After three victories in the first four races of the season, the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport DTM Team faces the challenge of the Hungaroring.
- Debut at the Hungaroring: 18th September 1988 (after a 26-year absence, the DTM returned to Hungary in the 2014 season)
- First victory at the Hungaroring: Johnny Cecotto won both races in Budapest on the team’s debut in 1988, both times from pole
- In the 2017 season, Paul Di Resta won the Saturday race at the Hungaroring – the first Mercedes victory in Hungary since the debut year of 1988
- For more statistics on the track and the 30-year DTM history of the brand, see our Race Facts (download here)
- Ulrich Fritz: “With five of our squad in the Top Six of the championship, we have delivered a strong team performance so far. We intend to build on that in Hungary.”
Comments on the DTM races at Budapest
Gary Paffett (37, England):
- Car number: 2
- Team: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS
- Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM
“We’ve made an excellent start to the year, but the weekend at the Lausitzring was still not perfect. In qualifying on Saturday, I really didn’t do a good job. I qualified 14th and finished ninth in the race. But I made up for it on Sunday by qualifying third and winning the race. Two wins from four races and one podium result mean that it has been a near-perfect start to the year for me. The cars and the team have just been fantastic so far, and we started the year really strong. We want to try and keep this form going in Budapest. I like the track and haven’t been on the podium there yet, but I certainly intend to put that right next weekend.”
Pascal Wehrlein (23, Germany):
- Car number: 94
- Team: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS
- Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM
“The Hungaroring is a cool track, but what pleases me even more is that I’m gradually getting the sense that I’ve properly settled back into the DTM. I’ll now try to take the positive energy of my podium appearance at the Lausitzring to Budapest and hopefully convert that into good results. The Lausitzring has always been a happy hunting ground for our team in the past. As for Budapest, we now have to wait and see what the relative strengths of the teams are. Because the Hungaroring weekend will be the first time this season that we are competing on a track that hasn’t always suited us.”
Edoardo Mortara (31, Italy):
- Car number: 48
- Team: SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport
- Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM
“My first win with Mercedes came as something of a relief, and I hope I can now build on it. That’s why I’m looking forward to Budapest. All in all, we’ve had two really strong race weekends so far this season. I had the feeling of being competitive on both weekends. Consequently, it’s great when the next two races come around so soon. Hopefully, we can be just as competitive there as we have been so far. If we manage that, we can achieve a lot this season. Now I hope we can find a good setup and be in contention for more podium finishes and victories.”
Lucas Auer (23, Austria):
- Car number: 22
- Team: SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport
- Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM
“Budapest is a challenge for the drivers and for the cars. The track has a lot of long-drawn-out corners, and the surface is going to be different from how it was last time, so it will be interesting to see how the teams measure up to each other there. I think the pack will be completely reshuffled. Even so, I have a good feeling about the Hungaroring. It’s a great track and an awesome city, so I’m looking forward to more cool races there.”
Paul Di Resta (32, Scotland):
- Car number: 3
- Team: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS
- Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM
“It’s great that another weekend is coming up very fast. It was a relatively successful weekend for myself at Lausitzring and certainly good for the team. The championship is really coming alive now. Last year, I had a great weekend in Budapest where I won a race. I’m hoping for good things, so let’s see how the weekend turns out.”
Daniel Juncadella (27, Spain):
- Car number: 23
- Team: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS
- Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM
“The Hungaroring is a very special place for me; it’s one of my favourite tracks. It was where I had my first victory in Formula BMW. That was in 2008. And I’ve always performed well there in the DTM, too. In 2016, I had a podium finish in Budapest, although unfortunately that was subsequently nullified. The city is fantastic, and I have some friends coming along to cheer me on. The team has got off to a great start this season, and I think we have good chances with a strong car this weekend.”
Ulrich Fritz, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport DTM:
“After three victories in four races, we are obviously mega pleased with our start to the season. We couldn’t have wished for a better one. However, we’re still at an early stage of the campaign. So far, we have competed at Hockenheim and at the Lausitzring which are two tracks that have very much favoured us in recent years. Now we’re off to the Hungaroring which has not been a particularly good place for us recently. Consequently, we have to wait and see how the teams measure up to each other in Budapest. Naturally, we aim to be successful there as well. With five of our squad in the Top Six of the championship, we have delivered a strong team performance so far. We intend to build on that in Hungary.”
