DTM Oschersleben 2011: Preview

Preview: Eighth round of the 2011 DTM Season at Oschersleben

• A Mercedes-Benz driver has won five of the twelve races at Oschersleben
• Mercedes-Benz is the most successful manufacturer at Oschersleben
• Bruno Spengler finished second last season, behind reigning DTM champion and current Formula One driver Paul Di Resta


Comments on the eighth race of the 2011 DTM season from:

Bruno Spengler (28, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):
- has enjoyed three podium finishes at Oschersleben (2006, 2008, 2010)
- finished in second place last year behind winner Paul di Resta

“I like the Oschersleben track a lot – it is technically very demanding and poses one of the biggest challenges to driver fitness. There are lots of turns and not many straights to relax on, so high fitness levels are one of the keys to a successful result. The championship is still wide open. I have retaken the overall lead once this season already, and that’s my aim in these last three races, because the only thing that counts in the end is who heads on top of the table after the last race of the season.”

Ralf Schumacher (36, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- finished in the Top Ten for the first time in his second DTM race at Oschersleben, 2008
- has scored points four times so far this season – including two podiums

“I like the Oschersleben track. Unfortunately, I’ve had one or two bits of bad luck in recent years and so didn’t achieve the results I expected. Qualifying plays a crucial role in Oschersleben, just as at Brands Hatch, since overtaking is extremely difficult at this circuit. However, it’s a challenging track, and the fans are always very enthusiastic. I can’t wait.”

Jamie Green (29, England, AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- posted fastest race lap at Oschersleben in 2007
- took podiums at Oschersleben in 2005 and 2006

“Oschersleben is a pretty unique track on the DTM calendar. It’s relatively slow and you must use the kerbs on every lap in order to get the best line, which makes very high demands on the car. I’ve achieved some good results here in the past, and have managed two podiums, finished third each time. My speed has always been good here – I hope to continue in the same vein this year and gain another decent result.”

Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- won the race at Oschersleben in 2005 and 2007
- was on the front row of the grid for the second time this season at the last race in Brands Hatch

“The track in Oschersleben is a real challenge, but I like it a lot. The circuit is technically very demanding – there are lots of bumps, turns and many high kerbs that you have to use in order to be quick. The cars are really given a tough time here. The track doesn’t have many straights, but quite a few very long corners, which makes finding the right setup tricky. I’ve already won twice in Oschersleben and am confident that I can finish high up again here after enjoying a good qualifying session at my home race in Brands Hatch.”

David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- on the Oschersleben grid for the second time
- has achieved three Top Ten finishes so far this season.

“I raced in Oschersleben for the first time last year – it wasn’t a complete success back then, because I struggled to get the car’s balance properly sorted. If we can get that right from the word go this year, then my C-Class should be quick enough to secure a decent result. Good traction plays a crucial role in the car’s setup as it makes for good acceleration out of the long 180-degree turns.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“The championship situation after seven races could not be more evenly matched, with just a one point gap and three more rounds to go until the championship battle is over. We certainly haven’t achieved our potential in the last few races: at the last race in Brand Hatch, we looked very strong during the race simulations in the morning warm-up, but we didn’t find the right set-up for the wet race conditions. Our goal in Oschersleben is to deliver our potential and reclaim the championship lead with Bruno Spengler. The track is short and challenging, and we secured a one-two there last year.”

Source: Daimler AG

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