leading from di Resta, Rockenfeller, Spengler. Di Resta, Schneider, Ekstr?m, Pr?mat into the pits. Ekstr?m re-joins between Schneider and di Resta.
Lap 29    Paffett and Rockenfeller into the pits. For Paffett, it is his second pit stop.
Lap 30    Abt into the pits. Drive through penalty for Carroll because of ignoring blue flags.
Lap 31    La Rosa, Carroll into the pits.
Lap 32    H?kkinen into the pits.
Lap 33    Lauda into the pits. The Austrian is under investigation by the stewards.
Lap 34    Scheider, Luhr into the pits.
Lap 35    Spengler is leading from Margaritis, H?kkinen, Schneider, Ekstr?m. Di Resta into the pits.
Lap 37    Halfway through the race, Spengler comes in for his second pit stop.
Lap 38    Spengler rejoins behind H?kkinen, well ahead of Bernd Schneider. Warning for Mathias Lauda.
Lap 40    Margaritis leading from H?kkinen, but both still have to come in for a second stop. Puncture right front for Timo Scheider.
Lap 44    Di Resta spins at the Grundigkehre after trying to overtake Carroll. Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 45    Luhr is coming in for his second stop. Now, only Margaritis and H?kkinen have to make a second stop.
Lap 46    Spengler in third is three seconds clear of Bernd Schneider in fourth.
Lap 50    H?kkinen into the pits, rejoins in eleventh behind Lauda.
Lap 52    Margaritis into the pits, rejoins behind la Rosa in ninth.
Lap 54    Bruno Spengler is leading from Schneider, Ekstr?m, Paffett, Kristensen, Green, Pr?mat and Margaritis.
Lap 58    H?kkinen in eleventh place is attacking Christian Abt for tenth and gets past at Dutzendteich.
Lap 59    Luhr spins at the chicane after being hit by la Rosa, following a four-way fight with la Rosa, Margaritis, Pr?mat and Luhr, although Luhr was one lap down.
Lap 62    La Rosa gets a drive-through penalty because of the collision with Luhr and comes in. Luhr also in the pits ? retires.
Lap 66    Schneider is closing up on race leader Bruno Spengler, the gap is only 0.9 seconds, while Ekstr?m is only 1.8 seconds behind Schneider. Carroll into the pits.
Lap 68    Drive through for Daniel la Rosa.
Lap 72    Spengler is leading Schneider by 1.1 seconds, then another 1.4 seconds down is Ekstr?m in third.
Lap 74    Final lap.
Finish    Bruno Spengler claims his first victory of the season from Schneider, Ekstr?m, Paffett, Kristensen, Green, Margaritis, Pr?mat, H?kkinen and Abt.

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DTM 2007 ? Press Release No. 44
Spengler celebrating first season victory at Norisring
Nuremberg. Bruno Spengler is the winner of the fifth DTM round of the season. After 74 laps at the Norisring street circuit in Nuremberg, the Canadian Mercedes-Benz driver was the first driver to take the chequered flag, waved by former 007-agent Roger Moore. ?This is my first victory this year. I am happy and I will celebrate today?, the 23-year old said after opening his winning account for this season. Last year, Spengler scored a total of four victories after having notched up his maiden win in the ?German Monaco?. Thus, the DTM fans saw a different winner in each one of the five DTM rounds held so far this season. Second place went to the winner of the previous round at Brands Hatch, Bernd Schneider, who was 1.803 seconds down on his fellow-Mercedes-Benz driver at the finish line. This allowed the record DTM champion to take the lead in the championship standings for the first time this season. The winners? podium was completed by Swedish Audi driver, Mattias Ekstr?m, who scored six points for finishing third and is now battling for the title in runner-up spot behind Schneider. Martin Tomczyk, who had been leading in the championship before the Norisring round, had to park his car with damage in the pit box following a collision with Susie Stoddart and Paul di Resta (both Mercedes-Benz) on the opening lap.

After heavy rain on Saturday at the Norisring, that is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the second shortest circuit on the DTM calendar with only 2.3 kilometres presented itself from the sunny side. 141,000 fans witnessed the fifth DTM round of the season and saw a race that was largely dominated by pit stop strategy. The safety car was deployed following a collision involving Mathias Lauda (Mercedes-Benz) and Vanina Ickx (Audi) on lap 22. This forced the teams to adapt their planned strategies to the situation. The victim of this was crowd favourite Mika H?kkinen with the AMG Mercedes C-Class, who lost valuable positions after his pit stop because the field was so closely together. Having started second, H?kkinen crossed the finish line in ninth place. Gary Paffett benefited and finished fourth. Paffett already won at the Norisring in 2004 and 2005.

Second-best Audi driver in the 333rd race of DTM and ITC was Tom Kristensn in fifth place. The popular Dane made his comeback in the DTM this weekend after his serious accident in the Hockenheim season opener. Behind sixth-placed Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz), Greek Alexandros Margaritis was delighted with his seventh place. The Mercedes-Benz driver showed a good performance, making up eleven positions after having started 18th. He was followed by Alexandre Pr?mat (Audi), Mika H?kkinen and Christian Abt (Audi), who announced his retirement at the end of the season at the Norisring.

Thus, the lead in the championship is changing again. Bernd Schneider has 25.5 points ahead of Ekstr?m (24) and Tomczyk (20). The next DTM racing weekend is taking place in Mugello, Italy, from July 13th till 15th.

Bruno Spengler (winner, DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes): ?This victory was very important. Now, I am back in the race for the title and I am very happy with that. In the first four races, I was always close, but never made it to victory. Today, everything was all right.?

Bernd Schneider (2nd place, Original-Teile AMG Mercedes): ?The outcome of the race is fair, Bruno was simply the quickest man of the weekend. My car was perfect and towards the end of the race I could close up to Bruno, but closing up is one thing, getting past is something different.?

Mattias Ekstr?m (3rd place, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): ?Finishing third after having started seventh is a good performance. But today, my set-up was so good that I could even have won. Unfortunately, I was having problems with the brakes and a few other small things, so that I am generally happy with the result.?

Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug: ?It was a great, but also a very hard race. With Bruno Spengler and Bernd Schneider, we have scored a double win, which is always good. I am especially happy with this win for Bruno. He is now back in the race for the title in a very strong way. Congratulations also to Mattias Ekstr?m and Audi. Now, there are five or six drivers being able to fight for the title, that is good for the sport. Unfortunately, Mika H?kkinen became victim of the safety car phase and thus wasn?t able to use his advantage for a pit stop. I feel sorry for him because of this. In the race result and the championship, he isn?t were he could have been, the performance is there.?

Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: ?Once again, the Norisring has been a great backdrop for the DTM. Every year, the atmosphere is impressive. I am really happy with Mattias Ekstr?m?s good result. Throughout the race, he had a good pace and a good pit stop strategy. It is too bad that points leader Martin Tomczyk was out of the race on the first lap already. Now, we are focussing on the remainder of the season, that will surely remain exciting.?