The Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters kicks off again for the 2014 season this weekend at the Hockenheimring. TouringCars.Net takes a look at the season ahead, starting with the record seven champions on the grid this year.
For the first time in the series’ history there are seven current and former champions on the grid in one season. Between them they have nine titles and, with the exception of Bernd Schneider in 2006, have taken every title since 2004.
Former double champions Mattias Ekström (2004 and 2007) and Timo Scheider (2008 and 2009) and one-time champions Gary Paffett (2005), Paul di Resta (2010), Martin Tomczyk (2011) and Bruno Spengler (2012) are joined by new champion Mike Rockenfeller (2013).
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TouringCars.Net brings you the lowdown on the drivers and teams ahead of the new season.
Mike Rockenfeller
| Seasons: 7 Starts: 71 Titles: 1 Wins: 3 Podiums: 11 Poles: 3 |
Reigning champion Mike Rockenfeller returns to defend his title with Audi in 2014. The 30-year-old German took the title with a consistent season in 2013, scoring two wins and five podiums in the process. Although he took the title, Rockenfeller ‘only’ has three wins to his name, despite seven seasons and 71 race starts.Expect ‘Rocky’ to continue to improve in 2014, with new team-mate at Audi Sport Team Phoenix, Timo Scheider, sure to push Audi’s champion driver. |
Bruno Spengler
| Seasons: 9 Starts: 93 Titles: 1 Wins: 14 Podiums: 36 Poles: 16 |
Canadian Bruno Spengler enters his tenth season in the DTM and his third for BMW. The 2012 champion, who took the title for BMW in their first attempt upon returning to the DTM, finished third overall in 2013, taking just the one victory in Austria. However 2013 was not a normal season for Spengler – a run of four non-points finishes in the second half of the season, his worst run of form in eight seasons – put an end to the BMW Team Schnitzer’s title defence.Spengler will continue to push to the limit of his BMW M4 and will certainly score more titles to add to his 2012 one. |
Gary Paffett
| Seasons: 10 Starts: 102 Titles: 1 Wins: 20 Podiums: 32 Poles: 10 |
In terms of race victories, Brit Gary Paffett is the DTM’s current most successful driver, with 20 to his name. The experienced DTM racer and Formula One test driver for McLaren has only taken one title in his time racing in Germany, lifting the title in his third season in 2005. Paffett has, however, finished as the runner-up on four occasions, most recently narrowly missing out on the 2012 title to Spengler.Paffett had a difficult 2013 season, with Mercedes’ struggling with their AMG C-Coupé more than the other two manufacturers. The 33-year-old took just one victory at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. If Mercedes can get on top of their qualifying woes for 2014 expect Paffett to be at the sharp end of the grid. |
Mattias Ekström
| Seasons: 13 Starts: 133 Titles: 2 Wins: 17 Podiums: 57 Poles: 19 |
Swede Ekström is the second-most experienced driver on the 2014 grid and has scored more podium finishes than any other current driver. However 2013 was a difficult year for the former double champion, who is currently experiencing his longest winless-drout since joining the DTM in 2001, with Ekström not having won for 22 races.Of course, that statistic is not entirely true, for Ekström briefly tasted victory at the Norisring in 2013 before he was controversially excluded for the DTM’s very own ‘watergate’ affair.The 35-year-old Swede recently established is own RallyCross team, EKS, and will contest a number of events this year. It could be a sign that the DTM’s second-most experienced driver is starting to look beyond the DTM. |
Timo Scheider
| Seasons: 13 Starts: 137 Titles: 2 Wins: 6 Podiums: 22 Poles: 11 |
Scheider is the DTM’s most experienced driver, with 137 race starts since 2000 to his name. However the German has also scored the fewest wins of any of the series’ champions, with six to his name. Indeed almost all of the double champions wins came in 2008 and 2009, with his latest win being taken at the end of 2010.In 2013 the German improved on his poor 2012 season to finish tenth overall, including a podium at the penultimate event at Zandvoort. The 35-year-old moves from Team Abt to Team Phoenix for 2014, partnering Rockenfeller. Expect podiums and possibly a win if everything falls into place for Scheider. |
Martin Tomczyk
| Seasons: 13 Starts: 132 Titles: 1 Wins: 7 Podiums: 27 Poles: 8 |
It’s fair to say that 2013 was a year to forget for 2011 champion Martin Tomczyk. The German endured his worst season since 2003 and his second-worst since joining the DTM way back in 2001. Tomczyk failed to replicate a mid-season run that yielded a trio of podiums in 2012, instead managing just one top ten finish all season in 2013.For 2014 Tomczyk moves to the top-line BMW Team Schnitzer outfit, having previously raced for Team RMG since switching to BMW from Audi for the 2012 season. Being partnered with BMW pace-setter Spengler should reinvigorate the 32-year-old. |
Paul di Resta
| Seasons: 4 Starts: 42 Titles: 1 Wins: 6 Podiums: 21 Poles: 6 |
Scot Paul di Resta makes a welcome return to the DTM for 2014, following three seasons out spent in the single-seater world of Formula One. Di Resta, who took the DTM title on his last year in German touring cars in 2010, will be one of the most eagerly watched drivers in the coming season – not least due to his strong 50% podium rate. In three years in F1, di Resta performed admirably in the Force India team, scoring regularly and often beating his team-mates. However a podium never came and many would argue that the 28 year-old is returning to his true home in motorsport in the DTM. |