Difficult Times For Germanys Top Motorsport Series
Attractive, that`s the word I would use for the
DTM in 2018. The cars look spectacular, they are
loud, the quality of the drivers is second to no
other touring car series in the world and now that
the aero downforce was cut down by 30% for
2018, the racing is as spectacular as it was in the
good old times. Though, the DTM is facing hard
times.
Mercedes, one of three competitors (the others being
Audi and BMW) has announced that they will turn their
back on the series and do what so many other
manufacturers think they have to do: go electric… That
would mean, DTM will lose 6 of 18
cars for 2019 and series boss
Gerhard Berger is facing the tough
challenge to fill up the field with
competitive cars for next season.
It is an irony that just now, when the new
TV
partner Sat1 was coming on board and there was hope
for the much criticised series to get back to old
strength, it is facing it`s greatest challenge so far.
Though, I still can recommend to anybody to go to a
DTM race weekend. As a fan and spectator you can
hardly ask for more, the only weak point I could see in
Hockenheim were the support acts: Formula 4 and a
poor field of the Audi R8 cup is simply not enough to
provide a whole day of action on track.
But if you have a friend who has never been to a race
track, and you do not know, which race series would
give him the best entertainment and insight into racing,
take him to see a DTM race weekend.
As stated before, the DTM races provide a lot of action
on the track, and the paddock and fan areas are full of
adventures and things to see.
Ticketprices range from only 5€ for a bronze ticket on
Friday to 89€ for a gold ticket incl.paddock access for
the whole weekend, so you get extremely good value
for your money.
And I highly advise you to spend a few extra Euros on a
ticket that includes paddock access.
The DTM manufacturers put a huge effort into making
the fans happy.
They have some historic DTM cars on display in the
paddock area, and they also bring their DTM taxis to
the race track. These cars are equipped with a second
seat and selected people get an impression of what the
work of a racing driver is all about.
You can also take a seat in their current road cars and
even get very close to the current DTM cars.
Audi for example shows a DTM car that is cut in half, so
you can see how advanced the technique is under the
skin of a modern touring car. The DTM fan village also
provides various stages where drivers, team members
and V.I.P`s show up for interviews and autograph
sessions. At almost all the races, there are concerts
during the day or in the evening after the action on
track and the entrance is included in your ticket price!
In Hockenheim, the „Fantastischen 4“ played a stunning
performance on saturday night - where do you get such
an outstanding show act for so little money?
The whole paddock area is turned into something like a
feel-good lounge with lots of stands providing food and
drinks as well as lounge like sofas and seating-
accomondations. DTM nowadays is a family event. So
bring your children to the circuit, there is plenty of
entertainment for the young ones:
Music acts and areas with slot car tracks or video
games are standard in the DTM paddock!
Unique for DTM is the so called „pit view“: each
manufacturer opens up one of their pits where you can
look through a glass window and see how the
mechanics prepare the cars and the drivers get ready
for their work – you cannot get any closer to the action
as in these pits. Also there is a pit walk on Saturday
and Sunday where the pitlane will be open for the fans
and you can watch the mechanics pratice the pit stops
for tire changing.
A few words about what is most important: the action
on track.
The cars look spectacular, they are loud and sound
aggressive!
You will see the cars a lot on the track as you get
practise, qualifying and race on Saturday and on
Sunday.
DTM was often critisised in the last years because the
cars are too complicated, too much aero and not
enough close contact racing: These times seem to be
gone! The aerodynamics were cut short for 2018 and
racing at the first weekend in Hockenheim was amongst
the best we have seen in DTM ever!
Qualifying was already very intense: the time difference
from first to last was only a little more over a second so
you can expect a lot of fighting in the two races. The
highlight of the Hockenheim weekend was race two on
Sunday where there were extremely intense fights for
the lead throughout the race with BMW pilot Timo Glock
snatching victory a few laps from the end from
Mercedes man G. Paffett and Audi warrior Mike
Rockenfeller.
The drivers are a good mix of established names like
ex-F1 drivers Timo Glock or Paul die Resta and young
guns like austrias Lucas Auer and ex-Sauber F1 driver
Pascal Wehrlein. Since 2017, DTM has a new boss:
austrain F1 legend Gerhard Berger puts all his power
into his new job to bring the DTM back closer to the
fans and make the event a unique experience for all.
Coming back to attractivity:The eyes of the male
fans will also be treated kindly:the DTM kept their
grid girls…!
So look out in the paddock and on the grid for the
attractive ladies all dressed up in tight yellow Deutsche
Post gear...
What: DTM
Where: 10 race weekends in europe 2018
When: see schedule
Website: www.dtm.com
Contact: see their website here
How much: 5€ - 89€
photos: DTM/media and TSS