DTM 2015 season preview
The 2015 DTM season will start at Hockenheim on May 2nd and ends at same venue on October 18th. Total of nine rounds will be held in DTM 2015 season, one less than in the previous one, and the reason is that Hungaroring is removed from the calendar. From 2015 DTM Series is going back to a two races per weekend format, first time since 2002. One race will be on Saturday and one on Sunday.
One significant techincal change will be introduced in the 2015 DTM season. Instead of foot-pedal clutch after 14 years as clutch actuation, hand-paddle clutch will be used. Also, some more technical and sporting rules are yet to be changed. As Hans Werner Aufrecht, chairman of DTM rights holder and promoter said at the end of the previous season, teams will no longer have option tyres adding that action was a bit difficult to follow because of the mandatory tire switch during the races. He also admitted that race director took some controversial decisions last season so some changes must be made. Manufacturers, officials and drivers are involved in the process of making regulations easier and more evident.
Marco Wittmann will defend his Drivers’ Championship title as a member of BMW which drivers line up will stay almost unchanged. After three seasons, Joey Hand left the Bavarian manufacturer seeking for the new challenge in the USCC. It means that BMW will try to find new driver, while seven other drivers are same as in the previous season. It means that except Wittmann there will be Brazilian Augusto Farfus, Belgian Maxime Martin, Portuguese António Félix Da Costa and Germans Bruno Spengler, Martin Tomczyk and Timo Glock, while the eighth seat will be announced after few tests. Teams of BMW for the next DTM season are yet to be announced.
Audi won last season Manufacturers’ Championship, so decided to keep unchanged drivers line up for the 2015 DTM season. With former champions Mattias Ekstrom, Timo Scheider and Mike Rockenfeller, the expectations for the manufacturer based in Ingolstadt are high and in Audi RS5 DTM car they will try to take off a crown from Wittmann. Remaining drivers of Audi for the 2015 DTM season are Jamie Green, Nico Muller, Edoardo Mortara, Miguel Molina and Adrien Tambay. Audi’s three teams for the following season will be Abt Sportsline, Rosberg and Phoenix, just like in the previous season.
After disappointing 2014, Mercedes want significant improvement in the new season. Last year Mercedes fielded just seven C-Coupes, but in this season they will have complete line up of eight cars because multiple single-seater champion team ART Grand Prix joined the DTM. It is still unclear who will drive for Mercedes in DTM 2015 season. Only long term servant Gary Paffett is confirmed as a driver while Christian Vietoris, Paul di Resta and Pascal Wehrlein are expected to remain. Other two teams competing for Mercedes in DTM 2015 season will be HWA Team and Mucke Motorsport.
DTM 2015 season entry list
- Marco Wittmann (BMW Team RMG) – BMW M4
- Garry Paffet (ART Grand Prix) – Mercedes C63
- Paul Di Resta (HWA AG) – Mercedes C63
- Mattias Ekstrom (Team Abt Sportsline) – Audi RS5
- Robert Wickens (HWA AG) – Mercedes C63
- Bruno Spengler (BMW Team MTEK) – BMW M4
- Christian Vietoris (HWA AG) – Mercedes C63
- Timo Scheider (Team Phoenix) – Audi RS5
- Daniel Juncadella (Mucke Motorsport) – Mercedes C63
- Antonio Felix da Costa (BMW Team Schnitzer) – BMW M4
- Timo Glock (BMW Team MTEK) – BMw M4
- Miguel Molina (Team Abt Sportsline) – Audi RS5
- Augusto Farfus (BMW Team RBM) – BMW M4
- Lucas Auer (ART Grand Prix) – Mercedes C63
- Adrien Tambay (Team Abt Sportsline) – Audi RS5
- Tom Blomqvist (BMW Team RBM) – BMW M4
- Maxime Martin (BMW Team RMG) – BMW M4
- Edoardo Mortara (Team Abt Sportsline) – Audi RS5
- Nico Muller (Team Rosberg) – Audi RS5
- Jamie Green (Team Rosberg) – Audi RS5
- Martin Tomczyk (BMW Team Schnitzer) – BMW M4
- Maximilian Gotz (Mucke Motorsport) – Mercedes C63
- Pascal Wehrlein (HWA AG) – Mercedes C63
- Mike Rockenfeller (Team Phoenix) – Audi RS5
