Photo: DTM Media

Mercedes ready for Hockenheim finale

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The 10th and final round of the 2007 DTM in Hockenheim this coming weekend will be the 300th race for Mercedes-Benz in the DTM and in the ITC since the brand has officially returned to touring car racing in 1988. Bruno Spengler has a chance to win the DTM Drivers’ title in the jubilee race; it would be the 10th for Mercedes-Benz. After nine races, the Canadian is second overall, two points behind the leader.

1991 was the last year when there were more than two drivers with chances to win the title prior to the finale; two Audi (Frank Biela and Hans-Joachim Stuck), one BMW (Johnny Cecotto) and one Mercedes-Benz driver – Klaus Ludwig. He who arrived in Hockenheim as the overall leader with an advantage of nine points, was beaten in the rain by the four-wheel driven Audis and Frank Biela clinched the championship.

For the ninth time in 21 years of DTM and ITC the championship will be decided in the final race; the most recent year this was the case was in 2005 between Gary Paffett and Mattias Ekström. Paffett won in the AMG Mercedes C-Class.

One week prior to the event 63,000 tickets have been sold – a new record number. Last year, it were 62,500 tickets at the same time.

Mercedes-Benz drivers won 140 (about 47 per cent) out of the 299 races so far against the competition of Alfa Romeo, Audi, BMW, Ford and Opel, which participated in these years. Bernd Schneider won 42 races, he is the DTM record holder, clinching five DTM championship titles, which he all achieved with Mercedes-Benz. 22 drivers won DTM or ITC races for Mercedes-Benz.

Mercedes-Benz won on 29 out of the 32 race circuits used by DTM and ITC since 1988; only in Helsinki, São Paulo and Silverstone they did not win. Most of these victories Mercedes-Benz drivers took on the traditional circuits Nürburgring (28) and Hockenheim (25).

The 2007 season so far (nine races):

Victories: Mercedes-Benz six (Mika Häkkinen at the Lausitzring and in Mugello; Gary Paffett in Oschersleben; Bernd Schneider in Brands Hatch; Bruno Spengler at the Norisring; Jamie Green in Barcelona).

1-2 victories: Mercedes-Benz three (Gary Paffett/Paul di Resta in Oschersleben; Mika Häkkinen/Paul di Resta at the Lausitzring; Bruno Spengler/Bernd Schneider at the Norisring; Jamie Green/Bruno Spengler in Barcelona).

Pole Positions: Mercedes-Benz five (Bruno Spengler in Hockenheim, at the Lausitzring and at the Norisring; Mika Häkkinen in Oschersleben and in Brands Hatch).

1-2 qualifyings: Mercedes-Benz three (Bruno Spengler/Mika Häkkinen at the Lausitzring; Mika Häkkinen/Bruno Spengler in Brands Hatch; Bruno Spengler/Mika Häkkinen at the Norisring).

Fastest laps: Mercedes-Benz five (Jamie Green in Oschersleben and Zandvoort; Bruno Spengler at the Norisring, at the Nürburgring and in Barcelona).

The winners of the DTM/ITC races in Hockenheim

(since Mercedes-Benz has enterd the DTM in 1988)

1988: Christian Danner (BMW, both races)
1988: Armin Hahne (Ford, both races)
1989: Klaus Ludwig (AMG Mercedes 190E), Johnny Cecotto (BMW)
1989: Johnny Cecotto (BMW), Klaus Niedzwiedz (Ford)
1989: Klaus Niedzwiedz (Ford, both races)
1990: Klaus Ludwig (AMG Mercedes 190E), Johnny Cecotto (BMW)
1990: Hans-Joachim Stuck (Audi, both races)
1991: Steve Soper (BMW, both races)
1991: Frank Biela (Audi, both races)
1992: Ellen Lohr, Roland Asch (both with AMG Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo2)
1992: Roberto Ravaglia (BMW, both races)
1993: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes 190E 2.5-16 Evo2, both races)
1993: Alessandro Nannini (Alfa Romeo, both races)
1994: Kurt Thiim (AMG Mercedes C-Class), Alessandro Nannini (Alfa Romeo)
1995: Kurt Thiim, Bernd Schneider (both with AMG Mercedes C-Class)
1995: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes C-Class, both races)
1996: Klaus Ludwig (Opel, both races)
1996 (ITC): Manuel Reuter (Opel), Jan Magnussen (AMG Mercedes C-Class)
1996 (ITC): Klaus Ludwig, Manuel Reuter (both with Opel)
2000: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes CLK, both races)
2000: Uwe Alzen (Opel, both races)
2001: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes CLK)
2001: Bernd Mayländer (AMG Mercedes CLK)
2002: Laurent Aiello (Audi)
2002: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes CLK)
2003: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes CLK)
2003: Jean Alesi (AMG Mercedes CLK)
2004: Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C-Class)
2004: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes C-Class)
2005: Jean Alesi (AMG Mercedes C-Class)
2005: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes C-Class)
2006: Bernd Schneider (AMG Mercedes C-Class)
2006: Bruno Spengler (AMG Mercedes C-Class)
2007: Mattias Ekström (Audi)

The International Touring Car Championship (ITC) was held parallel to the DTM in 1995 and as its successor in 1996. – Since 2001, there has been only one race per event.

The 2007 season finale will be the 60th DTM/ITC race in Hockenheim since 1984. Mercedes-Benz drivers won 25 of these races; Bruno Spengler (DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes C-Class) took the most recent victory for Mercedes-Benz one year ago. Mercedes-Benz drivers won nine out of the last ten races in Hockenheim.