Mercedes completes test with junior drivers in Jerez

Mercedes-Benz was at the Spanish Circuit of Jerez this week, taking part on the first collective test since the DTM season finale at Hockenheim.

The Stuttgart manufacturer had some of their regular drivers on board, but also gave the opportunity to test the C-Coupé DTM to five young drivers, all linked to the three-point star outfit.

2014 European Formula 3 champion Esteban Ocon got to drive the C-Coupé DTM as a reward for his achievements this season, as also did Felix Rosenqvist, winner of the prestigious Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix. Austrian Lucas Auer also got to be at the wheel, all of them as part of Mercedes’ young driver programme which has seen the likes of F1’s Lewis Hamilton and DTM’s Pascal Wehrlein rise through the ranks with the help of the Stuttgart manufacturer.

Blancpain Sprint Series Champion Maximilian Götz was also chosen to take part in the test, after dominating the series at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. This was Götz’ second DTM test, after a similar outing in Lausitzring last year.

Former Formula 1 driver Charles Pic was Mercedes’ fifth young driver at hand in Jerez.

18-year old Esteban Ocon highlighted the differences between the cockpit of a single seater and the Mercedes AMG C-Coupé DTM: “Adapting to the car is quite difficult. You can’t see much out of it when compared to a single-seater. It was my first time out in a racing car with a roof, so I’m quite happy with my progress during the course of the morning and hope to take it out again one day soon.”

Felix Rosenqvist was able to clock fast lap times despite having to adapt his driving style: “I drove the old model last year, but it was a little bit more difficult than I thought to adapt to the new car and find the right style of driving. However, something had really clicked inside me by the end of the day, and I was quick.”

Charles Pic, who was also faced with a learning curve, enjoyed his time on track: “I really liked my first day in a DTM car. This was my first time out in a racing car with a roof here in Jerez de la Frontera, so there was a lot to learn. I found visibility a bit unfamiliar to begin with on my initial laps, and the feeling when braking was very different to what I’m used, but it was a lot of fun.”

Mercedes-Benz Motorsport Director Totto Wolff reaffirmed the manufacturer’s commitment to its young driver programme: “It was wonderful to see so many young and talented racing drivers gaining experience in our DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. The brand with the three pointed star has for decades enjoyed great success in bringing on young drivers in motor racing, and during that time, many of them have successfully moved up into Formula 1 or to the DTM. Pascal Wehrlein is the most recent example of what I’m talking about. He won his first DTM race this year and was also named as official reserve driver to our Silver Arrows Formula 1 team, MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS.”

Mercedes announced last week the expansion of its DTM operation from seven to eight cars, partnering with ART Grand Prix as a third team in the Series. So far, Gary Paffett is the only driver confirmed for 2015.