DTM visits tradition-steeped circuit near the UK capital
Grnd Prix Circuit is regarded as one of the worldās most challenging race tracks
DTM leader RenĆ© Rast: āBrands Hatch is a real menās trackā
DTM fans can look forward to the next highlight: On Saturday and Sunday (August 10/11), the more than 610-hp Class 1 cars will race at Brands Hatch. The tradition-steeped circuit near the UK capital London is regarded as one of the worldās most challenging race tracks. After several visits to the Indy Circuit that is not particularly popular with the DTM drivers, the DTM, since last year, has been racing on the 3.916-kilometer Grand Prix Circuit that used to be venue of the British Formula One Grand Prix. āThe track is an absolute highlight for the DTM,ā says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. āAfter the tremendous premiere last year, you ask yourself why we havenāt always raced there.ā The famous track sections such as Paddock Hill, Druids, Hawthorn, Dingle Dell and Clearways do not leave the Audi drivers cold either. āItās cool that with the DTM we drive the same turns as Niki Lauda and James Hunt did 40 years ago or Nigel Mansell later,ā says Jamie Green. āThose were my childhood heroes. Brands Hatch is a place with a great history.ā āIām very much looking forward to the two races,ā says leader of the standings RenĆ© Rast, who with a third and a fourth place was the best Audi driver at Brands Hatch last year. āBrands Hatch is a real menās track. There are many fast turns and almost no run-off areas. That means every mistake is punished immediately and you always have to be extremely focused. Arguably, everyone in motorsport knows the first turn ā Paddock Hill. Thatās a corner with character and a history.ā āWith the new turbo cars, the track will be an even greater challenge,ā says Mike Rockenfeller, who in 2013 won at Brands Hatch on the short Indy Circuit with a length of just under two kilometers and was on the top of the podium most recently at Assen as well. āWith the power we now have itāll be even more fun. The track is really great and has a few courage corners. In dry conditions, the tires will again play a crucial part.ā āItāll really look spectacular when we fly through the forest with our turbo beasts and reach very high speeds,ā says Nico MĆ¼ller, the runner-up in the standings. āI had the opportunity to discover this really cool old-school race track last year during the DTM weekend. The track is really good fun. Iām extremely looking forward to it ā and also to the very passionate English fans.ā His teammate, Robin Frijns, says: āItās great that we race on traditional tracks like Zolder and Brands Hatch with the DTM. With our new Audi RS 5 DTM and the more powerful turbo engines, every race track is nice ā even Zolder with its 90-degree turns. Brands Hatch is one of those legendary circuits that Formula One used to race on. There are many difficult turns. One mistake and you end up in the wall. Thatās how it has to be!ā |
āLast year, every one of us drivers was happy about racing on the Grand Prix Circuit,ā says LoĆÆc Duval. āBrands Hatch is one of the highlights of the season. Motorsport plays a major role in England. Thatās why itās good that weāre racing there with the DTM. After all, itās one of the most important racing series in the world. London is not far away. Many spectators came to the premiere last year. The track is cool, it runs up and down. The circuit is very narrow and overtaking isnāt easy. Even so, sometimes there were three of us running side by side in the DTM last year. And managing a perfect lap in qualifying is a great driving challenge.ā
To the teams, the schedule poses a special challenge, too. āBrands Hatch is a two-day event with an extremely compact program,ā says Dieter Gass, āso we need to make sure nothing goes wrong!ā On Saturday morning, only 45 minutes of free practice are available, followed by qualifying for the first race just an hour later. The two races at Brands Hatch on Saturday and Sunday will start at 1.30 PM local time (2.30 CEST). SAT.1 will begin airing live coverage on both days at 2 PM. Admission tickets to the race are available online atĀ www.audi.com/dtm. |