Susie Wolff will be the second Scot in as many days calling this weekend her last race in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, after the 29 year-old announced her intention to leave the series after seven years.
Wolff will leave Mercedes-Benz and the German touring car series in order to focus her efforts on being the Williams Formula 1 team’s development driver, for whom she completed her first test earlier this week.
The Scot formerly raced in the series under the name Susie Stoddart, before marrying German Toto Wolff in October 2011. The couple met through Toto’s investment interests in the HWA team, which runs Mercedes in the DTM, as well as his investment in the Williams F1 team.
Wolff has contested 73 races in the championship, all of which have been for Mercedes-Benz. Her best result in the championship was a brace of seventh-placed finishes which she achieved in 2010 at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz and the Hockenheimring respectively.
“Driving for Mercedes-Benz AMG in the DTM, one of the best championships in the world, has been an incredible journey that started seven years ago for me and I am very proud to have been part of such a great team,” admitted Wolff. “Along the way I have enjoyed some really exciting racing, had some tough fights and met some brilliant people. I am very grateful and feel lucky to have achieved this and will always be thankful for the opportunity Mercedes-Benz AMG and HWA gave me.”
Wolff has had a difficult 2012 season and is along with rookie Roberto Merhi the only driver not to have scored any points. Her best results have been a pair of 12th placed finishes at the season opener at Hockenheim and later at Zandvoort. Wolff admits that she is disappointed not to have been able to finish her time in the DTM on a high.
“The DTM has been a challenge and it’s disappointing to not have achieved my best results this season,” she continued. “I always pushed hard, however, and I’m proud of what I’ve achieved in my racing career at the highest level. It’s been an amazing period of my life, not only will I take with me great memories, but also the most special prize – my husband. Most importantly, thank you to all of my fans who have supported me. Be assured I am by no means ready to hang up my helmet yet and am looking forward to exciting new opportunities in the future.”
Norbert Haug, the Vice-President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport, paid tribute to Wolff’s efforts for Mercedes during the past seven years.
“It will be a poignant moment for us all to see Susie drive in her final DTM race and conclude her DTM career,” said Haug. “For seven seasons, Susie has been an important part of this closely fought championship and every one of her colleagues and rivals will tell you how well, tough and fair she drives. Susie may not have achieved spectacular results in the DTM, but she gave us some highlights in mixed conditions, in the wet and racing wheel to wheel; and her race pace was always better than her starting positions suggested. She earned her place in the DTM against the toughest of competition and Susie is, and remains, a wonderfully skilled and likeable representative of our brand. Thank you Susie, on behalf of us all.”