2016 Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM

DTM's Day of Thunder.

The head of Audi Motorsport, Wolfgang Ullrich,  has been ordered to appear before the DMSB,   the the German Motorsport sanctioning body, to answer for his outburst heard on live TV during the last  DTM race at the Red Bull Ring:

"Schieb ihn raus!"

Push him out!...

Ulrich was apparently not too happy his driver Timo Scheider had just been tag teamed by Mercedes  teammates Pascal Wehrlein and Robert Wickens on the final lap.

Scheider obliges with Teutonic efficiency, he leans on the back of Wickens who bumps into Wehrlein, both Mercedes drivers ending up in the gravel trap.



Scheider was disqualified from the first race, with the results of the second race of the week end still provisional.

“I didn’t hear any instruction" Scheider is quoted after the race. " Robert braked so hard that I ran into him. That was racing on the edge, something like that can happen.”

For his part,  Herr Ullrich justified himself by claiming he was not aware his driver was hearing him at the time,  a notion anyone with even a minor knowledge of radio systems will find amusing:

“After the move by Mercedes, I was so upset and cried: ‘Push him off’. That was out of emotion and I want to apologize to Mercedes for this. I wasn’t aware that the radio was on at that time.”

The head of Mercedes DTM, Ulrich Fritz, shot back:

“It always takes two to tango. One who gives the instruction, that was clear for everyone to hear, and one who follows it. The whole thing had nothing to do with fair racing. We don’t want to see something like that in the DTM. The overtaking move prior to that was hard, but fair.”

Audi dirty tricks?  Say it ain't so,  it's not like they got disqualified before for being "clever", say like when Mathias Ekström while in Parc Ferme,  had his father pour a bottle of water into the pocket of his race suit  to help him  make weight....

And let's be honest,  this controversy is probably not hurting a series once know for muscular fender rubbing, door banging action.

Adrenalin!

".. the best thing about driving a touring car verses a single seater.. is that you can rub"
Joey Hand

And that right there is the essence of tin top racing, it's a contact sport.

Tim and Nick Hahne of StereoScreen are super talented filmmakers, we've been fans for years    Their latest film for BMW looks to be the juiciest yet,  the history of BMW Touring cars.

Unfortunately Touring cars, especially in DTM,  are now almost as complicated as F1 cars and most touring car series racers  have little in common with their street going namesakes. Aero and great tires have largely eliminated the early turn in, curb smashing heroics of 20 years ago  celebrated in this film.

Still, tin tops offer great action because, well...because fenders!

"you could smell the rubber, that was real racing"
Hans Stuck

Coming in November 2014.

( tx Stig! )

BMW wins DTM season debut at Hockenheim

Marco Wittmann drove the BWM  M4 DTM to a win in the 2014 season opener in Hickenheim today.   Wittman, who started from P2 on the grid, put a decisive move on Adrien Tambay's Audi at the hairpin during the opening laps and was untouchable for the rest of the race.

Second place went to Mattias Ekström ahead of Tambay in third.     Good day for BMW with six cars in the top ten.   Not a great one for Mercedes with no cars in the top ten but they will have performance weight to help them from the next race.

The opening laps of the race were fun, one great advantage to having fenders is that you can bang them and that's a DTM tradition. Traditional too is the lack of any "eco" hybrid components though DRS is now part of the rules.

DTM does not allow embedding of its race videos but you can go watch the on HERE on YouTube  which should allow you to rewind the "live" event.

1. Marco Wittmann        BMW
2. Mattias Eckström       AUDI
3. Adrien Tambay          AUDI
4. Mike Rockenfeller     AUDI
5. Timo Glock                BMW
6. Bruno Spengler          BMW
7. Martin Tomczyk         BMW
8.Augusto Farfus            BMW
9. Timo Scheider            AUDI
10. Joey Hand                 BMW

Journalists in DTMs!

Recently, BMW invited a number of journalists to drive one of their DTM cars in Spain.
No surprise, Harris is first out of the box with his report...

Robert Kubica driving a Mercedes DTM car

The test on a wet track in Valencia went "without any problems" and, if you believe rumors reported here and there, Kubica was a half second faster than Mercedes' Gary Paffet but there are no official times.   The important point is that Robert was able to come up to speed quickly.  

What is clear in this video that was not so clearly seen in previous ones is the extent of his injury to his right arm.  You can see how Kubica is always hiding it and it looks like he has very limited motion at the elbow.

A hero.

Meanwhile, near Cremona...

Photos:  Autosprint

300 km on track driving a Team Oregon Renault Megane Trophy as a warm up for his upcoming Mercedes DTM test in Valencia this week, Robert Kubica takes another step in his rehabilitation just about two years after his horrific accident in a rally car in February 2011.    

Despite much media speculation and wishful thinking, Kubica has always lowered expectations about a full return to action, essentially  ruling out the possibility of ever having the mobility required to drive a single seater again.     Sedans though,  even the most extreme ones like DTM, are another story and even though once again Robert plays down speculations,  there is still room on the Mercedes 2013 DTM roster should the test prove successful.
It would be a feather in Merc's hat and frankly a relief to all of Robert's fans who cringe a little every time they see him dodging trees and cliffs in a rally car.

Incredible DTM race finish.

British Racing Jamie Green.

Norisring, damp conditions. After a classic DTM first corner massacre, race announcers are as surprised as anyone to find Ralf Schumacher actually leading a race but it's the end of the race that holds the real surprise.

As the race buts against its time limit keep your eyes on the countdown clock as Mercedes' Jamie Green chases the two BMW M3 DTM of Bruno Spengler and Martin Tomczyk...

BMW returns to victory in DTM

After a rather dismal debut at Hockenheim, BMW was back with a vengeance in round two at the Lausitzring with Canadian Bruno Spengler taking the win and Brazilian Augusto Farfus coming in third behind the Mercedes of Gary Paffet.
The last victory for BMW in DTM was in 1992.

Bruno Spengler trying to mate with his M3 DTM after the victory

2012 DTM starts at Hockenheim

Truth be told, the race was a bit of a snoozer after the first few laps. BMW had a pretty horrid debut also because it must be an DTM rookie initiation rite that every new car and driver must get hit by more experienced competitors!

Check out the MEGA desktop friendly gallery after the jump

Results - 40 laps:

Pos  Driver              Team/Car              Time/Gap
 1.  Gary Paffett        HWA Mercedes      1h04m37.615s
 2.  Jamie Green         HWA Mercedes          + 4.709s
 3.  Mattias Ekstrom     Abt Audi             + 19.434s
 4.  Christian Vietoris  HWA Mercedes         + 25.774s
 5.  Mike Rockenfeller   Phoenix Audi         + 27.834s
 6.  Andy Priaulx        RBM BMW              + 28.435s
 7.  Ralf Schumacher     HWA Mercedes         + 39.948s
 8.  David Coulthard     Mucke Mercedes       + 43.306s
 9.  Miguel Molina       Phoenix Audi         + 46.079s
10.  Filipe Albuquerque  Rosberg Audi         + 46.614s
11.  Edoardo Mortara     Rosberg Audi         + 47.253s
12.  Susie Wolff         Mucke Mercedes       + 51.971s
13.  Joey Hand           RMG BMW            + 1m08.628s
14.  Robert Wickens      Persson Mercedes   + 1m09.027s
15.  Augusto Farfus      RBM BMW            + 1m09.556s
16.  Rahel Frey          Abt Audi           + 1m16.123s
17.  Dirk Werner         Schnitzer BMW          + 1 lap

Retirements:

     Roberto Merhi       Persson Mercedes       38 laps
     Timo Scheider       Abt Audi               13 laps
     Martin Tomczyk      RMG BMW                 4 laps
     Adrien Tambay       Abt Audi                3 laps
     Bruno Spengler      Schnitzer BMW           3 laps

BMW fights the runs on test run

An unexpectedly frank press release from BMW Motorsport following testing of the 2012 DTM car at Monteblanco Spain with news of the team's gastro-intestinal troubles front and center.

You can read about it after the jump. In any case the car looks great and presumably, goes like stink now.... (drum roll please)





Munich/Monteblanco, 17th November 2011.

BMW Motorsport has completed a further three days of testing in preparation for the 2012 season. The test in Monteblanco, in southern Spain, proved far more testing for the team than anyone could have imagined. Many team members struggled with an acute gastro-intestinal disease. Among those affected were future BMW works driver Bruno Spengler (CA). Spengler, who was released by current employer Mercedes for the BMW Motorsport test, was forced to rest on day two and was only able to drive on two days, rather than the scheduled three. BMW would like to thank the Mercedes-Benz team, who made its team doctor available, for its rapid and extremely supportive assistance.

“It was obviously unfortunate that some of our team members and drivers, me included, had to contend with health issues. I hope they get well soon, and would like to take this opportunity to thank Mercedes-Benz for its help. That shows once again how close the DTM family is,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt. “Nevertheless, we were able to complete another extensive programme of tests and make further progress in some areas of the development of our BMW M3 DTM. It was also very exciting to watch Bruno's first laps in his future car. In Joey Hand we had another driver who was sitting in our DTM car for the first time. It was interesting to get his feedback. We will now return to Munich to continue our preparations ahead of the next test sessions.”

Despite the illnesses, the three teams - BMW Team Schnitzer, BMW Team RBM and BMW Team RMG – were still able to carry out the majority of their test programmes. This included working on the aerodynamics and chassis settings. The teams also tested wet-weather tyres for the supplier Hankook on an artificially dampened circuit. Spengler, BMW works drivers Augusto Farfus (BR) and Dirk Werner (DE), and Joey Hand (US) alternated in the cockpits of the three BMW M3 DTM cars. For Hand, the reigning American Le Mans Series (ALMS) champion, this was the first test in the BMW M3 DTM. The drivers completed a total of 286 laps on the opening day of the test, 341 laps on day two, and 283 laps on the final day.

Augusto Farfus (BR): “It was a positive test. We had good weather and managed to take more big steps forward. We are exploring different areas of the car and we are continuing to learn it. This allows us to move forward and to learn different aspects. It helps us to prepare well for the next test. I am going home with a positive feeling. For sure, we still need to learn and improve the car. But I think that BMW is heading in the right direction. I am sure that we are going to show up at the first race next year and be spot on.”

Dirk Werner (DE): “It was a very good test for us. We were once again able to cover a lot of kilometres and complete our programme. That is the key at this stage. We have to test as much as possible, and to learn as much as possible. We managed precisely that again here. For me personally, it was nice that I could be here and drive in good conditions. I really enjoyed myself."

Joey Hand (US): “It was great to get a first taste of the DTM car. It has a lot of downforce and really good carbon brakes. You can really stand on the brakes and it is impossible to lock them. Also because of the downforce, the car is so hooked up in highspeed corners. This is something you need to get used to, but I managed to do so quite quickly. The test went very well and I enjoyed the Monteblanco circuit. It is a fun track. I had a great time with BMW Motorsport here.”

The test in Monteblanco was once again shared with the other manufacturers involved in the DTM. BMW Motorsport will return to southern Spain early next month, when another joint three-day test is scheduled from 6th to 8th December. Andy Priaulx (GB), Augusto Farfus and Bruno Spengler have already been confirmed as regular BMW drivers for the 2012 DTM season.

BMW DTM: Meaner than a bag of badgers.

Just look at that thing, how awesome is it to share the same planet with this machine?

2012 will bring much needed new blood and interest to DTM. Check out the contenders after the jump, who are you going to root for, BMW Audi or Mercedes?

Darth Vader's Race car

Check out Darth's high rez stash on our Flickr page
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Badass DTM Bimmer's Toyota connection

Here is the presentation bodywork for the 2012 BMW DTM car. The car will most likely look quite a bit different by the time the 2012 season starts next May but it looks awesome in Darth Vader black.

The DTM M3 will be run by German Team Schnitzer and Team RMG along with Belgian Team RBM. Team RMB is a new team run by Stefan Reihold, ex of Toyota Racing in Cologne and now based out of the ex Zakspeed works in Niederzissen. Small world racing!



Photo: BMW Motorsport)
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Before there was DTM, real men raced in DRM

Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft , the German Racing Championship was the precursor to the now more famous DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) that ran between 1972 and 1985. It started, much like DTM, with fairly agricultural production cars and through the years evolved to the point of absurdity with insanely flared silhouette tube frame cars and sport prototypes until it just priced itself out of existence and was replaced by the (at the time) more sensible touring cars.

Enjoy this long slide show of some of these epic cars, from a racing VW bug all the way to the monster Joest Porshes of the mid 80's. Check out where the genesis of the famous BMW e30 M3 flares ...a Fiat 128...who knew!

Videos are after the jump.

BMW might make DTM relevant again.

What better excuse than the announcement of BMW's possible return to DTM for posting this clip again. It never gets old, right?



More DTM on Axis
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When Men were Men and Sheep were Scared

What do you think it is that makes classic DTM so irresistible? After all, it's always pretty much the same footage, someone out there cuts it together in a new way and yet we cannot help but be mesmerized.

Is it the cars? The wild abandon with which they were driven? Or is it just good editing? Whatever the reason, we never tire looking at more and AFTER THE JUMP don't miss yet another great clip, complete with appropriate Deutsche Rock soundtrack, Axis Justin found for us.

Help us figure out what makes Classic DTM so impossible to ignore.




(clip by DTMenthusiast)

Retrospective: Classic DTM Onboards

1994 in DTM meant Mercedes C-Class vs Alfa 155 but you also had supporting roles played by Ford Mustangs (yes...f bodies...), Opel Calibras and BMW e36 M3 Evo.

The Season was won by Klaus Ludwig with a more reliable Mercedes compared to the Alfas of Nannini and Larini (who had 7 wins between them but also 7 DNFs)

As we like to say, Classic DTM never gets old so here is another great clip from DTMEntusiast of mostly onboard footage from the 94 season.





More DTM on Axis

Time Machine: the e30 M3

BMW M has come a long way from the first 3.0 CSL "batmobile", to the latest emphatically non-licht X6M and X5M. Along the way, cars which are legends: the M1, the Mclaren F1, generations of M5's and of course M3's.

Of the M3's, only one model was a true GTO, Gran Turismo Omologato, a model created specifically as cover for competition cars, the e30.

For you who believe the e30 M3 was the last great M3, put on your flared pants, unbutton your shirt, and let's travel back to the groovy mid '80, a time when gold wheels were perfectly acceptable and even...cool!

Based on the 1986 model year E30 3-Series, the first M3 was introduced with a 2.3 L I4 S14B23 engine (or S14 in shorthand). The engine design was based on various BMW genealogy; basic block layout from the M10 4 cylinder (found in the 2002 and 320 series) overbored and reinforced to similar specifications of the BMW M88 inline-6. The valve train and head architecture from BMWs M1 and later M6 inline-6 cylinder was adopted for aggressive breathing, resulting in outstanding performance for the day.

The most notable characteristic of the E30 M3 (relative to later M3 iterations) is its racing pedigree. It was campaigned by BMW as well as other racing teams including Prodrive and AC Schnitzer competing in many forms of racing including but not limited to Rally, DTM, Australian touring car and other series.

One of the main reasons for production of the road car was to homologate the M3 for Group A Touring Car racing. One of the reasons often cited for its creation was that it was to compete with the "2.3-16V"-model of the Mercedes-Benz W201 190E which was introduced in 1983, although this was only speculative. When the E30 M3 was in its final years of top level competition, the 2.5 liter S14 engine in full race trim was capable of 340 hp (250 kW) plus, naturally aspirated.

The E30 M3 road car

The first road-going version produced 195 bhp (145 kW; 198 PS) (catalyzed model). Evolution models (not sold in North America) continued with 2.3 liters but adopted revised exhaust-cam timing, increased compression along with the lack of a catalyst producing approximately 215 hp (160 kW). Later the Sport Evolution model production run of 600 (sometimes referred as Evolution III) increased engine displacement to 2.5 L and produced 238 hp (175 kW). 786 cabriolets were also produced, all by hand in BMW's Garching plant; at the time the 215 hp (160 kW) example was the world's fastest four-seat convertible.

Changes from the standard 3-series

The E30 M3 differed from the rest of the E30 line-up in many ways. The M3 was equipped with a revised stiffer and more aerodynamic body shell as well as "box flared" wheel-arches to accommodate a wider track with wider and taller wheels and tires. The only body panels the standard model 3-series and the M3 shared were the hood and sunroof. It also had three times the caster angle of any other E30. The M3 shared larger wheel bearings and front brake calipers with the E28 5-Series. It also had a Getrag 265/5 5 speed gearbox, and rear differential with different final-drive ratio and 25% lockup.

To keep the car competitive in racing following homologation rules changes year to year, homologation specials were produced. Homologation rules roughly stated that the race version must reflect the street car aerodynamically and in engine displacement; therefore, improved models were periodically released for the public. Special editions and homologation specials include: the Evo 1, Evo 2 and Sport Evolution some of which featured less weight, improved aerodynamics, taller front fender arches (Sport Evolution; to further facilitate 18-inch (460 mm) wheels in DTM), brake ducting, and more power. Other limited-production models (based on evolution models but featuring special paintwork and/or unique interior schemes commemorating championship wins) include the Europa, Ravaglia, Cecotto, and Europameister.

Production of the original E30 M3 ended in early 1992.

Having won more road races than any other model in history, the E30 M3 is considered by many to be the world's most successful road-race car. M3s entered by BMW and privateer racing outfits did dominate the competition for the years it was in production. Its wins include the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, European Touring Car Championship and even the one-off World Touring Car Championship title in 1987. The E30 M3 is also a multiple winner of Guia Race, 24 Hours Nürburgring and Spa 24 Hours.

(wikipedia)

Classic DTM, still not getting old

The only complaint about the last "golden era" DTM clip seemed to be the music so I'm not sure how you'll feel about this one.  A techno version of Vivaldi is certainly a very German choice and "DTMenthusiast" once again painstakingly edited to the music some great moments.  While some are repeated from the earlier clip, this one concentrates on the '94 to '96 seasons.  It was Mercedes vs Alfa Romeo vs Opel banging door in those final years before DTM finally imploded in a shower of titanium sparks.

You'll find the clip after the jump



From the Wikipedia article:

"Rise of the original DTM

The original DTM was started in 1984 with cars entered by privateer teams and under FIA Group A rules, but was extensively modified throughout the years, allowing more modifications. In the late 1980s, works teams joined the DTM, and it became one of the most popular motorsports in Europe. In 1993, the Group A rules were abandoned in favor of a more liberalized 2.5 L engine series called FIA Class 1, with extensive use of ABS, four-wheel drive, electronic driver aids and carbon fibre chassis, the former three were technologies that were banned from F1. Opel, Mercedes-Benz and Alfa Romeo all fielded works teams after Audi and BMW had abandoned earlier.

]DTM to ITC and demise

Having expanded its horizons for the 1995 season to include several non-German rounds dotted around Europe (including rounds in Helsinki, Finland and Donington Park, England), the DTM made plans to morph into a completely international championship known as the ITC (International Touring-Car Championship) for 1996. The ITR governing body then sought approval and support from the FIA to begin the new series. In exchange for FIA support, the ITR let the organization take control over many aspects of the way the ITC was run: crucially, the financial side of the championship was revolutionized. A large proportion of the revenue generated by the championship went to the FIA, with the result that less went to the teams who subsequently complained of little return on their increasingly large investment in the high-tech series (this was further exacerbated by the travel costs to the new international rounds in Suzuka, Japan and Interlagos, Brazil). The FIA also increased the price for television rights dramatically with the result that television coverage of the series disappeared from all European countries except Italy, Germany and Finland, prices for tickets to races were almost doubled, and access to the circuit paddock to meet the drivers (which had previously been a big hit with fans) was drastically reduced. The choices of circuits on which to hold rounds of the championship were also unsuccessful - the rounds at Magny-Cours, France and particularly Interlagos suffered very poor attendance. Questions were also raised by the manufacturers as to why they were racing in countries in which their cars were not actually sold (Alfa Romeos were not sold in Brazil, and neither Opels nor Alfa Romeos are sold in Japan). Opel and Alfa Romeo both left the championship after the 1996 season, leaving only Mercedes; the championship was consequently cancelled.