DTM Finale Hockenheim: Audi on the record hunt
- Finale to a great season: DTM makes another guest appearance at Hockenheim from 4th to 6th October
- For the first time, factory teams of six manufacturers will be lined up at the start of a DTM race
- DTM Champion René Rast: “I’m really going to enjoy the battle with the Japanese!”
The races in the drivers’ and the brand championships that will decide the titles may have already happened, but the world of motorsport is nonetheless eagerly awaiting the upcoming DTM season finale from 4th to 6th October at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg. On the one hand, there’s the spectacular initial showdown of the German premium manufacturers Aston Martin, Audi and BMW with their Japanese rivals Honda, Lexus and Nissan, each of which will bring to Baden a vehicle of the Japanese SUPER GT Series to do a kind of dress rehearsal for the “SUPER GT x DTM Dream Race” on 23rd/24th November in Fuji. A total of seven DTM cars from Audi and BMW will compete at the foot of Fujiyama on a return visit. BMW will use an M4 DTM for Alessandro Zanardi that has been converted to meet his specific needs. The Italian double leg amputee already caused a furore last year in Misano where he was a guest starter at the DTM.
And there are no DTM drivers who don’t look forward to the clash with the aces from the Land of the Rising Sun – most notably, of course, the 2009 Formula 1 world champion and 2018 SUPER GT champion, Jenson Button, who is driving for Honda. For the first time, factory teams from six different automotive manufacturers will compete in a DTM race.
The Audi Sport Team Rosberg and the Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline will be going flat out in Hockenheim in the battle to win the team title. And the Audi team, who have cleaned up all three possible DTM titles in 2019 and so celebrated its most successful DTM season in the company’s history, has further milestones in its sights: firstly, the 50th victory of the Audi RS 5 DTM, and secondly the new company record of eleven or even twelve victories in one DTM season.
René Rast, the now two-times DTM champion, contributed the lion’s share of this track record. In just three DTM seasons, the 32-year-old from Minden took no less than 16 of the 49 racing victories achieved by the Audi RS5 DTM. “Of course, we also want to win the team championship in Hockenheim as well,” says Rast. “But after the championship title, there is no more pressure. I have been looking forward to the first race with the Japanese all year long. Now I can really enjoy it. I think it will be mega cool. For the first time we have six manufacturers on board. It’s bound to be something really special. And the races in Hockenheim are always a sight to behold. The Parabolika is a highlight with DRS.”
BMW driver Bruno Spengler is also really looking forward to the season finale: “Hockenheim is a great track. There is always a lot going on during the races and it’s great for overtaking, too. In any event, the finale in Hockenheim is always a highlight of the season. There are always a lot of fans who come and that is another reason why I really look forward to it. There’s a very special atmosphere there. We will analyse all the data really intensively and see what we can improve on with our BMW M4 DTM so we can be competitive in Hockenheim. We’re going in the right direction.”
A positive end to the season is what the R Motorsport team are also aiming for. They are the team responsible for the development and deployment of the four Aston Martin Vantage DTMs. “It was a hard season in every respect, but we will continue to work hard to be fully competitive in the not too distant future and be able to drive to victory next year, too. That is our goal,” says the Spaniard Daniel Juncadella. “The races in Hockenheim will be another key test on our way to this goal. I love the race track and the atmosphere. I have wonderful memories of this place where I have contested so many races and won several times in Formula 3. It is almost like a home race for me.”
Top offer for the whole family: Tickets are still available at the box offices
Tickets in all categories for the DTM finale 2019 are still available on the day at the racetrack box office. The offer covers all of your needs. A trial run on Friday starts at 10 euros, the weekend tickets start at 44 euros. Especially family-friendly: An adult can take up to three children up to the age of 14 free of charge with their ticket in the lowest category. The free tickets for these children can be obtained at the box office on the day. For higher-priced ticket categories, tickets for children can be purchased at half price. Access to the drivers’ paddock is generally included with all of the tickets – while stocks last.
