Jamie Green, driver of a Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, and Ralf Schumacher took home a victory on Saturday in the first DTM Team Relay Competition. On Sunday, Green finished second, Gary Paffet, driver of the THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, finished third, both overtaken by Audi driver Mattias Ekström who finished first.

The weather played a major role on Sunday, with rain showers and a damp track adding significantly to the excitement of the race. In the quarter finals, a mere 90 thousandths of a second separated the Audi A5 DTM of Swedish driver Mattias Ekström and the BMW M3 DTM of reigning DTM champion, Martin Tomczyk from Germany. In the end, Tomczyk was defeated in front of his home crowd. In the semi-final, Ekström beat British Mercedes driver Paffett while Green made his way into the final with a tiny margin over Bruno Spengler (BMW). “A slight error cost me victory,” Spengler explained.

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) finished in second place in the DTM individual competition at Munich’s Olympic Stadium. The Norisring winner lost out to Mattias Ekström (Audi) in the final two races, run over six laps each time. Two Mercedes-Benz drivers progressed through to the semi-finals – Green and championship leader Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé). Paffett was joint third with Bruno Spengler (BMW).

On the first day of racing on Saturday, Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), currently placed second in the championship, won the inaugural team competition. Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé) were third. Positions 1 and 3 were the best possible result in accordance with the regulations which state that no single manufacturer may finish in P1 and 2. A total of 45,000 spectators attended the DTM race in Munich on Saturday and Sunday.

The Format: After the team competition on Saturday, all 22 DTM drivers took part in the individual competition on Sunday. Championship leader Gary Paffett and the top three drivers from each manufacturer in the DTM drivers’ championship received a bye and did not race until the heat for the final sixteen (for Mercedes-Benz that was, apart from Paffett, Jamie Green, Christian Vietoris and David Coulthard). The preliminary heat and heats for the final sixteen were run over four laps. Starting with the quarter finals, the race distance was over six laps, which included a mandatory pit stop. The winner was determined in the final in two runs.

Preliminary Round: Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) won his race against Timo Scheider (Audi), who raced in the finals of the team competition on Saturday, one and a half seconds ahead. Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) won the next duel against Joey Hand (BMW) by three-tenths, but did not go through to the quarterfinals because of a subsequent one-second time penalty. Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) were eliminated in their respective races against Miguel Molina and Adrien Tambay (both Audi).

Round of 16: Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) beat Rahel Frey (Audi) in the first round by six seconds. In the second round, David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) got the jump on Molina with a 0.062-second lead. Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) won against Audi driver Filipe Albuquerque by 1.2 seconds. Robert Wickens and Christian Vietoris were eliminated in their races against Martin Tomczyk and Augusto Farfus (both BMW).

Quarter-finals: The quarter-final races took place on a wet track after intermittent showers of rain. Paffett beat his Mercedes-Benz team-mate Coulthard in the first round by just eight-tenths of a second. Green won his quarter-final heat against Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) three-tenths ahead.

Semi-finals: Paffett lost to Mattias Ekström (Audi) in the first of the semi-finals and so finished joint third with Bruno Spengler (BMW) in the individual standings. Green secured a place in the final in a thrilling duel against Spengler.

Final: Rain began to fall again before the start of the final. Green won the first of two runs against Mattias Ekström (Audi) by just under two seconds. In the second run, however, the Swedish driver beat Green to win the individual competition.

Comments on Sunday:

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Second:

“Too bad that we didn’t achieve an outright win in the final, but I’m satisfied with second place and winning the team competition on Saturday. My first final run was good, but conditions were tough on the second run and I lost some time during the pit stop into the bargain. It was an exciting race, and the crowds braved the rain and cheered us in the stands – they deserve a special mention.”

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Third:

“Third place twice, in the team competition and then in the individual contest, plus the relay victory for Ralf and Jamie yesterday and Jamie’s second place today – yes, it was a very successful weekend for Mercedes-Benz in Munich. Of course, I would really have loved to have won, but the track on my side was slightly wetter than on Mattias Ekström’s. But still, I’ll be going into the summer break and the next race at the Nürburgring with a real sense of achievement. Even after the rain, the track afforded a surprising amount of grip and we had plenty of speed – it was a whole lot of fun!”

David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Quarter-finals:

“The track was very slippery and conditions difficult after the rain. Gary was faster in our race and won. I hope the fans in the stands had a lot of fun, despite the bad weather. Well, anyway, I enjoyed myself in the cockpit.”

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé), Round of 16:

“I felt very much at ease on the circuit in the Olympic Stadium. I proved that on Saturday by securing third place in the team competition with Gary. I got away to a good start again today, but unfortunately, didn’t manage to finish ahead on my track, since it was probably a little slower compared to the other.”

Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Round of 16:

“It’s nice to have got this far, but unfortunately, the competition is now over for me. Martin Tomczyk had fresh tyres and mine were used, which made the difference. Overall, it’s been a very successful weekend for Mercedes-Benz, and that should give us some extra motivation for the second half of the season.”

Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Preliminary Round:

“I’m a bit disappointed because I had planned to do more on this second day. The start is run over such a short distance and is particularly important, given that the field is so evenly matched. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be my day. Now I’ll be focusing on the forthcoming race at the Nürburgring.”

Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Preliminary Round:

“Too bad, after winning the team event along with Jamie, I was hoping for more today in the individual competition. Unfortunately, my side of the track was still a little damp and I had the disadvantage of having run out of fresh tyres, because I was in the finals yesterday. Nevertheless, I’ve had a lot of fun this weekend racing here at the Munich Olympic Stadium and after Saturday’s successful outcome, I’m looking forward even more to the next race at the Nürburgring.”

Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Preliminary Round:

“Unfortunately, I exited the individual competition after the first round. Although I would obviously have liked to have progressed further, I took the opportunity to enjoy the competition along with the fans in the Munich Olympic Stadium, and cheered on my team-mates. It was a very successful event as far as being a mere spectator goes.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“A very successful weekend for Mercedes-Benz with the best possible result, first and third in the Manufacturers’ competition on Saturday and second and third place for Jamie Green and Gary Paffett in the Drivers’ competition on Sunday.

Two of the four drivers in the semi-finals were Mercedes drivers and a win was definitely in the offing, since Jamie Green was the clear leader in the final with the fastest laps on both tracks and the best pit stops – the die was cast, however, when Jamie was slowed down by a stalled engine when coming back out after his second pit stop. So, congratulations to Mattias Ekström and Audi on a well-deserved victory in the final.

The DTM race at the Munich Olympic Stadium will also be remembered for a terrific crowd who stuck it out in today’s rain and had plenty of fun and saw lots of thrilling action. Coverage by television, radio, print and electronic media has been very comprehensive and positive, which shows that the DTM in the stadium is well accepted.

Many thanks to all the teams, of all the competitors who made this possible, to the ITR, the DMSB and partners of the Olympic Park. This great event is the result of their joint, cooperative efforts.”

Ralf Schumacher, driver of the Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class, placed second in the third round of the 2011 DTM season in Spielberg. Placing second made Schumacher the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver at the the race. After placing third place at the season opener in Hockenheim, it was Schumacher’s second podium finish in the DTM.

Six AMG Mercedes C-Class drivers finished in the Top 10: Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Class) moved up from twelfth on the grid to take fourth place. Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) climbed from ninth to sixth. Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class), David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) took places eight to ten. This was the best result of his career so far for DTM rookie van der Zande. Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class), Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) crossed the line in positions 13 to 15.

After three rounds out of ten, Bruno Spengler leads the drivers’ standings with 23 points, and THOMAS SABO / Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG tops the team rankings. This means Mercedes-Benz has led both the drivers’ and teams’ standings since the 2010 DTM season opener at Hockenheim.

Spengler also set the fastest lap of the race in 1:26.298, for the twelfth time in his career. A Mercedes-Benz driver has scored fastest lap in every one of the four races in Spielberg, while Mercedes-Benz drivers won three of the four races.

Across the race weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), 48,000 spectators in total visited Spielberg to watch the DTM. Sunday’s race was sold out.

Race summary

The start: Ralf Schumacher defends his third place at the first corner. Jamie Green moves up from P9 to P6. Behind him, Gary Paffett, Bruno Spengler, Maro Engel and Renger van der Zande complete the first lap in positions seven to ten. Spengler has climbed four places – from twelfth to eighth.

Lap 5: Six C-Class drivers in the top 10: Schumacher in third place, Green, Paffett, Spengler, Engel and van der Zande in positions six to ten.

Lap 7 : Spengler overtakes Paffett for seventh place.

Lap 8: Engel completes a drive-through penalty for a collision with Edoardo Mortara (Audi) at the first corner.

Lap 10: The pit stop window is open, and Green, Vietoris, Stoddart are the first Mercedes-Benz drivers to come in for fresh tyres and fuel.

Lap 11: Van der Zande overtakes Paffett and moves into P6.

Lap 12: Van der Zande and David Coulthard complete their first mandatory pit stops.

Lap 14: Schumacher pits from the lead for his first stop and emerges ahead of Oliver Jarvis (Audi).

Lap 15: First mandatory pit stop for Engel.

Lap 18: Schumacher posts the fastest lap of the race so far.

Lap 21: Second pit stop for Coulthard.

Lap 22: Spengler is the last driver to complete his first mandatory stop and is in P4. Green comes in for his second stop.

Lap 23: Schumacher is the second driver to come in for his second stop.

Lap 27: Paffett makes his second stop.

Lap 28: Spengler pits from the lead to make his final stop and re-emerges in P4. Within 28 laps, he has moved up from P12 on the grid to P4.

Lap 30: Six C-Class drivers are in the top 10: Schumacher in second place, Spengler in fourth position, Green sixth and Paffett, Coulthard and van der Zande in positions eight to ten.

Final lap: After 38 laps and a total distance of 164.388 km, Ralf Schumacher finishes second, and is the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver the third round of the 2011 DTM season in Spielberg. Bruno Spengler battles his way up eight places to finish fourth. Jamie Green and Gary Paffett secure P6 and P8 respectively.

Comments after the race:

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Second:

“Second place and my second podium are a good result for me. I tried everything to get past Martin Tomczyk, but I couldn’t do it in the end. I was fast all weekend here in Spielberg and hope I can continue this form in the coming races.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – Fourth:

“This was a great race. After starting from twelfth, I am very satisfied with fourth place. The set-up on my C-Class perfect and the car was really quick. I was able to do consistently quick lap times – that was the key to the race. Thanks to my team for a great strategy and a great job!”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Sixth:

“From my starting position, this wasn’t an easy race. I was stuck behind Mike Rockenfeller for a long time. I was faster in the corners and he was quicker down the straight, but I didn’t want to risk any dangerous manoeuvres. I was really happy with the speed and balance of the car.”

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – Eighth:

“I lost a lot of time at the start and then got stuck in traffic. When I was able to get into clear air, it was much better, but I couldn’t do better than eighth place. I am a bit disappointed, but that’s motor racing – DTM is always close and very hard-fought.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Ninth:

“I’m pleased with ninth place in Spielberg – it’s just too bad that it wasn’t enough for me to score a point today. I nearly did it but after pitting, I hit traffic and was unable to gain any more positions.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Tenth:

“The weekend was good for my confidence and I was just a whisker behind David at the finish, which is a positive result for me. The test day before the weekend really helped. I’m getting on better with the car and it would be great to secure my first championship points soon.”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 13th:

“Starting from 15th didn’t make for an easy race, but I had a great battle with Maro – I enjoyed that a lot! Unfortunately, we just weren’t quick enough this weekend. Now I’m focusing on the next race at the Lausitzring.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 14th:

“My drive-through penalty cost me a good result. There was a car to my left on the run to the first corner, so I went right. I was up against the wall already and couldn’t go any wider. The car ran well, but my race was over after the penalty.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 15th:

“There was a communication problem at the beginning of the race, that’s why we made three pit stops. So that spoilt my afternoon early on. Naturally I’m disappointed, but at least my speed was good.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“Ralf Schumacher’s car had the speed to win today and after his third place at Hockenheim, he was able to secure second place here; he was just 0.4 seconds behind winner Martin Tomczyk for Audi, to whom I offer my warmest congratulations.

For me, Bruno was today’s man of the race and drove from 12th place to fourth, only just missing out on the podium. Our performance here in Spielberg was very strong – our C-Class drivers set the five fastest race laps, with Bruno Spengler doing a very impressive lap of 1:26.298 and David Coulthard close behind him.

Bruno leads the championship after three races, and Ralf is third. We are first and second in the team rankings, and our pace was good enough to win in all three races: it’s a solid foundation for the rest of the season.”

The third race of the 2011 season sees the DTM make a welcome return to Austria after an eight-year absence. The DTM raced in Spielberg three times between 2001 and 2003. All three races were won by a Mercedes-Benz driver: in 2001, the victory went to DTM record breaker Bernd Schneider; in 2002 and 2003, the win went to Marcel Fässler.

The circuit at Spielberg was officially re-opened as Red Bull Ring in April 2011 and represents a combination of the most sophisticated standards and a legendary racetrack.

Currently, Bruno Spengler, driver of the Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class, leads the championship with 18 points after the first two races of the season.

Comments on the third race of the 2011 DTM season:

Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):

“One win and a second-place finish in the first two races – no matter which way you look at it, it’s been a good start to the season. Obviously, I would have preferred to win in Zandvoort, but the most important thing is that we were genuine contenders there. This is a good omen for the upcoming races and for the title chase. I’m looking forward to driving my C-class at Spielberg on a track that I know well from the past. I’m convinced that we’re going to have a lot of fun driving on this circuit and – who knows – maybe I can take another win here like I managed in the past. In any case, I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got.”

Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I live with my family in Salzburg, so the DTM race in Austria is like a home race for me. Spielberg is a really beautiful circuit that is in perfect harmony with the wonderful Styrian landscape. It has now been updated as a modern and safe track with generous run-off areas, and the pit complex has been completely rebuilt. The layout offers some good overtaking opportunities, so we can expect some wheel-to-wheel battles and overtaking, especially through the first few corners.”

Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I have good memories of Spielberg from Formula 3 and from DTM. In 2003, which was my DTM debut season, I drove my best race of the year in Austria and finished in sixth place with a year-old car. That was a great result at the time. Spielberg is a track I really enjoy driving: the circuit is very close to the mountains and features lots of elevation changes. It also has a good mix of fast and slow corners, and the tight hairpins should offer overtaking opportunities. After a difficult start to the season, I would like to build on my good results from previous years and get on the podium for the first time this season – hopefully on the top step.”

David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):

“I’m very familiar with Spielberg from my time in Formula One. I competed in all seven Grands Prix there between 1997 and 2003, and I won the race in 2001 with McLaren-Mercedes. Because of my connections to Red Bull and the Wings for Life charity, the DTM race at the Red Bull ring is a sort of home race for me, which I’m really excited about. The test day on Thursday before the race is my chance to get the setup of my C-Class right for the track conditions, so that I can achieve the best possible result.”

Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Norbert Haug:

“It’s wonderful to see this circuit available for use again and to have it back on the DTM calendar. Following the renovation work, the whole venue is much improved, so the Red Bull Ring is certain to make its return to racing in front of a packed house. The races are more competitive in the 2011 DTM season, and the entire field is closer together than ever before. In the curtain-raiser at Hockenheim, the fastest laps posted by 17 of the 18 starters were within one second of each other – you won’t find that in any other racing series in the world, and it will be an equally close contest at the Red Bull Ring. We want to finish the first race at this modernised circuit in the same way that we finished the last DTM race staged at Spielberg in 2003 – with a win.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) will start the first race of the 2011 DTM season in Hockenheim on Sunday from pole position. (Start: 13:00 BST, broadcast live on ARD TV commencing at 12:45 BST). Bruno set a time of 1:34.270 on the final lap of single-lap qualifying. This is his eighth DTM pole and his second at Hockenheim since the start of the 2007 season. For the 106th time in DTM, a Mercedes-Benz driver is on pole position.

In the first single-lap qualifying of the season Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), set a time of 1:34.577, which placed him third, and he will start from the second row of the grid.

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) qualified seventh for the season opener in 1:34.386. DTM rookie Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) will start ninth with a time of 1:34.445 in his first DTM qualifying session. His time during the second part of qualifying was just two tenths slower than eighth-placed Maro Engel.

Qualifying, part 1: the first part of qualifying was suspended after seven minutes following a spin by Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class). The winner of the 2010 DTM season opener was unable to continue with qualifying and will start from 18th position on the grid. All the remaining drivers progressed automatically to the second qualifying segment.

Qualifying, part 2: Ralf Schumacher was best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver in P4 in a time of 1:34.220 minutes. The two newcomers to DTM, Christian Vietoris and Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class, 1:34.475 minutes), finished their first DTM qualifying in P9 and P11 respectively. David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home in 13th place in a time of 1:34.698 minutes. Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) was 14th in 1:34.720 minutes, and Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished in 16th position with a time of 1:34.778 minutes.

Quotes about qualifying:

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) pole position (1:34.270):

“Pole position is brilliant. After practice, I wouldn’t have thought it possible because I did so little running this morning. Pole is a great reward for the crew’s fabulous work. Let’s hope it continues for the race.

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) third (1:34.577):

“So far, this weekend has gone very well for me. I almost managed to get on the front row, but didn’t quite pull it off. The guys in the team have worked well. It was a long, hard winter but it appears to have paid off.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) seventh (1:34.386):

“The team did a great job, simply brilliant. Perhaps there was another tenth of a second to be had, but I’m very happy with P7. I can’t wait for the race.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) ninth (1:34.445):

“Ninth position is a good way to start in DTM, but it’s a pity that I just missed going through to the third part of qualifying. I was only two tenths adrift. I’m very pleased with my first DTM qualifying.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) eleventh (1:34.475):

“On the whole, I’m very happy with my first DTM qualifying, although I think I could have done a bit better. Unfortunately, I made a mistake otherwise I could have made the top eight perhaps.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home in 13th place in a time of 1:34.698 minutes.

“All in all, I’m very satisfied. During qualifying, we improved the car’s balance, and I posted a reasonable time. It wasn’t possible to do much more today.”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) 14th (1:34.720):

“This isn’t the grid position that I expected. Last year in qualifying, I was nowhere, but despite that I was in the top eight in the race. I’ve got the same goal for tomorrow.

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) 16th (1:34.778):

“I was unlucky in qualifying. My hot lap was interrupted by another car in the final sector. I hope now I can have a good race from 16th place on the grid. Last year, in the second round at Hockenheim, I moved up from 17th to 7th.”

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Cass) 18th (no lap time set):

“What happened in the first part of qualifying was a big disappointment for me. Unfortunately I selected the wrong gear and went off into the gravel trap. My THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class was running very well and I was going for pole. It’s a shame that I must now start from last position. I’ll do everything I can to fight my way up to the front.”

Nico Rosberg (MERCEDES GP PETRONAS) guest driver at Hockenheim.

“I feel very much at home – altogether, I’ve spent three years here with DTM and ADAC Junior Formula 3. Of course, I’m really pleased with the performance of my Mercedes DTM team-mates. A brilliant performance from Bruno with this pole position, and I’m particularly pleased for Ralf. He was wrongly criticized but Mercedes, Norbert and Ralf’s HWA-Team stuck by him and he stood by them. That’s our spirit, and that’s how we do it in Formula One too.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport.

“What an incredible pole for Bruno. This morning, owing to the damage to his floor, he didn’t get a proper lap in; then this afternoon, he put the car on pole. For his part, Ralf produced a response where it matters most: on the track, with a strong lap. Our young drivers also performed well: Maro Engel will start seventh, with Christian Vietoris and Renger van der Zande ninth and eleventh.”

A new DTM season gets underway at the official launch event in Wiesbaden: there will be nine drivers racing for Mercedes-Benz in the ten races that count towards the championship, plus the new show event scheduled for the Olympic Stadium in Munich. The newcomers to this year’s Mercedes-Benz squad are Christian Vietoris (22, Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) from Germany and Renger van der Zande (25, stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) from the Netherlands.

During the 2010 season, 22-year-old Vietoris competed in GP2, the supporting series to Formula One. He had previously competed in the Formula 3 Euro Series for Mücke Motorsport in a Mercedes-Benz-powered Dallara car in 2008 and 2009, finishing as runner-up in his second season with four wins. 25-year-old van der Zande competed in the 2010 GP3 series (also a supporting race event on GP weekends), having contested before the German Formula 3 Championship, the Formula 3 Euro Series and the British Formula 3 Championship in MB-powered cars under the wing of the Mercedes-Benz young driver scheme between 2006 and 2009.

Lining up for the HWA team are: Gary Paffett (30, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class), DTM Champion in 2005, DTM runner-up in 2004, 2009 and 2010, test driver for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula One team; Ralf Schumacher (35, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), the third-most successful German Formula One driver ever with six Grand Prix victories under his belt; Bruno Spengler (27, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class), DTM runner-up in 2006 and 2007 as well as third-placed driver in 2010. Returning to the HWA team is Jamie Green (28, AMG Mercedes C-Class) from Leicester (England), Formula 3 Euro Series champion in 2004 and winner of the last three races at the Norisring in Nuremberg with the same car.

Vietoris and van der Zande will not be the only drivers racing a 2008-spec C-Class: they will be joined by Susie Stoddart (28, TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class), Maro Engel (25, GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) and David Coulthard (40, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class).

The 2009 AMG Mercedes C-Class that will be raced by the four HWA drivers starts the forthcoming season with real pedigree, having scored eight victories in the eleven races of the 2010 season. Reigning DTM champion Paul Di Resta and runner-up Gary Paffett claimed three victories each. Third-placed Bruno Spengler contributed two more wins for Mercedes-Benz, with the ninth coming from Jamie Green driving for the Persson team in a 2008 AMG Mercedes C-Class at the Norisring – this marked the car’s third consecutive victory at the track.

The Mercedes-Benz DTM driver line-up for 2011

Gary Paffett (30, England):

• With 17 victories to his credit, Paffett has won more DTM races than any other driver currently contesting the series.
• The former DTM champion (2005) and runner-up (2004, 2009 and 2010) was honoured with the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award in 1999 and also won the German Formula 3 Championship in 2002.
• Since the start of the 2005 season, Paffett has been test driver for the McLaren-Mercedes Formula One team.

Gary Paffett: “The DTM season 2011 brings new challenges, especially those that come with the change of tyre supplier to Hankook. Our tests with the new tyres have been very promising, and I am fully motivated about the upcoming season with our new sponsorship partner THOMAS SABO. My objective this time round is to improve on last year’s result by one position.”

Bruno Spengler (27, Canada):

• In 2011, Bruno Spengler will be racing for his seventh DTM season in an AMG Mercedes C-Class. He finished as runner-up in 2006 and 2007, and came third overall in 2010.
• Since 2003, the Canadian has been a regular member of the Mercedes-Benz squad, first in Formula 3, then in DTM.
• Spengler notched up his first DTM victory at the Norisring in 2006 at the age of 22 years and 334 days, making him one of the youngest winners in DTM history.

Bruno Spengler: “I’m really looking forward to my seventh DTM season with Mercedes-Benz. Over the winter, I spent almost a month at home in Canada recharging my batteries and getting ready for the new season. There is no guarantee of success, especially in such a fiercely competitive championship as DTM, but I will do my best again this year and make an aggressive contribution to the campaign.”

Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany):

• Ralf Schumacher is about to embark on his fourth season in DTM and his third as a member of the HWA team. His best DTM result was a P5 finish in Dijon (2009). In the 2010 race in Nuremberg, he secured his first ever DTM pole position.
• Between 1997 and 2007, Schumacher competed in 180 Formula One races, recording six wins and six pole positions. In the 2001 and 2002 F1 seasons, he finished fourth in the championship.
• With a total of six GP wins, Ralf Schumacher is the third-most successful German Formula One driver of all time behind his brother, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver Michael Schumacher, and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel

Ralf Schumacher: “After three years in DTM and two seasons as a member of the HWA team, I feel comfortable driving the AMG Mercedes C-Class and am aiming to move up a gear in my fourth DTM season. I’m aiming for a marked improvement in performance this year, and maybe even a few podiums.”

Jamie Green (28, England):

• Jamie’s connections with Mercedes-Benz go back 14 years. In 1997 he was already a member of the McLaren and Mercedes-Benz junior talent scheme.
• Green took the 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series title driving a Dallara Mercedes for the ASM team, winning seven out of the 20 races that season.
• Jamie has won the DTM race at the Norisring in Nuremberg in each of the last three seasons – each time with the same Young Stars AMG Mercedes C-Class.

Jamie Green: “It’s a great feeling to know that Mercedes-Benz have decided to reward my efforts in recent years – including those three victories in Nuremberg and my performance as best driver in a year-old car in 2009 and 2010 – by giving me a current AMG Mercedes C-Class. I’m aiming to repay the confidence they have shown in me by turning in some good results this year.”

Susie Stoddart (28, Scotland):

• Susie Stoddart is about to start her sixth DTM season with Mercedes-Benz. In her very first race back in 2006, she finished a respectable tenth.
• Susie scored her first DTM points with a P7 finish at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz in the 2010 season. She repeated the feat at Hockenheim.

Susie Stoddart: “My first DTM points last season were long overdue. When you’re driving last year’s model, it’s by no means easy to finish among the points, but once again, I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got.”

Christian Vietoris (22, Germany):

• Christian Vietoris drove cars powered by Mercedes-Benz Formula 3 engines in the 2008 and 2009 Formula 3 Euro Series. He won five races, took twelve pole positions and finished his second season as runner-up.
• In 2010, Vietoris embarked on his debut season in the F1-linked GP2 series, winning one race and finishing tenth overall.

Christian Vietoris: “DTM is one of the most prestigious racing series in the world. The switch from a single seater to a touring car is a huge challenge, but I feel I have adjusted quickly to the C-Class and settled in well with the team during the tests. I would like to continue along this learning curve and be successful in my debut season.”

Maro Engel (25, Germany):

• Maro Engel scored his first DTM points in the season opener at Hockenheim in 2009. His best race result to date is a sixth-place finish.
• Before moving up to DTM, Engel was runner-up in the 2007 British Formula 3 Championship, driving a car powered by the Mercedes-Benz Formula 3 engine.

Maro Engel: “Unfortunately, we didn’t meet our target last season. I’m determined to change that this time and get back to where I was in 2009. In that season, I showed that it was possible to achieve decent results, even with last year’s model.”

David Coulthard (40, Scotland):

• Coulthard made his DTM debut in 2010, driving a Mercedes-Benz. In the final race in Shanghai, he scored his first championship point and set the fastest race lap.
• The Scot competed in 150 Formula One races for McLaren Mercedes. It was during this period that he posted twelve of his 13 Grand Prix wins, including a first victory for McLaren-Mercedes in Australia (1997).
• Together with team-mate Mika Häkkinen (Formula One world champion in 1998 and 1999, Mercedes-Benz DTM driver 2005-2007), Coulthard won the 1998 Formula One Constructors’ Championship. In 2001, he was runner-up in the drivers’ standings.

David Coulthard: “My first DTM season was a learning year. My year of apprenticeship is over – now I’m looking to make some real progress. After scoring my first DTM point in the grand finale in Shanghai in 2010, I’m hoping to please my fans this season with more point-scoring finishes.”

Renger van der Zande (25, Netherlands):

• Renger van der Zande was part of the Mercedes-Benz young driver scheme, contesting not only the Formula 3 Euro Series but also the German and British Formula 3 championships.
• While driving in these junior classes, van der Zande worked closely with the Radboud University and applied himself assiduously to the Mercedes-Benz sports medicine programme, building up his physical fitness in spectacular fashion.

Renger van der Zande: “Obtaining a DTM cockpit with Mercedes-Benz is a dream come true. I know that I face a big challenge, but I will be doing my very best to acclimatise myself to DTM racing and to master the stern AMG Mercedes C-Class in the fastest possible time.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“The 2010 DTM season was a highly successful one for our brand as well as for our teams. Securing nine wins in eleven races, the team championship and the top three positions in the drivers’ championship, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class was quite literally in a class of its own. Current title holder Paul Di Resta has built on this success to make the step up to Formula One where he will still be driving a Mercedes engine for his new team, Force India.”

“The new season brings a new tyre partner for the DTM series by the name of Hankook, so I’m sure that the cards will be well and truly reshuffled as a result. From our perspective, we certainly don’t have any divine right to victory and, as ever, we will have to work hard to earn every good result. Everyone in our teams is full of enthusiasm for the challenge ahead.”

The two former Formula One drivers David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher will once again be racing the AMG Mercedes C-Class for the 2011 season. They are the best-known members of the DTM Mercedes-Benz teams. Both drivers each have more than twenty years’ motor racing experience, and from a joint total of 426 Grand Prix starts they secured 19 Formula One wins between them. David Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher have quickly become fan-favourites in the DTM.

David Coulthard, 40, Scotland, made his DTM debut in 2010. He marked the end of his first year by securing his best result of the season at the final race in Shangai (8th place) and by posting the fastest lap. In 2011, the Scotsman will line up on the grid once more for Team Mücke Motorsport in the Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class.

From 1994 to 2008, Coulthard contested 246 Formula One races, 150 of them for McLaren-Mercedes. Between 1996 and 2004, he posted twelve of his thirteen Grand Prix wins for the Silver Arrows team and, in 1997, gained the first victory for McLaren-Mercedes in Australia. Jointly with Mika Häkkinen, Formula One world champion in 1998 and 1999, (Mercedes-Benz DTM driver from 2005-2007), Coulthard won the constructors’ world championship for McLaren-Mercedes in 1998. In 2001, he was world championship runner-up.

As an ambassador of ‘Wings for Life’, David Coulthard is keen to make the public more aware of this charitable foundation for paraplegics. The Scotsman hopes that his efforts will help the charity with its research into treatment for people suffering from spinal injuries. By agreement with team sponsor Deutsche Post, Mercedes-Benz are also making display space available on the bodywork of Coulthard’s car to publicise ‘Wings for Life’ and the work that he does for the organisation.

Ralf Schumacher, 35, Germany, began his DTM career on 13th April 2008 in Hockenheim and quickly became one of the most popular drivers in the championship. 2011 will be his fourth DTM season and his first in the AMG Mercedes C-Class with his new title sponsor Salzgitter.

Schumacher concluded his Formula One career at the end of 2007 after eleven seasons and 180 Grand Prix races. Having secured six Grand Prix victories, he is the third most successful German Formula One driver in history after his brother, MERCEDES GP PETRONAS driver Michael Schumacher, and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel.

David Coulthard: “I’m very pleased to be contesting the DTM series once more in 2011 for Mercedes-Benz. My year of apprenticeship is over – now I’m looking to make some real progress. DTM motor racing is a close-fought championship and is characterised by the fans’ enthusiasm and the direct contact between drivers and spectators. That’s something that I wasn’t familiar with in Formula One. For me, DTM is also an excellent platform for raising public awareness of the ‘Wings for Life’ charity. I learnt a lot last year, and have laid good foundations for my second season. After gaining my first DTM point at the final race of the season in Shanghai in 2010, I would like to make my fans happier this season by scoring points more often.”

Ralf Schumacher: “I really like being a part of DTM and the Mercedes-Benz family. Subtle nuances are important in this hard-fought series. If you can just improve the car’s setup by a fraction, then you can reduce your lap times significantly. After three years in the DTM and two seasons with the HWA team, I feel at ease in the AMG Mercedes C-Class and I’m ready, together with my new sponsor Salzgitter, to make the next move in my fourth DTM season.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We’ve got two of the DTM fans’ favourites, David and Ralf, in our team again for 2011. David adjusted quickly to DTM racing and improved continually during his first season – finally securing his first point and posting the fastest lap time in Shanghai. I trust that he will continue to improve in his second DTM season. It’s Ralf’s fourth DTM year and he’s already got a lot of DTM experience, and I’m certain that he can do even better. Ralf’s pole position at the Norisring proves that he’s got the potential.”

Both drivers and fans alike find Formula One and DTM races particularly entertaining when it’s wet. Ralf and Michael Schumacher tell Mercedes-GP about the challenges and peculiarities of wet weather racing.

It’s cold and damp, not very pleasant at all, but nonetheless, fans just love wet weather racing. An action-packed session is on the cards whenever you see cars aquaplaning and not just hurtling past at top speeds. It’s nip and tuck and anything can happen. But it’s not only fans who enjoy these skirmishes on a wet circuit. “When it’s raining, there are plenty of openings and overtaking is easier once you’re in position,” says Michael.

That applies to Formula One and to Europe’s most popular saloon car racing series, the DTM, which is currently home to two Mercedes-Benz drivers, Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard, who have experienced many scraps in the wet whilst contesting both classes.

“Wet weather driving is very difficult in a DTM car,” says Ralf. It’s down to the sheer weight of the car amongst other things. Ralf’s Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class weighs just over a thousand kilos. According to Formula One regulations, an MGP W01 Silver Arrow should tip the scales at 620kg minimum.

DTM and Formula One cars peform very differently in the wet as far as grip and driving lines are concerned. Ralf: “The worst thing is when the car doesn’t give you the feedback you need. It’s really hard to drive, there’s no grip and you don’t feel safe as you skittle all over the place.” That can cost a driver an enormous amount of time.

Another thing that surprised DTM rookie David Coulthard during his first wet weather qualifying at Hockenheim: “My feet were sodden. I always thought that these cars were nice and dry!”

Ralf’s brother Michael has celebrated many notable victories during wet weather races amongst his tally of 91 Grand Prix wins. “I’ve always done well in the rain even though I perhaps didn’t enjoy the race very much,” Michael tells us. The reason is obvious: driver error is much more likely during a wet weather race and there’s more chance for things to go wrong. Victory is sweeter if you’ve driven well on a wet track.

Michael’s not lost his touch in the wet during his three-year absence. It quickly came back to him at the first rain-hit qualifying of the season in Malaysia. “In Q2, when we were all on the same tyres, I was immediately quickest,” he reminded us. Michael repeated this feat at the Korean Grand Prix, when he overtook two competitors one after the other. Rain doesn’t bother him, no matter how foul the weather.

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) is the 2010 DTM champion. The Scotsman finished the 11th and final round of the 2010 DTM at Shanghai, China in second place and took the title with 71 points.

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) won the final race on a temporary street circuit in Shanghai’s district Pudong and ended the championship runner-up with 67 points. This victory was the ninth for Mercedes-Benz in 2010 out of the 11 races. Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class), overall leader before the race after eight podiums out of the previous 10 races, had started 17th on the grid after a qualifying accident and ended up 13th in the race and third in the championship with 66 points.

It is Paul Di Resta’s first DTM championship title after he had been runner-up in 2008. For Mercedes-Benz, it is the 10th drivers’ title since the brand entered the DTM as a works outfit in 1988: Before this year’s title win, Bernd Schneider took six championships, Klaus Ludwig two and Gary Paffett one.

Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG with Spengler/Paffett are first in the team ranking already since Hockenheim six weeks ago; they have now 133 points.

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished sixth. David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home eighth and scored his first championship point in the final race of his first DTM season. Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) ended up 10th ahead of Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class). CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished 15th ahead of Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class).

The race was red-flagged after 50 of 60 scheduled laps, after the track was blocked momentarily following a short coming-together of Susie Stoddart and Mike Rockenfeller (Audi).

• The start:The race was started behind the Safety Car which drove ahead of the field for three laps. After that, overtaking was allowed only after turn three. For the fourth time this year, Paul Di Resta started from pole position, followed by Gary Paffett and Jamie Green. Due to an accident in the first qualifying, Bruno Spengler lined up 17th on the grid.
• Lap 15:Bruno Spengler was 15th when he pitted for the first time.

• Lap 17:Paul Di Resta came into the pits from the lead, followed by Susie Stoddart (ninth) one lap later.

• Lap 20:David Coulthard (fifth) came in for the first time; Bruno Spengler (17th) came in for the second time.

• Lap 21:Respective first pit stops by Jamie Green (second) and Ralf Schumacher (fifth). Maro Engel pitted one lap later.

• Lap 23:Gary Paffett (leader) pitted for the first time; Susie Stoddart came in for the second time.

• Lap 29: Gary Paffett (fourth) completed his second stop followed by CongFu Cheng (second) for his first stop one lap later.

• Lap 31:Second stop by Jamie Green (third).

• Lap 33:Paul Di Resta (second) came in for the second time.

• Lap 38:CongFu Cheng received a 5sec pit stop penalty because of driving through the working zone during his first pit stop.

• Lap 39: Second pit stop by David Coulthard (second). When he resumed, he stalled the engine and lost several seconds.

• Lap 43:Second pit stop by CongFu Cheng (fourth). One lap later, Ralf Schumacher (second) was the last driver to complete his second stop.

• Lap 44:All drivers had completed their two mandatory pit stops. Gary Paffett was in the lead ahead of Paul Di Resta.

• Lap 50:After a short coming-together of Susie Stoddart and Mike Rockenfeller (Audi), the road was blocked for a moment and the race was red-flagged for good. Gary Paffett won ahead of Paul Di Resta who took the title. Full points were awarded as more than 75 per cent of the scheduled 60 laps had been completed.

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) winner: “It was a tough race and with my win I achieved everything possible. However, I had lost a few points during the season; otherwise the fight with Paul today would have been more exciting. Congratulations to him, he had a great season and deserves the championship.”

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) second and champion:”I am really happy about my DTM title win – a dream came true. I thank my entire team and everybody at Mercedes-Benz for this great season.”

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) sixth: “Sixth place is ok, although third position was in reach. Unfortunately, I got stuck in traffic after my first pit stop so we decided to pit again early, but so I lost a few places. However, I am the best driver with a last year’s car, like I was in 2009, so I have reached my target for this year.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) eighth: “Yesterday, I was sixth and achieved my best qualifying result in the DTM, today I scored my first point and posted the fastest lap of the race. This is a nice end of my first DTM season. Unfortunately I lost a few places in traffic – an even better result would have been possible today.”

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) 10th:”The circuit was a real challenge and the organizers did everything for the safety. It was a good decision to start behind the Safety Car. For this season, I had wished for more good results. My speed was always there, but if you start too far in the back of the field, it is not easy to show that.”

Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) 11th: “An uneventful race for me. Without yesterday’s crash and with a better grid position points would have been possible today. Well done to Paul on his championship win and thank you to my Persson team and Mercedes-Benz for the great support throughout this season.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) 13th: “I look back to a good season; however, in the last event I made a mistake in qualifying which almost decided the championship already before the race. I suffered from understeer today which was probably a consequence of my accidents on Friday and Saturday. Congratulations to Paul on his title win.”

CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) 15th:”Unfortunately, I made a mistake during my first pit stop and received a time penalty. Otherwise, a result between 10th and 12th positions would have been possible; my speed was not bad. I thank my team for a great first year in the DTM and congratulations to Paul on the title win.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) 16th: “It is like a little victory that I was able to start the race, following my accident on Friday. I thank my team for the great job fixing the car in time for the race.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:”A difficult final of a great 2010 DTM season with Paul as the deserved Champion and Gary as the Shanghai winner – for the second time after he had won also the so far only race here in 2004.

“This season, Paul did the best job of all – Bruno Spengler who arrived here as the overall leader would have deserved as well as Gary Paffett – but in the end Paul achieved the well-deserved title win.

“A cordial thank you for the first three places in the championship and nine wins out of 11 races to everybody in the HWA team under Gerhard Ungar, to the Mücke and the Persson team.

“I also want to thank all active and hardworking colleagues who are usually not on the front row – our specialists of organisation, media, marketing and controlling – and, of course, also the ladies in our office, who are always working at real “race speed” day-to-day and always precisely.

“There are no great victories without a great team, and we have a great team.”

Paul Di Resta, the 2010 DTM Champion

Paul Di Resta (24) is the 2010 DTM Champion. He won the title with second place in the season’s finale which had been staged at Shanghai for the first time. Paul thus overtook his team mate Bruno Spengler who had started the final race as the points leader. The race in China was Paul’s 42nd DTM race. He won six of them, started from pole position six times and posted seven fastest race laps.

Paul Di Resta is a cousin of former Mercedes-Benz DTM driver Dario Franchitti, who won the US IndyCar series for the third time and the Indy 500 for the second time in 2010. Paul began racing karts at the age of eight. In 2000, he won the McLaren Mercedes Champions of the Future kart series. Three years later, he took part in his first car race in the British Formula Renault. In 2004, he won the McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year Award and became a Mercedes-Benz Junior.

Racing for English team Manor Motorsport, Paul Di Resta entered the Formula 3 Euro Series in 2005, finishing his debut year 10th overall after three pole positions and one podium place. In the following year, he won five races and clinched the championship ahead of the 2010 Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel.

In 2007, Paul moved up to DTM and finished his second race in the championship in second place – with a last year’s car. At the end of that year he was fifth overall. One year later, now racing a new model, Di Resta took his first DTM race win and finished the year runner-up. In 2009, Paul Di Resta was third overall in the DTM and also became test and reserve driver for Force India Mercedes in Formula One.

Like at Brands Hatch two weeks ago, Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) won the 2010 DTM’s eighth round at Oschersleben; like two weeks ago, Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) finished second. After 50 laps (184.800 kms), Paul came home 1.271sec ahead of Bruno.

Mercedes-Benz achieved their 75th victory of the new DTM 117 races since 2000. It is the 159th DTM win out of 328 races for the brand since Mercedes-Benz entered the championship as a factory team in 1988 and the seventh out of eight races this season – the sixth in a row. Paul Di Resta took his fifth win in his 39th DTM race.

Bruno Spengler clinched his seventh podium finish out of eight races 2010, the 21st of his DTM career, and maintained the overall lead with 60 points. Paul is second with 53 points ahead of Gary with 44 points. Mattias Ekström (Audi) is fourth on 34 points. In the final three races. A driver can score a maximum of 30 points.

A first decision was made in the team ranking: Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG with Spengler/Paffett lead with 104 points ahead of Laureus AMG Mercedes (Di Resta/Schumacher) with 56 points. Audi Sport is third on 42 points which means that the title can be won only by a Mercedes-Benz team, as a team cannot win more than 54 points in the three races still to come.

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) who had started 10th ended up a strong fourth despite a penalty. Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home seventh. Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) missed a points finish and ended up ninth ahead Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class). Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) and David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home 12th and 14th respectively.

CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired due to an accident on lap 2.

A total of 62,000 spectators attended the DTM race at Oschersleben during the weekend.

The start: For the third time this year, Paul Di Resta started from pole position whilst Bruno Spengler had qualified second. Paul accelerated in to an immediate lead followed by Bruno, whilst Gary Paffett improved from 10th on the grid to seventh. Maro Engel spun off at the second corner, but was able to continue at the back of the field.

Lap 2: CongFu Cheng retired after he had spun off and hit the tyre wall..

Lap 7: Gary Paffett overtook Martin Tomczyk (Audi) for sixth place.

Lap 8: Because of an alleged illegal move, race control asked Gary Paffett to change positions with Martin Tomczyk again.

Lap 11: Bruno Spengler (second) pitted for the first time. Ralf Schumacher (12th) followed one lap later.

Lap 13: First pit stop by Gary Paffett (fifth); he resumed behind Martin Tomczyk.

Lap 14: Susie Stoddart (seventh) pitted. David Coulthard (seventh) came in one lap later. Again, Gary Paffett passed Martin Tomczyk.

Lap 16: Maro Engel pitted from sixth place.

Lap 19: Jamie Green (fifth) completed his first stop.

Lap 20: Paul Di Resta (first) pitted, but lost more than three seconds due to a problem with the air lance. His stop lasted more than twice as long as usual and he rejoined the race immediately behind Bruno Spengler.

Lap 26: Second halt by leader Bruno Spengler. He lost time and thus dropped behind Timo Scheider. Jamie Green (fifth) pitted one lap later.

Lap 29: Maro Engel (seventh) and Susie Stoddart (eighth) came in for their respective second stops. David Coulthard (ninth) pitted one lap later.

Lap 32: Gary Paffett (third) and Ralf Schumacher (sixth) pitted again.

Lap 34: Bruno Spengler overtook Timo Scheider at the first corner. Paul Di Resta completed his second stop and maintained the lead ahead of Bruno.

Lap 35: All drivers had completed their two stops – Paul Di Resta held the lead ahead of Bruno Spengler, Gary Paffett was fourth and Jamie Green seventh.

Lap 44: Maro Engel overtook Oliver Jarvis (Audi).

Finish (lap 50): Paul Di Resta won ahead of Bruno Spengler; Gary Paffett came home fourth.

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) winner: “My second win within two weeks – fantastic. Thank you to my team – you gave me a perfect C-Class which I realised already in this morning’s warm-up. When I lost time during my first pit stop I felt my heart beat, but I managed to move up to the front again. Me first and Bruno second – if we continue like this, the championship battle will be really exciting. I am very confident.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) second: “Second place and eight points are a good result. I thank my team for a great job. During the last stint I was faster than Timo and I put a lot of pressure on him; the fight was over when he suffered from a puncture. As I had lost time behind him, Paul was able to move in front of me. I am now looking forward to the next race in Hockenheim.”

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) fouth: “I was much faster than Martin Tomczyk and I cannot understand what should have been wrong with my first overtaking manoeuvre. We tangled briefly, but this is normal in a race. At least I showed that overtaking is possible in Oschersleben.”

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) seventh: “This circuit does not suit our car so much; therefore, seventh place and two points are not too bad. I hope for more in Hockenheim.”

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) ninth: “To end up ninth from 15th on the grid is quite ok. Unfortunately, I missed a points finish, but this I ruined already in yesterday’s qualifying.”

Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) 10th: “My start was not so good but I was faster towards the end, so I am quite happy with my 10th-place finish.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) 12th: “After spinning on the opening lap I was able to catch up, but the drive-through penalty because of pit lane speeding ruined my race.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) 14th: “Another nice Sunday excursion. I tangled right after the start and afterwards, I struggled with my car’s balance. But I made more valuable experience.”

CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired due to an accident: “I was hit by another car, hit the tyre barrier and that was it.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “We almost tripped ourselves up today, when Paul’s first pit stop lasted twice as long as planned and Bruno dropped behind Timo Scheider due to a not ideal stop – the big advantage both had after 20 laps was suddenly gone. But Paul and Bruno fought back and achieved the 1-2 victory. Without his tyre problem, Timo Scheider would have had something to say about first place. I’m sorry for him; when you want 10 points and end up with zero, it hurts. Gary Paffett showed a great drive – without his penalty, which I don’t understand at all, third place instead of fourth would have been possible: strong, considering Gary started 10th on the grid.

“There will be no internal critics today after our not ideal stops: The guys – and the girls – all work so hard and do most of their jobs always right. We now look forward to Hockenheim and the DTM’s German finale. It would be very nice if we could manage a good star performance like today in our home race attended by thousands of Mercedes-Benz colleagues.”

The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 can now be ordered by interested teams. The gullwing model for the racetrack is being delivered on time for the coming motorsport season, starting in February 2011. The sales price is €334,000/ €397,460 (incl. 19% VAT) or $517,294.19 based on the current exchange rate.

Developed in accordance with the GT3 regulations of the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), the SLS AMG GT3 is designed as a customer sports car for sprint and endurance races. These races for GT cars which are similar to their roadgoing counter-parts have diversified starting fields and are always filled with excitement. They are becoming increasingly important on the world stage, not least thanks to their relatively inexpensive cost structure. The development and testing programme for the SLS AMG GT3 is proceeding as planned.

Bernd Schneider, who has been a Mercedes-Benz works driver for many years and has won more DTM championship titles than any other driver, is at the wheel for the bulk of the test drives, which started in June. The first competitive action for the car, as part of the testing programme, will be in the VLN race at the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife (North Loop) at the end of September.

Mercedes-Benz motorsport chief Norbert Haug: “The Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 marks the beginning of a new era in Mercedes-Benz customer motorsport. This is an exciting and spectacular sports car for dedicated private teams and talented private drivers. AMG will work together with our tried-and-trusted sports and touring car partner HWA to put in place a motorsport customer department which will guarantee its motorsport customers hallmark Mercedes service.”

Haug adds: “I am very pleased that the demand for this new and unique competition car is so great – there are many more enquiries for orders than can initially be dealt with. But, have no fear, the production curve will be ramped up step by step so that all interested parties who are serious about the SLS AMG GT3 can be served successively.”

The new SLS AMG GT3 is an emphatic continuation of AMG’s commitment to motorsport. AMG has been a pioneer in the motorsport world ever since its foundation in 1967. Ola Källenius, Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “With the SLS AMG GT3, AMG is once again showing its vast experience gained in over 40 years of motorsport and its high expertise when it comes to developing unique, high-performance vehicles.”

The new racing version of the SLS AMG is developed and produced by AMG in close cooperation with HWA AG. HWA is responsible for the development and deployment of the AMG-Mercedes DTM racing team on behalf of and in constant consultation with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. The HWA team is one of the most successful in international motorsport, as proved by nine driver championships in the DTM and ITC, as well as two championship titles in the FIA GT series.No other brand has won nearly as many DTM races and DTM-titles as AMG‑Mercedes.

Interested racing teams can use the new SLS AMG GT3 in all race series in accordance with the FIA GT3 regulations, for example the FIA GT3 European Championship, the ADAC GT-Masters and the endurance championship organised by the VLN (Association of Nürburgring Endurance Cup Organisers, with 10 motorsport clubs) as well as the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring or Spa‑Francorchamps (Belgium).

Spectacular racing-car looks

The GT3 variant marks a further enhancement of the puristic design of the SLS AMG with its long bonnet, a flat greenhouse positioned a long way back and a short rear end. Body modifications make the gullwing model even more spectacular. Here the focus was on aerodynamic performance – as is seen not only in the new front apron with a splitter, the bonnet with its central cooling air vent and the wider front and rear wings, but also in the side wheel arch air vents, the sideskirts with cooling ducts for the rear brakes, the smooth underbody with a rear diffuser and the adjustable rear aerofoil. All these features ensure a low drag coefficient and excellent aerodynamic efficiency – while guaranteeing effective cooling of the thermally highly stressed components. The C-pillars accommodate the standardised filler pipes for the fast-refuel system.

The FIA will determine the maximum output of the AMG 6.3-litre V8 front-mid engine with dry sump lubrication on the “Balance of Performance” principle. This is intended to ensure that all the racing cars taking part have an equal chance. The classification process, during which the kerb weight is also determined, will be completed in spring 2011. Power transmission in the GT3 variant is by a sequential six-speed racing transmission with steering wheel shift paddles, an integrated multi-disc locking differential and traction control. As in the standard SLS AMG, the transmission is located at the rear axle: the engine and transmission are connected by a torque tube within which a carbon-fibre shaft rotates at the engine speed, as in the roadgoing version. The transaxle design ensures favourable weight distribution as well as optimising handling and traction.

In a system that is largely the same as the one used in the roadgoing cars, the wheels are located by a double-wishbone suspension of forged aluminium at the front and rear. Adjustment facilities for the springs and shock absorbers, the suspension height, the stabilisers, the track width and camber allow an individual setup for the racetrack. Rack-and-pinion steering with a more direct ratio and servo assistance make for extremely agile handling. Behind the central-locking AMG 18-inch light-alloy wheels, a steel racing braking system with racing ABS ensures outstanding deceleration. The airjack system integrated in the underbody allows fast wheel changes.

Functional racing car atmosphere, exemplary safety level

A functional racing car atmosphere dominates the interior of the SLS AMG GT3: like the standard-production gullwing model, the racing version features a dashboard in the shape of a powerful wing section to give the impression of width. The steel roll cage offers a high level of safety for the driver as well as further stiffening the aluminium spaceframe.

In a set-up similar to that of the Mercedes-Benz DTM vehicles, the seat shell is located in a high-strength carbon-fibre (CFRP) safety cell. Thanks to its special form, the safety cell, which is bolted to the roll cage and the aluminium spaceframe, offers far greater protection for the driver’s shoulders, hips and legs. The seat shell is individually foam-padded, features the HANS (Head and Neck Support) system, and is equipped with a six-point seat belt, thus maximising occupant safety. In conjunction with the 120-litre CFRP safety tank with inner bladder positioned on the rear axle and the optimised fire extinguisher system, the SLS AMG GT3 provides an exemplary level of safety that is unmatched by any other current GT3 car.

The central display is ideally positioned within the driver’s field of vision and provides all the relevant information such as track speed, engine rpm, operating temperatures, lap times and gear selection. The racing steering wheel with shift paddles for gear changes allows perfect control of the vehicle. Additional controls are located on the centre console. Here the driver can start the AMG V8 engine and adjust the traction control as well as engage reverse gear or – if the worst comes to the worst – activate the integrated fire extinguisher system. Brake balance adjustment is also possible.

Testing programme with Bernd Schneider started in June 2010

Development of the new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 is proceeding on schedule; the testing programme began on the Lausitz Eurospeedway in June 2010. Bernd Schneider (46) – who has been a Mercedes-Benz works driver for many years and is also an AMG brand ambassador – and Thomas Jäger (33) were brought on board as test drivers. With five DTM titles, one ITC championship and one FIA GT championship to his name, Bernd Schneider is one of the most successful German racing drivers. Thomas Jäger is the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup (Germany) champion, and drove in DTM for Mercedes-Benz between 2000 and 2003. This season he is lining up in the ADAC GT-Masters (Germany).

For Bernd Schneider, who will be doing the bulk of the test driving, developing a basic setup is a top priority. “The SLS AMG has excellent genes for being successful in motor racing. Even on my first fast laps at the Lausitz Eurospeedway, it was obvious that the GT3 version of the gullwing model has just what it takes to be a big hit on the racetrack. The combination of optimum weight distribution, a low centre of gravity, a powerful AMG V8 engine and efficient aerodynamics already indicates that the SLS AMG GT3 will be very competitive.”

First competitive action in the VLN race on the Nürburgring Nordschleife

As well as being tried out at the Lausitz Eurospeedway and the Sachsenring circuit, the SLS AMG GT3 is also being tested on the Nürburgring Nordschleife – under realistic racing conditions. On top of the pure testing and tuning drives, the gullwing model will taking part in its first races in the VLN endurance championship later this year.

The extensive development and testing program focuses on various suspension settings, engine mappings, tyre mixes and aerodynamics configurations. In addition to this, the complete package has to prove its durability and serviceability. At the same time, the AMG 6.3-litre V8 engine and the six-speed racing transmission with sequential gearshift are being run on the test stations at HWA AG. Plus the entire vehicle is being tested on a driving-dynamics test station.

Teams can count on service and replacement parts

Mercedes-AMG and HWA will also be assisting the teams with service and replacement parts within Europe. The concept for the 2011 European motorsport season envisages offering comprehensive support in the three key championships and the major 24-hour races involving the SLS AMG GT3. A 24-hour replacement-part service and a technical hotline will be available for all other races and test drives.

Laureus look similar to Ralf Schumacher’s DTM C-Class

The SLS AMG GT3 features a Laureus look in shining chrome – designed to mirror the look of Ralf Schumacher’s AMG-Mercedes C-Class. The former Formula 1 driver is racing for the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation in this year’s DTM championship.

Laureus, founded by Daimler AG and Richemont in 1999, is a sports-based charity which uses the power of sport to bring people together. Laureus consists of three elements: the Laureus World Sports Academy, the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation and the Laureus World Sports Awards. Laureus supports 80 community projects in 32 countries which use sport as the means to tackle social evils such as HIV/AIDS, juvenile crime, violence, social exlusion, landmines awareness and discrimination. Since its inception Laureus has raised over €35 million for projects which have helped to improve the lives of more than one million young people. Each year the Laureus World Sports Awards honour the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen, with proceeds from the Awards Ceremony going to underpin the work of the Laureus Foundation.

SLS AMG GT3 can be ordered immediately

Interested teams can order the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 immediately – directly from Mercedes-AMG GmbH. The sales price is €334,000 (not incl. VAT) or €397,460 (incl. 19% VAT). The vehicle is only available with left-hand drive. Deliveries commence in February 2011, following homologation by the FIA in accordance with the GT3 regulations. For interested customers, the AMG Driving Academy offers special SLS AMG GT3 driver training.

Bruno Spengler won the 2010 DTM’s fifth round at the Nürburgring. After 49 laps (177.821 kms), he came home 2.843 seconds ahead of Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) while Gary Paffett ended up in third making it the third time Mercedes-Benz had a triple this season.

In direct comparison with Audi in the years 1990 until 1992 and since 2000, Mercedes-Benz achieved the 100th win out of 184 races in this period of time. It is the 156th DTM win for the brand since Mercedes-Benz entered the championship as a factory team in 1988, the 29th out of 58 DTM races at the Nürburgring since then and the fourth out of five races this season.

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home fifth ahead of Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class), who achieved his first DTM points of the year. Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished eighth; thus six Mercedes-Benz C-Class cars ended up in the top eight.

Achieving his second win of the year and his fifth continuous podium finish, Bruno extended the overall lead to now 42 points. Jamie is second overall with 26 points ahead of Gary and Paul with 25 points each. Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG with Spengler/Paffett leads the team ranking with 67 points; this can be compared to the Constructors’ Championship in Formula One.

David Coulthard (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home 10th and CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished 12th. Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired at turn one after an incident with Markus Winkelhock (Audi).

A total of 86,000 spectators attended the DTM race at the Nürburgring during the weekend.

The start: Bruno Spengler, Jamie Green, Paul Di Resta, Gary Paffett and Ralf Schumacher started from positions two to six respectively. Bruno was fastest on the way to turn one and took the lead ahead of Jamie and Paul. Susie Stoddart had a coming together with Markus Winkelhock (Audi) and retired. At the end of the opening lap, Paul overtook Jamie and was second.

Lap 5: Triple lead for Mercedes-Benz: Bruno Spengler, Paul Di Resta and Jamie Green. Behind Timo Scheider (Audi) are Gary Paffett and Ralf Schumacher in positions five and six.

Lap 7: 3sec pit stop penalty for CongFu Cheng because he short-cut the chicane.

Lap 9: David Coulthard who had had a poor start overtook Martin Tomczyk (Audi) for 12th place.

Lap 12: Entering the Mercedes Arena, Gary Paffett overtook Timo Scheider and was fourth. Jamie Green (third) pitted for the first time. Ralf Schumacher (sixth) followed one lap later.

Lap 14: First pit stop by Gary Paffett (fourth).

Lap 16: CongFu Cheng (fifth) came in; first for his penalty and then for fuel and tyres.

Lap 18: Bruno Spengler pitted from the lead.

Lap 20: Paul Di Resta, now in first place, completed his first routine halt, and so did David Coulthard (fourth). One lap later, interim leader Maro Engel was the last driver to make his first stop. Bruno Spengler was now back in the lead, followed by Paul Di Resta and Gary Paffett.

Lap 26: Gary Paffett (third) pitted for the second time.

Lap 33: Second pit stop of Ralf Schumacher (fourth). CongFu Cheng (12th) followed one lap later.

Lap 35: Jamie Green (third) and David Coulthard (ninth) came in for their respective second stops. Bruno Spengler (first) and Paul Di Resta (second) pitted one lap later, and so did Maro Engel (fifth).

Lap 37: After the second round of pit stops, Bruno Spengler was still leading ahead of Paul Di Resta and Gary Paffett. Behind Timo Scheider, Jamie Green and Ralf Schumacher followed in positions five and six whilst Maro Engel was eighth.

Finish (lap 49): Bruno Spengler achieved his second win of the year; Paul Di Resta and Gary Paffett completed the Mercedes-Benz triple.

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) winner: “My start was mega. Afterwards, it was my target to move away as quickly as possible and that was what I did. However, it was quite difficult, as there were always a few drops of rain. I thank my team for their great job. We will now enjoy this moment, and tomorrow we will focus on the six races which are still ahead of us.

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) second: “An excellent race for Mercedes-Benz. After qualifying, we were in a strong position and we made the best out of it. I moved up a few places already on the opening lap, but I was not able to overtake Bruno. Congratulations to him on his victory.”

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) third: “A great race. I pushed throughout and we had a perfect strategy, so I improved from fifth on the grid to a podium finish.”

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) fifth: “With my good start I immediately moved up to second; however, I made a few mistakes and Paul was able to go by. During my first pit stop I lost a few seconds and dropped back a little bit.”

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) sixth: “I started well and avoided the incident at the first corner. In the end I was a bit faster than Jamie, but I didn’t want to take chances so I settled for my first points of the season. Now I am really happy.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) eighth: “It took a long time, but now I scored my first point of the year. The team worked great and my C-Class was perfect so I could overtake several drivers. Only with a better grid position it would have been possible to finish higher up the field.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) 10th: “I have to work on my starts. I am sorry for my team that I came off the line again so poor and thus ruined our race. Moreover, I was therefore also involved in that first-corner mayhem. Afterwards everything was fine, but I was too far behind to move up further.”

CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) 12th:“I had quite a solid race and the car ran great. I learned again and now I look forward to Zandvoort.”

Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired after a collision: “When I braked for turn one, the brakes felt really soft. Therefore, I unfortunately hit Markus Winkelhock. I’m sorry. ”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “What an incredible one-two-three win, I didn’t expect it that way – great, how Bruno Spengler, Paul Di Resta and Gary Paffett excelled at the top. Jamie Green in fifth as well as Ralf Schumacher and Maro Engel in sixth and eighth positions, who scored their first points of the season, performed almost on the same level. Six Mercedes cars are in the points positions and our teams scored 32 out of 39 possible points today. Thank you to all at HWA with Gerhard Ungar and to our Partners Mücke and Persson; they all worked so hard to make this happen. This is good for us and our brand.”

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) won the 2010 DTM’s fourth round at Nuremberg’s Norisring. After 82 laps (188.600 kms), he came home 0.591sec ahead of Mattias Ekström (Audi). It is Jamie’s third win at the Norisring in a row – all three of them he achieved with the same car which is a new record for the DTM.

Mercedes-Benz achieved the eighth continuous Nuremberg victory and the 13th at this circuit out of 30 races since 1988. It is the 155th DTM win for the brand since Mercedes-Benz entered the championship as a factory team in 1988.

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) ended up third whilst Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished sixth.

Achieving his fourth continuous podium finish, Bruno maintained the overall lead with now 32 points. Jamie improved to second overall with 22 points ahead of Ekström with 21 and Gary with 19 points. Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG with Spengler/Paffett leads the team ranking with 51 points; this can be compared to the Constructors’ Championship in Formula One.

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) who had started from pole position for the first time in the DTM, received a drive-through penalty because of a jump-start and therefore ended up 11th despite posting the fastest lap of the race (48.616sec on lap 65). David Coulthard (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) who lost the left door due to a collision without own fault came home 13th.

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished ninth ahead of Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class). CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) ended up 14th ahead of Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class).

A total of 132,000 spectators attended the DTM race at the Norisring during the weekend.

The start:For the first time in the DTM, Ralf Schumacher started from pole position, followed by Bruno Spengler and Jamie Green. Ralf led the field to the Grundig hairpin followed by Jamie and Bruno. Paul Di Resta was pushed into a spin by Alexandre Prémat at the Esses and dropped to the back of the field.

Lap 5: Drive-through penalty for Ralf Schumacher because of a jump-start.

Lap 7:Ralf Schumacher drove through the pit lane whilst Jamie Green took the lead ahead of Bruno Spengler. Ralf dropped to 18th and last position.

Lap 15:David Coulthard passed Markus Winkelhock at the Grundig hairpin. When Martin Tomczyk overtook David at the Dutzendteich corner, Winkelhock crashed into David’s left door which he lost shortly afterwards.

Lap 21:Gary Paffett (fifth) came in for his first pit stop, followed by Paul Di Resta (11th) one lap later.

Lap 25: Bruno Spengler (second) pitted for the first time.

Lap 29: Susie Stoddart (ninth) completed her first routine halt.

Lap 35:Pit stops by Maro Engel (fourth) and CongFu Cheng (ninth). David Coulthard (fifth) followed two laps later.

Lap 42:Jamie Green pitted from the lead. One lap later, Ralf Schumacher (fourth) was the last C-Class driver to make his first stop.

Lap 48:Maro Engel (eighth) completed his second stop. Paul Di Resta (tenth) followed one lap later and Susie Stoddart (12th) another lap later.

Lap 52:CongFu Cheng (11th) pitted again.

Lap 53:Bruno Spengler (third) made his second mandatory stop; David Coulthard (eighth) followed one lap later.

Lap 55:Gary Paffett (fifth) came in for his second stop.

Lap 57:Jamie Green pitted from the lead and maintained the top spot ahead of Mattias Ekström. Ralf Schumacher (second) came in for his second stop one lap later.

Lap 59:After the second round of pit stops, Jamie Green held a lead of 2 sec ahead of Mattias Ekström. Bruno Spengler was third ahead of Oliver Jarvis, Timo Scheider and Gary Paffett.

Finish (lap 82):Jamie Green won with half a second ahead of Mattias Ekström whilst Bruno Spengler came home third and Gary Paffett sixth.

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) winner: “We cannot play football, but at least we can win races. However, it was tough. Mattias Ekström was pushing throughout and I had to stay totally focussed until the chequered flag. On this track it is so easy to make mistakes. Therefore, I am even happier to achieve this hat trick here at the Norsiring and my sixth DTM win in total. Thank you to everybody in our Persson team – their hard work made this win possible, and particularly the fastest pit stop of the race.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) third: “I am quite happy with third position. Of course, a better finish would have been nice but six championship points are ok. In the end, my C-Clas was faster and faster and with a few laps more I would have had a chance to challenge the leaders.”

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) sixth: “I struggled with understeer throughout the race; therefore I was not able to attack. I just lacked a bit of speed. At least I scored three points.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) ninth: “I am happy to finally experience a race without incidents again. So, ninth place is quite reasonable, but a points finish would have been better, of course.”

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) 10th:”My race was over on the opening lap when Prémat pushed me into a spin. I fought back to finish 10th but you don’t get points for this place.”

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) 11th: “Today I gave away a possible race win. I am awfully sorry for my team that we were not able to show how strong our C-Class was here at the Norisring. Shortly before the start I was looking for the clutch’s bite point when the car made a brief move whilst the light was still red. My speed was very good which is also demonstrated by my fastest race lap. This weekend motivates us even more for the next race at the Nürburgring and for the rest of the season.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) 13th: “Despite losing the door early on when I was hit by another driver, I tried to race as fast as I could and in these circumstances I think my race was quite ok. I only struggled at the last sector which just doesn’t suit me. Anyway, I enjoyed the many fans and the fantastic atmosphere.”

CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) 14th:”The first half of my race was not bad but then I lost my pace. Therefore I was not able to push. This was my first DTM race on a temporary street circuit – a good foretaste of the season finale at Shanghai.”

Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) 15th: “As a consequence of a first-corner collision, my right door was damaged which caused significant vibrations. I was not able to improve and just tried to finish the race.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:”What a race! Jamie Green won at the Norisring for the third time in a row – and this with one and the same car. Congratulations to Jamie and the Persson team on this success. Such a hat trick has not happened in the DTM before. We are all happy about the eighth continuous Mercedes victory at the Norisring and tonight we will celebrate – and certainly not only a little bit.”

Mercedes-Benz DTM Team today realeased statements from Jamie Green, Bruno Spengler, Ralf Schumacher David Coulthard and Norbert Haug regarding the upcoming DTM Norisring Race.

Jamie Green, best-placed 2009-season car driver after three races of the 2010 DTM season, and winner of the last two DTM races at Norisring:

“I won the race at Norisring in 2008 and 2009 – driving one and the same car. The circuit looks quite straightforward, but it can be deceptive. The numerous undulations give the car problems and need great concentration on the part of the driver, especially when braking hard from around 260 km/h to less than 50 km/h before the hairpins.”

Bruno Spengler, DTM Vice-Champion in the 2006 and 2007 seasons, and leader in the overall ranking after three races of the 2010 season:

“I have won twice at Norisring – in 2006 and 2007. I like this course and its unique atmosphere, with many fans. I have started the season well with 26 points in three races and leadership in the overall ranking, and I want to continue this trend.”

Ralf Schumacher, starting in his third DTM race at Norisring:

“Norisring is one of my favourite tracks. Last year I achieved my best DTM result so far there. I am expecting an exciting race which will make heavy physical demands. The circuit layout looks simple, but it has its challenges and merciless duels are guaranteed. The frequently high, summery temperatures up to 60 degrees in the cockpit can also make things uncomfortably hot. The drivers need to be in first-class physical condition for the 82 laps, and I certainly am.”

David Coulthard, driving in his fourth DTM race at Norisring:

“Norisring is rightly known as the Monaco of the DTM. I already liked the track a great deal during my visit last year, with its impressive atmosphere and numerous enthusiastic spectators. The short cycles between acceleration, braking and steering into bends make extreme demands on the drivers and cars, passing the starting/finishing line after lap times of less than 50 seconds. With the bumpy surface, and walls and crash barriers very close to the track, it is necessary to drive very precisely. My aim at Norisring is to follow on from my good qualifying result at Lausitzring, and perhaps my first DTM top-ten result will be on the cards.”

Norbert Haug:

“Every race in the DTM calendar is a one-off – but Norisring is always the most unique each year.

The route right through the city of Nuremburg is only driven on once a year, on a single racing weekend, and as short and simple as it looks, it poses a unique challenge for the vehicles, drivers and teams. From 2003 to 2009 we have achieved seven victories in succession at Norisring.

The last two wins in 2008 and 2009 were achieved by Jamie Green with one and the same car, which is unprecedented and speaks for the quality of the driver, team and car – while confirming that even as a previous-season model, our C-Class is undoubtedly up-to-date.

Our teams and drivers are looking forward to the new round of challenges at Norisring in 2010, and we all know – although the statistics over the last few years say differently – that Mercedes-Benz by no means has an ongoing claim to victory in Nuremberg forever.

Nonetheless we will try to follow the seven previous victories with an eighth.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) won the 2010 DTM’s third round at the Lausitzring. After 52 laps (180.856 kms), Paul Di Resta who had started from the 100th DTM pole position of Mercedes-Benz came home second ahead of Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class). For the second time after the quadruple win in the season opener at Hockenheim on 25th April, there were again three C-Class drivers on the podium.

After a personal long lean period, Bruno Spengler who has won the last time at the Norisring in 2007, achieved the 70th win for Mercedes-Benz in the new DTM since 2000 and the ninth in the 11th race at the Lausitzring. Mercedes-Benz has now won 154 out of 323 races since the brand had entered the DTM with a factory team in 1988.

Winning his seventh DTM race and achieving his third continuous podium finish, Spengler extended his overall lead to now 26 points. Paul Di Resta is second on 17 points ahead of Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), fifth today, on 16 points. Salzgitter/Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG with Spengler/Paffett leads the team ranking with 42 points; this can be compared to the Constructors’ Championship in Formula One.

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) was in the lead once during the first round of pit stops and ended up seventh – the Scottish lady took her first DTM points. Fellow countryman David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) however missed them. Having qualified a strong eighth for only his third DTM race he was involved in a first-lap incident without own fault and had to retire on lap three.

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) missed a points finish by 8.103sec and came home ninth. CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished 12th and Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) ended up 15th. After being hit by Oliver Jarvis (Audi) he had to make an unscheduled third pit stop.

A total of 79,000 spectators attended the DTM race at the Lausitzring during the weekend.

The start:Starting from pole position for the third time in his DTM career, Paul Di Resta maintained the top spot into the first corner ahead of Bruno Spengler, second in qualifying, and Jamie Green who moved up from fourth on the grid. David Coulthard, who had qualified eighth in only his third DTM race, made a poor start and at turn 5 he was involved in an incident of two Audi drivers without own fault. He made it back to the pits and rejoined the race after repairs one lap down.

Lap 5: Re-start. Paul Di Resta was in the lead ahead of Bruno Spengler and Jamie Green. Last year’s winner Gary Paffett, ninth in qualifying, was already in fifth position. David Coulthard went back to the pits and retired.

Lap 7:Maro Engel made an unscheduled pit stop because of damage at the right rear after being hit by Oliver Jarvis.

Lap 14:Gary Paffett (sixth) came into the pits for his first stop.

Lap 16:Susie Stoddart drove in fourth position.

Lap 18: Paul Di Resta pitted from the lead and Bruno Spengler took first place ahead of Jamie Green. CongFu Cheng (10th) completed his first stop.

Lap 19: Bruno Spengler (first) came into the pits. Jamie Green, now in the top spot, followed one lap later.

Lap 21:The new leader Susie Stoddart pitted and Paul Di Resta was back in first place.

Lap 25:Ralf Schumacher (sixth) came in for his first routine halt.

Lap 29:First mandatory stop by Maro Engel (13th) who had picked up new tyres already on lap seven. Gary Paffett (sixth) pitted for the second time one lap later.

Lap 31:Second stop by Ralf Schumacher (eighth).

Lap 34:Paul Di Resta completed his second stop from the lead. He lost about three seconds because the left rear wheel nut got stuck.

Lap 35:Bruno Spengler (first) and Jamie Green (second) came in simultaneously. Spengler resumed just ahead of Paul Di Resta.

Lap 36:Susie Stoddart (third) completed her second stop. Two laps later, also CongFu Cheng (10th) pitted for the second time.

Lap 38:All drivers had completed their mandatory stops. Bruno Spengler held the lead ahead of Paul Di Resta and Jamie Green. Gary Paffett was fifth and Susie Stoddart seventh.

Finish (lap 52):Triple win for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Bruno Spengler took victory ahead of Paul Di Resta and Jamie Green. Gary Paffett came home fifth and Susie Stoddart seventh – one place ahead of two-times champion Timo Scheider (Audi) she clinched her first DTM points.

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) winner: “It’s a great feeling to finally win again after three years. Already on the final lap I had goose bumps and now I am only happy. I thank my team for a perfect car, perfect pit stops and a perfect strategy. The victory is also a birthday present for my girlfriend Franziska. Sorry for Paul and the mishap during his stop.”

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) second:”I had everything under control and was in an easy lead. However, during my second pit stop I lost a lot of time and I dropped to second place. After pole position and such a good race, this is really disappointing. But I am second overall and there is still a long season ahead of us.”

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) third: “A very good race for me and I am happy that I finished on the podium again with my 2008 car.”

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) fifth: “Following the poor qualifying and starting ninth on the grid it is important to take at least four points. I lacked a bit of speed and was not able to chase Mike Rockenfeller in front of me.”

Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) seventh: “In the points – finally! This is my best race and my most beautiful day in DTM so far. My C-Class was great and our team did an excellent job. With these points I also want to say thank you to everybody at Mercedes-Benz and Persson Motorsport who did not stop to support me.”

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) ninth: “Today I had quite a solid speed and starting 17th on the grid, the ninth-place finish is quite reasonable. I have to improve in the qualifyings, and then I should achieve better race results.”

CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) 12th:”A solid race for me. I still have to learn how to make my way through the field.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) 15th: “After Oliver Jarvis had run into me, my car’s body was bent down onto the right rear tyre, so I had to pit. Afterwards my C-Class was ok again, but I was too far behind the field to improve my position.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired due to an accident without own fault: “I made a poor start and lost some positions. At turn 5, I suddenly saw Mattias Ekström right in front of me and was not able to avoid him. The impact broke my suspension and I couldn’t continue. It’s a shame, particularly after my really good qualifying, but basically we move forward and now I look forward to the Norisring.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:”A great race for us and a nice triple victory: congratulations to Bruno, Paul and Jamie, well done, guys. Sorry for the problem during Paul’s pit stop. Susie Stoddart was sensational – she took her first points in the DTM. This is our eighth win out of the last 12 races – our C-Class and its drivers and teams were real class.”

A selection of statements by the Mercedes-Benz DTM team before the third round of the 2010 DTM season:

Gary Paffett, DTM Champion 2005, runner-up in 2009 championship and winner of last year’s DTM race at Lausitzring:

“Particularly in the first sector, the Lausitzring is characterised by fast direction changes that challenge both the driver and car. There is a particularly good overtaking opportunity at the first corner, when we have to brake down from 250 km/h to 70 km/h within a few seconds. My victory from seventh grid position last year shows that overtaking is certainly possible on the EuroSpeedway.”

Bruno Spengler, DTM Runner-Up in 2006 and 2007, leader in the overall ranking after two races in the 2010 DTM season:

“This racetrack is technically very demanding thanks to the high-speed parts on the Trioval, and the comparatively slow, winding infield. The short intervals between acceleration, braking and cornering test the drivers and cars to the limits. This means a compromise between top speed and downforce for the set up.”

Ralf Schumacher, taking part at the Lausitzring for the third time:

“After my modest results in the first two DTM races, I am well motivated for the race at Lausitzring. The track is the third-shortest on the race calendar with a length of 3.5 kilometres, but it holds plenty in store. Entering the pits is particularly tricky, as we exit the last bend at 220 km/h and need to brake to 80 km/h in just over two seconds. My goal is to win my first points of the season at Lausitzring.”

David Coulthard, is starting his third DTM race at the Lausitzring:

“The race on the Lausitzring is a home event for my Berlin-based team Mücke Motorsport, and will be my premiere on this track. I have already heard a great deal about this course from my team colleagues, and also about the fantastic atmosphere along the roughly one-kilometre start-finishing straight in front of the main grandstand. I aim to improve significantly, and be nearer the front after the qualifying.”

Norbert Haug:

“Mercedes-Benz has an almost exemplary record for DTM races at Lausitzring. We have won 8 of the 10 races staged here, the most previous one being last year’s DTM race. In contrast to the qualifying and warm-up, we were far from achieving the desired speed on the last DTM Sunday in Valencia, and everybody in the team will be working hard to deliver a better performance at the Lausitzring.”

Schedule: EuroSpeedway Lausitz

Friday 04.06.2010

• 11:05 – 11:30 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup free practice 1
• 11:45 – 12:15 hrs DTM roll out
• 12:30 – 13:00 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa free practice
• 13:15 – 13:45 hrs Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup free practice
• 14:00 – 14:25 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup free practice 2
• 14:40 – 16:10 hrs DTM free practice 1
• 16:10 – 16:15 hrs DTM practice starts

Saturday 05.06.2010

• 08:45 – 09:15 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa qualifying for race 1
• 09:30 – 11:00 hrs DTM free practice 2
• 11:15 – 11:45 hrs Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup qualifying
• 12:00 – 12:35 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup qualifying (20′ session 1 , 5′ break,
• 10′ session 2)
• 12:45 – 13:30 hrs Event Programme pit walk / taxi drives
• 13:40 – 14:38 hrs DTM qualifying
• 14:50 – 15:15 hrs DTM international press conference
• 15:15 – 15:45 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa race 1
• 16:10 – 16:40 hrs Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup race

Sunday 06.06.2010

• 09:30 – 10:00 hrs DTM warm up
• 10:25 – 10:55 hrs Seat Leon Supercopa race 2
• 11:20 – 11:55 hrs Porsche Carrera Cup race
• 12:10 – 13:10 hrs Event Programme pit walk / event programme / taxi drives
• 13:20 – 13:30 hrs DTM information laps
• 13:30 – 13:45 hrs DTM start grid presentation
• 14:03 hrs DTM start race
• 15:21 hrs DTM finish
• approx. 15:30 hrs DTM podium ceremony
• 15:50 – 16:15 hrs DTM international press conference

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) finished the 2010 DTM’s second round at Valencia, Spain in second place and was the best Mercedes driver. After 45 laps. Bruno crossed the line third, 3.547 seconds behind winner Mattias Ekström (Audi); however, after the stewards of the meeting excluded Martin Tomczyk (Audi) from the race, he moved up one position.

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) ended up fifth and Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class), the winner of the season opener at Hockenheim four weeks ago finished sevenhth.

Spengler, second at Hockenheim, achieved his second consecutive podium finish and took the overall lead with 16 points. Ekström is second on 13 points and Paffett third with 12 points.

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) came home ninth ahead of Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class), Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) and CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class).

Former Formula One drivers David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired; David on lap 38 from 14th place with a broken gear shift control and Ralf on lap 24 from 14th position due to misfire as the consequence of an electronic engine control failure.

A total of 21,000 spectators attended the DTM’s racing premiere at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo during the weekend.

The start:

Starting second on the grid, Bruno Spengler was second at the first corner. Paul Di Resta improved from fifth to fourth whilst Gary Paffett, fourth in qualifying, dropped to eighth place following a coming-together with Alexandre Prémat (Audi). Maro Engel was pushed into a spin and was 17th at the end of the field after the opening lap.

Lap 11: Gary Paffett (ninth) came into the pits for his first routine halt. Bruno Spengler (fourth) and Maro Engel (15th) followed one lap later.

Lap 14: Paul Di Resta (first) pitted and so did David Coulthard (ninth) and CongFu Cheng (13th).

Lap 15: Ralf Schumacher (fith) and Susie Stoddart (sixth) completed their respective first stops.

Lap 19: Second pit stop by Maro Engel (17th).

Lap 21: Gary Paffett (11th) pitted for the second time.

Lap 24: Bruno Spengler (fourth) came into the pits for his second stop, followed by David Coulthard (12th). Ralf Schumacher was 14th when he retired in the pits due to misfire. One lap later, Paul Di Resta (sixth) and Susie Stoddart (10th) completed their second stops.

Lap 26: Jamie Green (second) pitted for the first time.

Lap 29: Second pit stop by CongFu Cheng (13th).

Lap 35: Jamie Green (first) is the last driver with a routine pit stop.

Lap 36: After the second round of pit stops, Bruno Spengler was the best C-Class driver in fourth place.

Lap 38: David Coulthard had improved to 12th place when he had to pit with a broken gear shift control.

Finish (lap 45): Bruno Spengler took the chequered flag third; Paul Di Resta ended up sixth and Gary Paffett eighth. After Martin Tomczyk was excluded, they all moved up one position respectively.

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) second:

“The track was very slippery and the conditions had changed completely after this morning’s warm-up. Ekström was faster here today, after we had dominated in Hockenheim, but that’s what happens in the DTM. I am happy to take the overall lead and of course I would like to say this again after another eight races. I will now focus on the next race at the Lausitzring in two weeks.”

Paul Di Resta (AMG Mercedes C-Class) fifth:”

My start was very good; however, I struggled with the balance of my car and had a lot of oversteer.”

Gary Paffett (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) seventh:

“I lacked speed and downforce from the very beginning. Then I was hit hard four or five times and my car was damaged. All in all a difficult race for me, but at least I scored two points.”

Jamie Green (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) ninth:

“After the start I got stuck in traffic and lost time. When I had a clear track, I was faster, but it was already too late to improve.”

Susie Stoddart (TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) 10th:

“10th place is not so bad. In the beginning, I was following David and hoping for a chance to pass him, but he was too fast for me.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) 11th:

“On the first lap I was pushed into a spin, my engine stalled and when I continued I was 20sec behind the field. That was it.”

CongFu Cheng (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) 12th:

“After a good start I had problems with my first set of tyres, which disappeared after my first pit stop. Then I had a coming-together, my car was damaged and I was not able to improve.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired:

“I started very well and gained a few positions; however, afterwards I was pushed wide and lost again same places. My race was pretty uneventful until on lap 38, when I retired due to a broken gear shift control.”

Ralf Schumacher (Laureus AMG Mercedes C-Class) retired:

“When the misfire began the team told me to try and continue, but the problem became worse and I lost more and more speed – it just didn’t make sense.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“A race with little excitement, in which we were not able to produce the speed of the two previous days and thus contributed our part to the lack of thrill. Bruno Spengler is the overall leader and we are also first in the team ranking. Some incidents looked a bit strange to me and were completely unnecessary – this has to change in the future. We now look forward to the next race at the Lausitzring and I hope that there we will present speed good enough for winning during three days.”

The second round of the DTM Season will be held in Valencia this weekend, May 23rd and as Norbert Haug put it, it is the “premiere of DTM”..  Valencia’s circuit is new and state-of-the-art. Following its opening, on 19th September, 1999, it quickly established as a popular and renowned motor-racing venue. You can see nearly the entire racetrack from every grandstand. Turn one is particularly fast and on the way to turn two, the drivers are offered overtaking opportunities that are just as good as the ones in the infield.

Below, a selection of statements from the Mercedes-Benz DTM Team before the second race of the 2010 DTM season.

Gary Paffett, DTM Champion in 2005, runner-up in the 2009 season, and winner of the first DTM race of the 2010 season in Hockenheim:

“Winning the season opener at Hockenheimring gave me a perfect start into the new season. The course in Valencia confronts us with challenges which are partly different from those in Hockenheim. Valencia has many twists and turns that are very demanding on car and driver. After many laps of Formula 1 testing, I am very well acquainted with the circuit and it would be ideal if I could defend my lead in the standings there.”

Jamie Green took third place as best driver of a past-year model in the first DTM race of the 2010 season in Hockenheim:

“Hockenheim showed that I can compete with the best, and my third-place finish was a good start. The differently banked curves make the circuit in Valencia especially demanding, and finding a good setup is the key to success.”

Ralf Schumacher, fastest driver on all four test days in March 2010 in Valencia:

“I am especially looking forward to Valencia. The course suits me well and I clocked good times here during the winter tests. We shall see what they are worth up against competition. I’d like to make up for the mishap in the qualifying in Hockenheim with a good result here.”

David Coulthard, competing in his second DTM race in Valencia:

“Although my showing in my first DTM race was anything but impressive, I really enjoyed my debut in Hockenheim. Together with the team I analyzed the mistakes I made and where I have to improve. I definitely want to work on my qualifying performance – a good starting position is important to get a good result on the narrow course. I am very familiar with the circuit from many Formula 1 tests, but that doesn’t mean to say that this will be a big advantage to me in the DTM car.”

Norbert Haug:

“For Valencia this is the premiere of the DTM, but the course isn’t new to drivers and teams since pre-season tests took place there. We’ve won seven of the last ten DTM races and will try to deliver a good piece of work in Valencia too.”

Spring was in the air for Mercedes-Benz. The brand from Suttgart locked out the first four places in the DTM season opener at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg. After 39 laps and 178.386 kilometres, British driver Gary Paffett crossed the finish line as the race winner. The 29-year old was followed home by his fellow Mercedes-Benz drivers Bruno Spengler from Canada, Briton Jamie Green as the best-placed driver of a 2008-spec car and Scot Paul Di Resta.

“Winning the first race is a great way to start the season. Last year, the season started just the other way round for me. Today, our goal was to score as many points as possible. The team has done a tremendous job and I like the car – it is just running well. I could see the rest of the season going like this”, said the winner of the opening round immediately after the race. Paffett, the 2005 DTM champion, scored his 15th DTM race win at Hockenheim.”

The best-placed Audi driver was German Mike Rockenfeller in fifth place. The 26-year old is driving an Audi A4 DTM from the 2008 range. “My start was great. I overtook Paul Di Resta. We had some slight contact in the process and I lost a few positions. In spite of the damage to the front, the car was still quick. Moreover, we had a good strategy. Hopefully, we will be stronger in the races to come”, said Rockenfeller. Spaniard Miguel Molina (Audi) showed an impressive DTM debut, finishing in eighth place and scoring his first championship point right away in his maiden race. In ninth place, Mercedes-Benz driver Ralf Schumacher just missed out on championship points. Ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard (Mercedes-Benz) made up five places during the race and finished twelfth in his first-ever DTM race.

Bright sunshine and 78,000 fans were a great setting for the first DTM race weekend of the year. The fans got to see a thrilling start. Pole sitter Gary Paffett and German Martin Tomczyk (Audi) in second place had a tough battle for the lead. Tomczyk came out on top and took the lead, but suffered a punctured left rear tyre on his car on lap eleven. The 28-year old still made it back into the pits and initially was able to continue his race, but had to park his damaged car for good on lap 32. Paffett didn’t lose the lead anymore and scored a dominant win.

For Mattias Ekström, the 2004 and 2007 DTM champion, the race didn’t go too well. During the race, the Audi driver made it up from fifth on the grid into second place. However, as Ekström had come in for his first mandatory pit stop one lap too early, he had to repeat it and lost valuable seconds and his position. The Swede still scored some points in the battle for the title by finishing sixth. Reigning DTM champion Timo Scheider (Audi) came home in seventh place.

In the drivers’ standings, Paffett is leading with ten points from Spengler (8) and Green (6). The second DTM race weekend of the year will take place at Valencia in Spain from May 21st till 23rd.

Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug:

”Of cours, that was a dream start into the new season. No doubt, it could hardly have been any better. The task in the race was to keep the tyres alive. We managed to do this and that was the key to success. David Coulthard did considerably better than in qualifying. He will find his way. Ekström had the speed to win the race, but came in too soon for his pit stop. Gary has started off this season in the way he finished last year. This is his 15th victory in his 60th race, so he has won every fourth race. That is incredible.”

Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich:

”This was a big blow for us today. We didn’t get the tyres to work and to prevent damage to the tyres. Martin didn’t have a problem with the tyres throughout the weekend and was still the first to suffer from a puncture. We have to investigate on that thoroughly. It was a good race and very open between the new and the old cars. I hope that we will see competition like this at the other race tracks, too. Molina was able to score a point in his very first race and did an excellent job.”

Ralf Schumacher (34) will start with the AMG Mercedes C-Class again in the 2010 DTM. The season’s debut race will be at Hockenheim on 25th April 2010. Ralf Schumacher began his DTM career at Hockenheim on 13th April 2008. Soon, he became one of the most popular drivers of the championship for the fans and the media. Following a “learning year” in 2008 with a car of the previous year of team Mücke Motorsport, Ralf Schumacher changed to HWA for the last season and he will race for this team again in 2010.

Ralf Schumacher had concluded his Formula 1 career after 11 years and 180 grands prix at the end of the 2007 season. He won six grands prix and – with BMW Williams – finished both the 2001 and 2002 Drivers‘ World Championships in fourth place.

Ralf Schumacher:

• “It’s great fun to race in the DTM; one of the most important reasons for this is the perfect cooperation with Mercedes-Benz and the HWA team. Therefore, I look forward to a third year in this fantastic championship.”

• “At Mercedes-Benz and my team, I have the opportunity to practise motor racing at the best professional level.”

• “In 2010, the fans will experience a so far unique combination – my brother Michael in Formula 1 and me in the DTM, and both we will race for Mercedes-Benz – this will be an exciting motor sport season.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

• “We all look very much forward to Ralf being a member of our DTM driver line-up again in 2010 and that he will enter his third season together with us.”

• “Soon, Ralf became one of the favourites of the spectators of the series and I am sure that in 2010, after the necessary ‘learning time‘ everybody needs in the DTM, he will further improve in sporting terms.“