Short circuit, long history: This weekend at the Norisring, the motor-racing enthusiasts once again will be provided thrilling motor sport. DTM has been a regular visitor in the ‘Franconian Monaco’ since 1987 and the atmosphere at Germany’s only still existing street circuit, between the ‘Grundig-Kehre’ and the ‘Dutzendteich’, always is unique. Year by year, the 18 drivers charging around the 2.3-kilometre track in the heart of Nuremberg in spectacular style thrill the crowds to the max. More than 250kph on the straights, extreme braking for the hairpins, absolutely precise steering along the walls behind the stone grandstand – racing that fascinates the drivers again and again.
A statement that applies in particular to Marco Wittmann who was born just a stone’s throw away, in Fürth. The BMW driver won the Saturday round at Budapest two weeks ago and holds fifth position in the championship with 51 points on his tally. « It goes without saying that my expectations are high », reveals Wittmann. « To travel to Nuremberg with a win under my belt definitely feels good. I truly look forward to the Norisring as I arguably am the only driver who has got such a home race. After all, I’m the only driver who lives that close to a DTM circuit. To know that all the fans, all the fan clubs and all the friends will be on site is really cool and will represent an extra boost for me. I still have unfinished business with the Norisring and its podium. Last year it already was very close and therefore, I hope that I finally will make it to the podium, this year. » To date, Wittmann already finished fourth (twice), fifth (once) and sixth (twice) in Nuremberg. This year he wants to up the ante.
Spengler and Martin made BMW history Meanwhile, fellow BMW driver Timo Glock travels to the Norisring as championship leader. In the six races contested to date, Glock scored a total of 90 points and last year, the Norisring meeting proved to be a huge success for the drivers racing for the Munich based brand. On Saturday, Bruno Spengler gave BMW their first Norisring win in 25 years and their 25th win since their DTM comeback in 2012. And on Saturday, Maxim Martin crossed the line as race winner, thus making for the 75th BMW win in the history of DTM.
Glock’s toughest rival in the battle for the championship lead is Gary Paffett. The Mercedes-AMG driver has got 11 points less than Glock on his tally and admits: « The result of the Sunday race at Budapest was really disappointing for us. But the start into the season went really well and the car proved to also be fast at the Hungaroring. Therefore, I believe that we may be confident regarding the Norisring meeting. As I see it, the field will be far better balanced at the Norisring as the circuit doesn’t suit one of the manufacturers particularly well. Therefore, it will be about squeezing the maximum out of the car and the setup. Quite obviously it would be great to win there again. » With 18 Norisring wins, Mercedes-AMG are the clearly most successful manufacturer at Nuremberg’s street circuit.
Bumps add to the challenge In last year’s Sunday race, the crowds witnessed a fantastic photo finish in the battle for third position: Audi’s Mattias Ekström, Marco Wittmann (BMW) and Mercedes-AMG’s Edoardo Mortara crossed the line side by side, with the gap amounting to just 0.027 seconds. « If you want thrilling racing and enthralling overtaking in DTM, nothing comes close to the Norisring, » says Jamie Green who already won four DTM races in Nuremberg but currently has got just 10 points on his tally and holds 16th position in the championship.
At the Norisring, the setup is extremely important. To not lose time on the long straights the teams opt for minimum downforce and therefore, the cars behave extremely nervously while being decelerated. Therefore, the engine’s horsepower output and the setup are crucial for a fast Norisring lap. And the fact that the bumps alter year by year even adds to the challenge for the drivers.
‘FHR 100 Meilen Trophy’ for the first time in the DTM support programme In addition to the two DTM rounds, the race meeting at the Norisring also provides a multifaceted motor-racing support programme, featuring the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, the ‘100 Meilen Trophy’, the Norisring Classics and the Red Bull Skydive Team. The latest asset to the DTM platform is the ‘FHR 100 Meilen Trophy’ that contested its debut season in 2017. The field of this new series comprises GTs and racing sports cars built between 1968 and 1988. The interesting grid impresses with Porsches. Mercedes vehicles, BMWs, Reynards, Lolas, Chevrons, de Tomasos, Plymouths or Ford Mustangs. The Norisring Classics also include an exhibition of up to 75 cars (25 per DTM manufacturers) including a 10-minute demonstration both on Saturday and Sunday. During the DTM starting grid presentation, the Red Bull Skydive team will stun the crowds. In their wing suits, the extremely skilled air acrobats will wow the spectators with rehearsed choreographies and spectacular stunts. The air is their home indeed.
And the Norisring visitors even haven’t to do without watching the Football World Cup. On Saturday evening, the match between Sweden and Germany will be shown from 20:00hrs CEST (19:00hrs BST) on the video walls at the circuit. The two DTM rounds at the Norisring will be covered by SAT.1 in their show ‘ran racing’, both on Saturday and Sunday from 13:00hrs CEST. In Austria, ORF Sport+ will begin their coverage on both days at 13:30hrs CEST, just in time for the start. And in Switzerland, MySports is going to cover two DTM races live for the first time. DTM.com and the official DTM will stream live all the practice and qualifying sessions as well as the races.
Press release DTM
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