DTM Hockenheim II preview: It’s the final countdown!
Five months have quickly gone by and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters heads for its ninth and final round of the 2015 season in Hockenheim. All three titles are up for grabs at the finale, with BMW and Pascal Wehrlein in clear advantage over their competitors.
The Baden-Württemberg track welcomes the DTM family for the second time this season. The 4.574-kilometre circuit is one of the drivers’ favourites, as it presents a fast section with a hard-braking hairpin, and then a twisted section, including the mythical Motodrom, that puts to the test the cars’ balance.
The DTM celebrates one of the most competitive seasons in recent years, with four drivers in contention for the title right until the final round. Mercedes AMG’s Pascal Wehrlein leads the standings, 37 points ahead of Audi’s Edoardo Mortara and 38 over archrival Mattias Ekström.
The driver from HWA AG, who will be 21 years of age on Sunday, would just need a podium finish in either race to become the youngest ever DTM champion, taking away that honour from BMW’s Marco Wittmann.
On the opposite side sit Mortara and Ekström, both very experienced. Whilst the Italian is grateful to have been a championship contender all season, the Swede sees that the possibility of a third crown is slipping away. Bruno Spengler still has a slim chance, but his efforts are now focused towards helping BMW.
The Manufacturers’ championship has been a rollercoaster this season. The Performance Weights have significantly affected the cars’ balance and behaviour from one race to the next, leading to the winning cars in one circuit being at the back of the pack on the next.
Audi Sport started the season in full strength and it looked the Ingolstadt squad would march over their opponents all year. Mercedes AMG answered in Norisring and Nürburgring, but BMW Motorsport made the most of their rivals misfortunes to have two very dominant weekends in Zandvoort and Oschersleben, climbing their way back into contention ever since Spielberg.
The scenario heading to Hockenheim is probably the least anticipated at the start of the season: BMW leads the standings with 554 points, 51 more than Mercedes and 82 over Audi, with the Bavarian squad now being hot favourites for their third title in the four seasons since their return to the series.
The DTM action spreads over three days, with the following timetable:
Friday, 16th October
11:35: Roll out.
15:25: First Free Practice
Saturday 17th October
9:00: Free Practice 2.
11:00: Qualifying for Race 1.
13:30: Race 1 (40 minutes plus one lap).
Sunday 18th October
9:05: Warm Up
11:40: Qualifying for Race 2.
15:15: Race 2 (60 minutes plus one lap).
