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DTM Lausitzring preview: The show resumes this weekend

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The second round of the 2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters takes place this weekend at the Lausitzring, four weeks after the season opener in Hockenheim.

The circuit, located 130 kilometres south of Berlin has moved back to the beginning of the championship, after two years in the latter part of the season. Audi Sport was the most successful manufacturer in Hockenheim, with a very strong performance in both races, and heads to the second round leading all three championship standings. Lausitzring will see the introduction of the performance weights, with the Ingolstadt manufacturer carrying the highest penalties in the field.

The 3.478-kilometre Lausitzring combines a section of the tri-oval, high speed, track with a twisted inside section, providing a higher level of complexity for teams and drivers. With the reduced qualifying time under the 2015 racing weekend format, the free practice sessions will become even more important in terms of setup.

Mercedes Benz’ Pascal Wehrlein got pole position and won a very wet race there last year to become the youngest ever DTM race winner. The 20-year-old heads to Lausitzring as the best placed driver in the standings for the Stuttgart manufacturer in fourth place, eight points behind championship leader, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Edoardo Mortara.

BMW will have to play catch up, having endured a difficult weekend in Hockenheim. The Bavarian manufacturer lies third in the standings, with Martin Tomczyk as their highest placed driver in eighth position of the table.

Timetable

The DTM agenda for the Lausitzring is as follows (all times are CEST, GMT + 2):

Friday 29th of May

11:45 – 12:20: Roll out.

15:55 – 16:40: Free Practice 1.

Saturday 30th of May

12:25 – 13:10: Free Practice 2.

15:00 – 15:20: Qualifying for Race 1.

18:08: Race 1 (40 minutes plus one lap).

Sunday 31st of May

9:50 – 10:05: Warm Up

11:40 – 12:00: Qualifying for Race 2.

14:23: Race 2 (60 minutes plus one lap).