DTM returns to Zolder for the first time in 17 years
Zolder returns to the calendar for the first time since 2002 to welcome the second round of the 2019 DTM season, the first foreign outing of the year and a very different track to the season opener.
BMW Motorsport Team RMG driver Marco Wittmann leads the drivers’ championship heading into Belgium with 34 points, three over Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Robin Frijns and nine over Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s René Rast. In the manufacturers, Audi Sport made the most of the difficult conditions at the season opener two weeks ago to lead with 111 points, 18 over BMW Motorsport. Aston Martin lies in third with 9 points.
One of the key points this weekend is that Zolder is unknown territory for the majority of the DTM field. In the BMW camp, only Wittmann and Team RBM’s Philipp Eng have previously race at the Belgian track.
“It is a very tight little circuit with few straights,” said Wittmann. “I think qualifying will be extremely important, as overtaking could be tricky at Zolder. The kerbs in the chicanes will be a big issue, whether we should drive over them or are better off avoiding them in the DTM car. Friday’s first practice session is definitely going to be interesting.”
“The track is extremely technical and I really like it,” echoed Eng. “The kerbs are very high and we must be careful not to damage the cars. I think overtaking could be possible, but a good performance in qualifying will be important again.”
At Audi Sport, Frijns will be competing at his local race track, a place he knows really well and which he compares to a “mini Nordschleife”.
“Just a small mistake and you’ll end up in the wall,” said the Dutch driver. “I know the track really well and have contested many races there, most recently in the GT3 category with the Audi R8 LMS. The circuit is tricky and also the weather is often unpredictable.”
Team Phoenix’ Mike Rockenfeller competed at Zolder 17 years ago, with team-mate Loïc Duval, Team Abt Sportline’s Nico Müller and Team Rosberg’s Jamie Green only having completed simulator runs.
R-Motorsport’s Daniel Juncadella has fond memories of the track, where he collected successes in his early career in single seaters. The Spaniard believes that Zolder’s layout could work well for the characteristics of the Aston Martin Vantage DTM.
“I like the circuit’s design, the straights aren’t very long and I think it could be positive for us after what we saw at Hockenheim and our top speeds. Another important ingredient could be the weather conditions as it looks as it might rain,” Juncadella said.
The 4.003-kilometre track, located near Hasselt, consists of fast straights, which lead into some very tight corners and challenging chicanes. Despite its flowing layout in the first sector, there are two overtaking points according to Frijns.
“The best opportunities for overtaking exist heading into the first corner or the chicane before the start-finish line,” added the Audi driver.
Tyre management will again be a key aspect at Zolder, with the track offering a low grip level. “On the smooth asphalt, it is possible that the cars may skid at times, which in turn raises the temperature of the tyre’s running surface a little,” said tyre partner Hankook chief engineer Thomas Baltes.
“It will be interesting to see what tactics the teams opt for. Hockenheim showed that it is also possible to be successful with a two-stop strategy. We will have to wait and see whether that could also be the key to success in Zolder,” concluded Thomas Baltes.
Timetable
Friday 17th May
14:15 – Free Practice 1
17:10 – Free Practice 2
Saturday 18th May
10:35 – Qualifying for Race 1
13:30 – Race 1 (55 minutes plus one lap)
Sunday 19th May
10:25 – Qualifying for Race 2
10:30 – Race 2 (55 minutes plus one lap)
