DTM Events in 2017: Nine events, 18 races

Hockenheim (D)

Race 1 (round 1): Saturday, May 6

Race 2 (round 2): Sunday, May 7

Track length: 4.574 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Tom Blomqvist (BMW), 1m 30.491s (2017)

Race lap record: Jamie Green (Audi), 1m 32.456s (2017)

Audi wins at the DTM season opener at Hockenheim:

2002 Laurent Aiello, Abt-Audi TT-R; 2007 Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2008
Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2009 Tom Kristensen, Audi A4 DTM; 2015 (Saturday) Jamie Green, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2015 (Sunday) Mattias Ekström, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Saturday) Edoardo Mortara, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2017 (Sunday) Jamie Green, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by René Rast:

“I’m really excited about the season opener in Hockenheim – my first race as a factory driver in the Audi DTM squad. After the long winter break, it will be the first opportunity to get a direct comparison with the other manufacturers. Right from the first lap there will be lots of action, because everyone will be particularly motivated in the first race of the year. Qualifying will therefore be crucial, because having a good starting position means you have a better chance of getting through the turbulent initial phase without any incidents. A key section will be the Parabolika and the subsequent hairpin turn. Here, fans can expect many overtaking maneuvers. However, you only have a chance of making up a place if you get optimal acceleration to begin with, because on the straight every kilometer-per-hour counts. Similar is the double right-hander before the start-finish. These turns also slope slightly to the outside, so the car tends to under-steer. Of all the sections, turn two is my favorite one – it’s incredibly fast –, and also the entrance into the Motodrom. For the Hockenheim set-up, you have to find a compromise between top speed on the straights and sufficient downforce for the medium and fast corners. Overall, Hockenheim offers the perfect setting for an exciting start to the 2017 DTM season.

Lausitzring (D)

Race 1 (round 3): Saturday, May 20

Race 2 (round 4): Sunday, May 21

Track length: 3.478 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Lucas Auer (Mercedes-Benz), 1m 16.193s Min. (2017)

Race lap record: René Rast (Audi), 1m 17.098s (2017)

Audi wins in the DTM at the Lausitzring:

2004 Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2005 Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2011 Martin Tomczyk, Audi A4 DTM; 2015 (both races) Jamie Green, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Saturday) Miguel Molina, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2017 (Sunday) Jamie Green, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Mattias Ekström:

“The race weekend at the Lausitzring is the only DTM event in the east of Germany. The fans there are always very enthusiastic about motorsport. And to go past the grandstand is breathtaking every time. The track is very special due to its combinations of turns in the first and the final sector. Good downforce for the fast corners is needed just as much as a high top speed on the start-finish straight. Overtaking maneuvers are only possible in the braking zone before turn one. The last section of the track will be particularly important this year. When accelerating out of the corners you have to take as much speed with you as possible in order to be able to use the DRS on the straight in the slipstream of the car in front of you. Thanks to a new rear wing with two blades the effectiveness of DRS has been increased.”

Hungaroring (H)

Race 1 (round 5): Saturday, June 17

Race 2 (round 6): Sunday, June 18

Track length: 4.381 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: René Rast (Audi), 1m 34.740s (2017)

Race lap record: Mattias Ekström (Audi), 1m 36.538s (2016)

Audi wins in the DTM at the Hungaroring:

2016 (Saturday) Edoardo Mortara, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Sunday) Mattias Ekström, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2017 (Sunday) René Rast, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Jamie Green:

“At the Hungaroring, we achieved some really good results lately. Last season we occupied first to eighth place in the first qualifying session – something that had never been done before. And in the end, we won both races. Formula 1 has been at home in Hungary for many years, and in the DTM you can feel the great enthusiasm of the fans as well. What’s characteristic of the circuit is its very technical layout with some fast ‘S’ turns. Overtaking is generally very difficult – the best opportunity is at the end of the long start-finish straight. I like the Hungaroring because it is one of the biggest challenges on the calendar. Above all, the middle sector is technically and therefore mentally very demanding. Due to the many turns and short straights, you have to brake constantly and immediately accelerate again. There’s not a single section in which you can loosen your grip on the steering wheel and there’s no time to think or react. You definitely can’t afford to make any mistakes here because can hardly recover from them.”

Norisring (D)

Race 1 (round 7): Saturday, July 1

Race 2 (round 8): Sunday, July 2

Track length: 2.300 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Tom Blomqvist (BMW), 47.252s (2017)

Race lap record: Bruno Spengler (BMW), 47.846s (2017)

Audi wins in the DTM at the Norisring:

1990 Hans-Joachim Stuck, Audi V8 quattro; 1991 Hans-Joachim Stuck, Audi V8 quattro; 2002 Laurent Aiello, Abt-Audi TT-R; 2016 (Saturday) Edoardo Mortara, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Sunday) Nico Müller, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Nico Müller:

“The race at the Norisring is one of the really great highlights of the season for me. Not only because it feels like a home race for us, thanks to many Audi fans who give us a special motivational boost. It’s also because the event in the middle of the city creates a special atmosphere. I was over the moon when I celebrated my first DTM victory in the Sunday race last season in front of our home crowd. Despite having only few corners, the circuit has a lot to offer. The tarmac has many bumps. In addition, parts of the track are used as public streets. So you have to readjust to the grip level each race weekend. To get to the front, you need a car that’s powerful on the brakes and generates lots of mechanical grip.”

Moscow Raceway (RUS)

Race 1 (round 9): Saturday, July 22

Race 2 (round 10): Sunday, July 23

Track length: 3.931 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Maxime Martin (BMW), 1m 28.523s (2014)

Race lap record: Miguel Molina (Audi), 1m 28.305s (2014)

Audi wins in the DTM at Moscow Raceway:

2013 Mike Rockenfeller, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2015 (Sunday) Mike Rockenfeller, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Mike Rockenfeller:

“The Moscow Raceway, besides the Lausitzring and the Norisring, is the only circuit which we drive counter-clockwise. The track is characterized by its high level of grip. The surface is very flat and has hardly any bumps. The layout is nevertheless very demanding, especially the fast left-hand turns. Another challenge is posed by the fact that you can’t brake straight on entering many of the turns, but only decelerate when turning in. So, the set-up of the car and your driving style have to be adapted in such a way that you can hit the brake as late as possible without the rear of the car swerving or the front wheels locking. The long straight offers a good opportunity for overtaking with DRS. So far I’ve always felt very comfortable at Moscow, having won there twice. I’ve come to appreciate the city away from the track as well.”

Zandvoort (NL)

Race 1 (round 11): Saturday, August 19

Race 2 (round 12): Sunday, August 20

Track length: 4.307 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Augusto Farfus (BMW), 1m 27.475s (2017)

Race lap record: Loïc Duval (Audi), 1m 29.168s (2017)

Audi wins in the DTM at Zandvoort:2002 Mattias Ekström, Abt-Audi TT-R; 2004 Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2006 Tom Kristensen, Audi A4 DTM; 2007 Martin Tomczyk, Audi A4 DTM; 2008 Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2011 Mike Rockenfeller, Audi A4 DTM; 2012 Edoardo Mortara, Audi A5 DTM; 2014 Mattias Ekström, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Sunday) Jamie Green, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2017 (Sunday) Mike Rockenfeller, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Jamie Green:

“Zandvoort is an old-school circuit and, for me personally, the most beautiful track on the DTM calendar. The fact that I won there for the first time in last year’s DTM means very much to me. I particularly like the high-speed section. Driving through it is a lot of fun, especially in qualifying with very little fuel in the tank. This is the place that shows who copes best with the race cars’ high downforce. The track also offers some slow, treacherous sections. Overall, the circuit is very varied and a fantastic challenge for us drivers. It offers little room for mistakes because there are virtually no run-off areas – only gravel and sand. For the set-up the focus is on a lot of downforce for the long, fast turns. At the same time, however, top speed on the straight must not be neglected.”

Nürburgring (D)

Race 1 (round 13): Saturday, September 9

Race 2 (round 14): Sunday, September 10

Track length: 3.629 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Marco Wittmann (BMW), 1m 20.936s (2017)

Race lap record: René Rast (Audi), 1m 22.308s (2017)

Audi wins in the DTM at the Nürburgring:

1990 Walter Röhrl, Audi V8 quattro; 1992 Frank Biela, Audi V8 quattro; 2001 Laurent Aiello, Abt-Audi TT-R (both races); 2003 Laurent Aiello, Abt-Audi TT-R; 2005 Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2007 Martin Tomczyk, Audi A4 DTM; 2009 Martin Tomczyk, Audi A4 DTM; 2011 Mattias Ekström, Audi A4 DTM; 2015 (Sunday) Miguel Molina, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Sunday) Edoardo Mortara, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Loïc Duval:

“I was able to gather initial experience at the Nürburgring during my time in Formula 3. And most recently I drove there for Audi in the WEC. The track features a connection of very diverse sections. In the first sector, there are slow sections allowing for several racing lines. This is where the first opportunity for overtaking may present itself. Medium to fast turns follow later. Finding a fluid rhythm and maintaining concentration at high levels for these changes is very important. The chicane before the final turn is no doubt one of the key sections, as you can lose a lot of time without the right timing. If you nail down the final turn you have a good chance of overtaking with DRS on the start-finish.”

Spielberg (A)

Race 1 (round 15): Saturday, September 23

Race 2 (round 16): Sunday, September 24

Track length: 4.326 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Jamie Green (Audi), 1m 22.680s (2016)

Race lap record: Mattias Ekström (Audi), 1m 23.442s (2016)

Audi wins in the DTM in Spielberg:

2011 Martin Tomczyk, Audi A4 DTM; 2012 Edoardo Mortara, Audi A5 DTM; 2015 (Saturday) Edoardo Mortara, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2015 (Sunday) Mattias Ekström, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Mattias Ekström:

“I love this place! The backdrop is unique and you you can immediately tell the high quality standards, from the facilities to the actual racing track. Driving here is simply a great experience. The rhythm and the vertical differences of the track are really fun, and the extreme braking zones make some exciting overtaking maneuvers possible. In addition, DRS can be put to good use on the circuit. And of course, I love to drive in front of Red Bull fans. Hopefully, I’ll do a good job of getting through turn one without turning in the wrong direction.”

Hockenheim (D)

Race 1 (round 17): Saturday, October 14

Race 2 (round 18): Sunday, October 15

Track length: 4.574 kilometers

Qualifying lap record: Tom Blomqvist (BMW), 1m 30.491s (2017)

Race lap record: Jamie Green (Audi), 1m 32.456s (2017)

Audi wins in the DTM finale at Hockenheim:

1990 (both races) Hans-Joachim Stuck, Audi V8 quattro; 1991 (both races) Frank Biela, Audi V8 quattro; 2008 Timo Scheider, Audi A4 DTM; 2014 Mattias Ekström, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2015 (Saturday) Timo Scheider, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2015 (Sunday) Jamie Green, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Saturday) Miguel Molina, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2016 (Sunday) Eduardo Mortara, Audi RS 5 DTM; 2017 (Saturday) Jamie Green, Audi RS 5 DTM

Track description by Mattias Ekström:

“The Hockenheimring offers an ideal layout for great racing. With its mix of slow, medium and fast turns, the circuit makes numerous overtaking maneuvers possible. Due to the very different demands made by the sections with turns, the set-up of the car is particularly important, especially in terms of aerodynamic efficiency. It is the only race track that we visit twice during the DTM season, and both race weekends are very special: the opener in May is the first milestone. No one really knows where they stand. And for me, personally, the World Rallycross Championship round is an additional event being held at Hockenheim at the same time. I definitely want to repeat my victory from last year. At the DTM finale there is always a very special atmosphere, and the fight for the title is usually open until the last race. So the anticipation is huge every year, especially if you still have a shot at the big title. The enthusiastic fans at the Hockenheimring are another reason why drivers have so much fun racing at the Hockenheimring.”