September 1st, 2009
Final spurt for the DTM title kicked off at Brands Hatch
DTM
Wiesbaden - Nearly no other motor-racing series features as close and competitive motor racing as DTM: with six rounds contested, both Audi and Mercedes-Benz have secured three race wins and five different drivers have made it to the highest step on the podium. In the drivers? Championship, the lead of reigning champion Timo Scheider (Audi) over second-placed fellow Audi driver Mattias Ekstr?m (Sweden) amounts to only one point, with third-placed Mercedes-Benz spearhead Gary Paffett following just another five points behind. And in the forthcoming round, held this Sunday (6th September) at Brands Hatch, the Briton wants to close in on or even pass the leading Audi pairing. ?It goes without saying that regaining the DTM lead for Mercedes-Benz in front of my home crowds would be something very special,? says Paffett. In addition to Paffett, there will be another five British drivers contesting the DTM round held on Brands Hatch?s 1.929-kilometre track, the shortest circuit on the calendar: Paul Di Resta, Jamie Green, Susie Stoddart, Katherine Legge and Oliver Jarvis. Meanwhile, the current weight situation also will add to the competitiveness of the field. For the first time since the season opener, the DTM cars of both manufacturers will contest the race with their original weights of 1,050kg (2009-spec), 1,030kg (2008-spec) and 1,010 kg (2007-spec).
The British round in the thrilling battle for the 2009 DTM title will be witnessed by an extremely popular special guest: just as he did in 2008, reigning Formula 1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is going to again attend the DTM race held at Brands Hatch. ?It will be great to be back at Brands Hatch and watch the DTM action,? says the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes ace. ?Spending time with the British motor-racing enthusiasts and thanking them for their support always is great.? Hamilton knows DTM from his Formula 3 Euro series days. ?Back then I had the opportunity to witness most of the DTM races,? reveals Hamilton. ?They always feature a lot of action and enthralling overtaking manoeuvres. So, I?d recommend the DTM race as the perfect destination for a great family trip.?
The seventh DTM round of the season held at the circuit located close to London will be started on 06th September at 13:00hrs BST (14:00hrs CEST). German TV station ARD is going to cover both the qualifying session on Saturday (from 13:25hrs CEST) and the race on Sunday (from 13:45hrs CEST) live. During the one-hour race, the drivers will complete 93 laps and cover a total mileage of 179.397 kilometres.
