The situation in the 2005 DTM prior to the eighth round at Zandvoort this
coming weekend is exciting. Gary Paffett, DaimlerChrysler Bank
AMG-Mercedes, winner of three races this season so far, is ranked second
overall with one point behind Mattias Ekström (Audi). After the Swede had
won the last race at the Nürburgring following a mistake of leader
Paffett, Mercedes-Benz and Audi arrive at Zandvoort each with the maximum
weight of 1,070 kilograms in their 2005 cars.
Important Qualifying: At the 4.307-kilometre long circuit in the middle
of the North Sea dunes offers only a few overtaking opportunities.
Therefore regular qualifying and single-lap qualifying become even more
important. So far only 11 times out of 27 single-lap qualifyings (41
percent), the fastest of the regular qualifying also achieved pole
position in the fight for the so-called Super Pole.
In six single-lap
qualifyings in 2005 (cancelled at Oscherslaben due to the weather), it
happened only once: Gary Paffett at Brno. When Mika Häkkinen claimed pole
position at Spa this year, he also made the biggest step to the front
improving from eighth in regular qualifying to the top in the fight for
Super Pole.
Reunion in the dunes: Häkkinen, Allan McNish (Audi) and Heinz-Harald
Frentzen (Opel) raced against each other at Zandvoort already 17 years
ago, 1988 in a race of the Opel Lotus Euro Series. 19-year-old Häkkinen
won and later also took the championship title whilst McNish who was his
team mate at Dragon Motorsport in that year and Frentzen ended up third
and sixth respectively.
Formula 1 driver Christijan Albers will drive the DTM C-Class race taxi:
The Dutchman had won at Zandvoort two years ago and achieved a total of
five DTM victories as a Mercedes-Benz works driver in 2003 and 2004. He
is the local hero at his home circuit. Since it was published, that he
will drive the AMG-Mercedes C-Class race taxi and demonstration laps with
his Formula 1 Minardi at Zandvoort, sales increased by about 500 tickets
a day. So far more than 24,000 tickets have been sold already.
The circuit: The Zandvoort race track is located close to the North Sea
shores. If it is windy sand makes the surface slippery and causes
changeable conditions. Mercedes-Benz drivers Uwe Alzen (2001) and
Christijan Albers (2003) won two of the four DTM races at Zandvoort so
far.
Comments of the AMG-Mercedes C-Class drivers:
Gary Paffett (DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes, third at the
Nürburgring):
"Unfortunately I threw away the race win and the
championship lead at the Nürburgring when I made a silly mistake crossing
the white line at the pit lane exit. I want to do better at Zandvoort."
Mika Häkkinen (Sport Edition AMG-Mercedes, fourth):
"I have good memories
of Zandvoort, as I have won my only race here so far. However - and I
hardly dare to say it - this was 17 years ago and was a race of the Opel
Lotus Euro Series. Meanwhile the track has been remodelled and has
slightly different characteristics. Anyway, I aim for a replay of my last
result here."
Bernd Schneider (Vodafone AMG-Mercedes, fifth):
"Zandvoort is an
interesting and challenging circuit and the crowd always provide a great
atmosphere. I like to race here; however after three podiums and a fifth
place I still need to win - I hope this will change this year."
Jean Alesi (AMG-Mercedes, seventh):
"Positions eight, five and 11 -
Zandvoort was hardly worth the trips for me so far. I will do everything
already in qualifying to create the basis for a better race result."
Jamie Green (Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes, eighth):
"Last year, I enjoyed a
clear victory and the title win in the Formula 3 Euro Series at
Zandvoort. Now, in my first DTM season, I want to finish on the podium."
Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
"Zandvoort has
tradition, in former day in Formula 1, today in the DTM. We always saw
great races here with a fantastic atmosphere. No wonder that Zandvoort is
one of the DTM's favourite venues. The spectators at the circuit as well
as the TV viewers - more than two million on average during each ARD
live broadcast in Germany this year - like the close and intense fight
for the overall lead."
"Of course, I would like a bigger gap to our
competition. It's good that the HWA team won five out of seven races so
far this year; however, it's not so good that we unnecessarily threw away
victory in the last race at the Nürburgring. We will try to make up at
Zandvoort."
"Everybody in the DTM is happy about Christijan Albers making a
visit to his former domain and to our team on his home ground. We are
pleased that he will drive guests around the circuit with one of our race
taxis and that he will try to establish a new lap record for his home
track with his Formula One Minardi."
"Who knows where Christijan will end
up once after his education in DTM and Formula One - one of his
predecessors at Minardi was Fernando Alonso, now leading the Formula One
World Championship."
-mercedes-
