Gary Paffett: “I missed the races”

With Gary Paffett, an ’old acquaintance’ is making his DTM comeback. The 2005 champion who moved to Formula 1 following his DTM triumph and was signed as test driver by McLaren Mercedes returns to DTM to again race for the Stuttgart based brand, while remaining Vodafone McLaren Mercedes test driver at the same time. “I missed the races,” admits the 26-year old.

The only downer: instead of racing one of the four 2007-spec AMG-Mercedes C-Class racers for the team of HWA AG, he will have to contest the 2007 season at the wheel of a Persson Motorsport 2006-spec car. At the point in time of his signing, the race seats of the four HWA Team cars had already been assigned to DTM Record Champion Bernd Schneider, two-time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen, last year’s runner-up, Bruno Spengler, and Jamie Green, the 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series Champion.

”I don’t expect to become a factor in the battle for the title,” Paffett said on the occasion of the DTM Season Launch, held this Sunday in Düsseldorf. “Still, everything is possible. I want to demonstrate that it’s possible to also score points and secure podium finishes with a 2006-spec car.”

And indeed, in the 2006 season, Stefan Mücke and Jean Alesi already proved that these goals can be realised at the wheel of a one-year old car. Mücke came close to securing a podium finish when he came fourth at the Norisring – and Alesi secured the same result at the Nürburgring. Paffett just can’t wait for the season kick-off at the Hockenheimring. “Following my one-year break, I’m really looking forward to my first clash with the old and new opponents,” he says.

From 2003 to 2005, Gary Paffett contested 30 DTM races and won nine of them. Furthermore, he secured five pole positions and set six fastest race laps, in this period of time.