Photo: DTM Media

Hockenheim preview: who can stop Augusto Farfus?

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Well, it was finally settled at Zandvoort.

With one race from 10 still remaining, Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller was crowned the 2013 DTM champion. The double Le Mans winner has had a metronomically consistent season which has seen him score in every race of the year, as well as winning at Brands Hatch and Moscow.

However, whilst Rockenfeller fully deserves his maiden DTM title, it is Augusto Farfus who currently has the strongest form of all 22 DTM drivers.

Despite a mid-season wobble which saw the RBM BMW man fail to score at Oschersleben and the Norisring, the Brazilian has been on outstanding form since Moscow up until the last race at Zandvoort. He has, since the DTM’s maiden trip to Russia, finished each race on the podium, hauled his blue and green BMW M3 into the final round of qualifying, and scored two outstanding back-to-back victories at Oschersleben and Zandvoort.

Such has been Farfus’ form in the second half of the year, his Zandvoort victory secured him second in the drivers’ standings.

As a further confidence boost for the Brazilian this weekend, consider he also took victory at Hockenheim when it hosted the season opener back in May. Therefore, it is with good reason that both BMW and the RBM are confident they can take both the teams’ and manufacturers’ titles this weekend, despite losing out to Audi in the drivers’ battle.

At present, the Belgian RBM outfit is the best placed of the Munich manufacturer’s teams, and lies just three points away from the drivers’ title winning Phoenix Audi squad, who leads the teams’ championship on 151.

Similarly, BMW is just eight points off of Audi, who also leads the manufacturers’ standings.

“We are only three points off the lead in the teams’ competition,” said RBM team-principal, Bart Mampaey. “If we can get a similar result to the ones we enjoyed in Zandvoort or at the season-opener in Hockenheim, we can still win [this] title; that would be absolutely fantastic.”

Farfus, the man who has won more races than anyone in 2013, believes it is simply a matter of focus for RBM if it is to take the teams’ title this coming weekend.

“If we stay focussed, we can clinch the title,” said the Brazilian. “We are assured of second place in the drivers’ championship, and it is awesome to still be in with a chance of winning the teams’ competition ahead of the final race. “I would like to end the season as it began; with victory in Hockenheim.”

Whilst stopping Farfus will be the objective for everyone this weekend, the battle for third in the drivers’ standings is also one that will be of significant importance as just 15 points separate Christian Vietoris in third, from Mattias Ekström in seventh.

Robert Wickens, outgoing champion Bruno Spengler, and Gary Paffett all lie fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Despite having yet another not-so-great season with Audi’s RS 5 DTM, Ekström probably looks the strongest of all three contenders to finish as best-of-the-rest behind Rockenfeller and Farfus. In Zandvoort, the Swede charged from 11th to fourth after electing to use the softer Hankook tyres right at the end of the race. Proof indeed, that he is one of, if not the fastest driver out there.

Take into account that accidents and a lack of speed have blighted Spengler in recent races, and similarly, a marginal lack of pace has also been the main problem in the Mercedes, suddenly a case for Ekström finishing third in the drivers’ standings makes sense.

However, Ekström needs to win, with none of his immediate rivals scoring.

His objectives then, are pretty straightforward: “My aim is simple,” said the Swede. “I’d like to start from the pole position and win the race.”

He might have to stop Farfus first, though.

Hockenheim facts:

Track length: 4,574 kilometers

Laps: 42

Lap Record: Paul di Resta (Mercedes-Benz), 1m33.576s (October 2008)

Previous winners:

2001: Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)

2002: Laurent Aiello (Abt Audi)

2003: Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)

2004: Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)

2005: Jean Alesi (Mercedes-Benz)

2006: Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)

2007: Mattias Ekstrom (Audi)

2008: Mattias Ekstrom (Audi)

2009: Tom Kristensen (Audi)

2010: Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)

2011: Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz)

2012: Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)

2013: Augusto Farfus (BMW)