[DTM] 2009: News, Rumours, Entries, ...

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by CTD

Audi has a huge share of the market in Sweden!, and Audi SE is supporting a race team in the STCC!, Audi cares about Sweden!.

Indeed, almost every 2nd car up here in the north is a Saab, Volvo on an Audi. Nobody like to get stranded in the forest with a car that just wont start when it's 20 below, so reliable quality cars are popular.

That said, Audi did drop their support for the 2008 season, to every-bodies huge surprise. Of course we now know it was because of the massive 3 year effort with the Biogas VW 2009-2011.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by helgi

There're less aerodynamic bits on 2009-cars and no small wings in the rear. The cars' design became more clear!

Are you sure of this? During the Dijon tests the 2009 car still had a lot of small wings behind the rear wheels.

[FIRE]

Somewhere I have seen a photo of a DTM car with less wings (don't know which website) but on dtm.com all the cars have all these stupid wings. So I am afraid they still use them in 2009.

[awrb]

It's going to be hard to get rid of those wings though, because if they outlaw them, say next year, that means that the 2009 cars with the wings will be faster than the new 2010 cars without them. DTM needs some new rules and new manufacturers quickly.

[helgi]

I've managed to get some video from Dijon tests - something about five minutes, with interviews.
New Mercs were racing different aero bits. But once or twice there were planes of some sort that covered that small wings. And during presentation Gary's Merc was the same. But the question is: was it 2009spec or a show-car - Audi used only 2008 cars in Dusseldorf.
In fact the situation is very bad: in Mercedes they are trying to cut costs and Audi are looking at GT. If there's no new manufacturer in 2010, it'll be a collapse.

[Last2LiftOff]

Just bringing JM's TcT post forward for quicker reference:

01 Hockenheim May 17th, 2009
02 Lausitzring May 31st, 2009
03 Norisring June 28th, 2009
04 Zandvoort July 17th, 2009
05 Oschersleben August 2nd, 2009
06 Nürburgring August 16th, 2009
07 Brands Hatch September 6th, 2009
08 Barcelona September 20th, 2009
09 Dijon October 11th, 2009
10 Hockenheim October 25th, 2009

Pardon me, as you were.

[gwyllion]

Originally Posted by FIRE

Somewhere I have seen a photo of a DTM car with less wings (don't know which website) but on dtm.com all the cars have all these stupid wings. So I am afraid they still use them in 2009.

This is the latest picture I found (taken yesterday): http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/im...ivo/188191.jpg The rear winglets are still on the Audi.

BTW I don't understand why they changed the Red Bull livery.

[CTD]

Originally Posted by gwyllion

This is the latest picture I found (taken yesterday): http://www.motorsport-magazin.com/im...ivo/188191.jpg The rear winglets are still on the Audi.

BTW I don't understand why they changed the Red Bull livery.

Well if Red Bull wants to promote the Cola instead of the energy drink, then it would be a lot more noticeable if it wasn't in the traditional Red Bull Blue!, think there F1 car!

[Hazard]

Current full entry list for the 2009 DTM season...

Should be a cracker

#	Driver	Team	Livery	Car	Year
1	Timo Scheider	Audi Sport Team Abt	Audi Gebrauchtwagen Plus	Audi A4	2009
2	Tom Kristensen	Audi Sport Team Abt		Audi A4	2009
3	Paul di Resta	AMG Mercedes	AMG	Mercedes C-Klasse	2009
4	Ralf Schumacher	AMG Mercedes	Trilux	Mercedes C-Klasse	2009
5	Mattias Ekstrom	Audi Sport Team Abt	Red Bull Energy Drink	Audi A4	2009
6	Martin Tomczyk	Audi Sport Team Abt	Red Bull Cola	Audi A4	2009
7	Jamie Green	AMG Mercedes	Junge-Stern	Mercedes C-Klasse	2008
8	Susie Stoddart	AMG Mercedes	TV Speilfilm	Mercedes C-Klasse	2008
9	Bruno Spengler	AMG Mercedes	Mercedes-Benz Bank	Mercedes C-Klasse	2009
10	Gary Paffett	AMG Mercedes	Salzgitter	Mercedes C-Klasse	2009
11	Mike Rockenfeller	Team Rosberg	S-Line	Audi A4	2008
12	Markus Winkelhock	Team Rosberg	Playboy	Audi A4	2008
14	Alexandre Premat	Team Phoenix	Audi Bank	Audi A4	2008
15	Oliver Jarvis	Team Phoenix	Audi Cup	Audi A4	2008
16	Maro Engel	AMG Mercedes	GQ	Mercedes C-Klasse	2008
17	Mathias Lauda	AMG Mercedes		Mercedes C-Klasse	2008
18	Christian Bakkerud	Futurecom TME		Audi A4	2007
19	Johannes Seidlitz	Futurecom TME		Audi A4	2007
20	Katherine Legge	Audi Sport Team Abt	Audi Collection	Audi A4	2008

[CTD]

Oh, Tom K and Timo Scheider in the same team is going to be an success!

[Robbe]

Livery update:

Tom Kristensen - 100 Jahre Vorsprung durch Technik
http://www.motorsport-total.com/bild...1240938604.jpg

Ralf Schumacher - Trilux (with Schneider's yellow mirrors - blasphemy?)
http://www.motorsport-total.com/bild...1240934476.jpg

Susie Stoddart - TV Spielfilm
http://www.motorsport-total.com/bild...1240935075.jpg

Markus Winkelhock - Playboy
http://www.motorsport-total.com/bild...1240938684.jpg

Alexandre Premat - Audi Bank
http://www.motorsport-total.com/bild...1240926018.jpg

Originally Posted by CTD

Oh, Tom K and Timo Scheider in the same team is going to be an success!

They were last year as well, and failed to win against Spengler and Di Resta

[FIRE]

Kolles enters 3 (!) cars. The cars will be driven by Johannes Seidlitz, Tomas Kostka and Christian Bakkerud.


3x DTM Audi A4
2x LMS/Le Mans Audi R10
2x F3 Dallara-VW

How does he pay that all?

[Robbe]

Paydrivers!
Seidlitz was so slow during tests, he definately pays for the drive.
Kostka was looking at buying cars, so he has lots of money.
Bakkerud does DTM and LMS, so he needs to bring money aswell (although he is at least talented)

Both LMS crews were really slow at Barcelona, wouldn't surprise me if Zwolsman, Karthikeyan, Mondini pay aswell. Surprisingly, their car almost featured no sponsor logo...
F3 driver Carlo van Dam is really good however and doesn't fit into the paydriver scheme.

[CTD]

and then there is Audi which is unofficial posting money into the programs! (the audi ones of course!)

[Last2LiftOff]

Jamie Green C-Klasse 2008. Ouch!

[Hazard]

Originally Posted by Last2LiftOff

Jamie Green C-Klasse 2008. Ouch!

Paffett being promoted is fair enough - but the fact that Green who was in the running for the title for most of last year has lost the seat to Ralf Schumacher is a little insulting.

Ralf better deliver quick or my annoyance will continue to grow over the season.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Ralf better deliver quick or my annoyance will continue to grow over the season.

You might as well go to 100% annoyed straight away. Ralf is in a 2009 car because his name sells tickets for the mostly German crowds, not because he is better than Green in a DTM car.

[Robbe]

It's a pretty stupid move by Mercedes.

Some people go to the races when Ralf is driving. They already came last year, and they'd still come if he was in an Opel.
Some people go to the races when Ralf is winning. They can give him a 2010 car, he won't.
Best solution would have been, they put Ralf into the old car and a fast german driver into the new one. Just look into ALMS or the Porsche Cups, there are many around.

[stedevil]

Wasn't the situation that Ralf refused to drive an old car? As in, new car or he would leave?

[Robbe]

Yes, that's possible. Didn't remember it.

At least Mercedes still have 3 decent drivers + Green in the old car.

[stedevil]

Yeah, I wouldn't be the slightest surprised if we saw Green ending up with more points in his 2008 car than Ralf in the 2009.

[Last2LiftOff]

Ralf, poor fellow.

I wouldn't be surprised if Jamie tells them to take the job and shove it.

I thought qualifying was just fine the way it was but, no problem for Bruno - single flying laps - so, okay sure, bring it. Oliver Jarvis gets an early nod on best new livery methinks.

...another bloody week.

[Last2LiftOff]

With Canucks running in two events this weekend, now including Euro F3, I'd be remiss not to include a link to the complete Zeitplan for Baden-Württemberg.

(Well done Robert! stay frosty.)