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| Bruno Spengler cuts the apex on the entry to the Hans Ernst Bocht at Zandvoort in his BMW M4 DTM. |
This was another double first, my first race at Zandvoort and my first DTM race. Both left a very favourable impression. The DTM cars are good looking, fast and spectacular and the Zandvoort circuit, set amongst the dunes, offers some nice photo and viewing opportunities. Zandvoort is a regular on the DTM circuit since 1999. It still contains many of the corners of the original GP circuit and is a challenge for the drivers with 13 corners and many gradient changes.
DTM stands for Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. The field is made up of just Mercedes, BMW and Audis but the drivers are very international. They all have 500 hp 4 litre V8 engines and are rear wheel drive. They have specially designed racing chassis and are not road car based. The bodies are carbon fibre monocoques. The DTM can be a road into Formula One. Paul Di Resta entered F1 after DTM and so did last year's champion Pascal Wehrlein who now drives for Manor in the World Championship.
Enjoy the photos below of all the cars that took part in the 40 minute Saturday race in the order that they finished. Photos taken in practice, qualifying and the race itself.
1st Robert Wickens (CA) - Mercedes-AMG C 63 – Team HWA No. 6
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| Rob Wickens won the first DTM race of the weekend in his beautiful Mercedes. It was Mercedes first win at this circuit since 2010. He failed to score points on Sunday and is now fourth in the Championship standings. |
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| Rob Wicken's Mercedes joins the pit walk. |
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| Rob won pole position, led into the first corner and thereafter was never headed. |
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| Rob exits the Gerlachbocht whilst dominating the race. |
2nd Marco Wittmann (D) - BMW M4 – Team RMG No. 11
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| Marco Wittman is the DTM championship leader in his Red Bull BMW. |
3rd Christian Vietoris (D) - Mercedes-AMG C 63 – Team Mücke No. 8
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| Christian Vietoris in this pink Mercedes scored his best result of the year in the Saturday race at Zandvoort. |
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| Christian holding off Gary Paffett at Tarzan. |
4th Gary Paffett (GB) - Mercedes-AMG C 63 – Team ART No. 2
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| Gary Paffett had a good weekend finishing fourth on Saturday and second on Sunday. |
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| Gary Paffett on the grid. He won the DTM championship in 2005. |
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| Gary Paffet's Mercedes at Kumhobocht, Zandvoort. |
5th Jamie Green (GB) - Audi RS5 – Team Rosberg No.53
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| Jamie Green in the Audi finished fifth on Saturday but won on Sunday. He is now second in the championship. |
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| Jamie's car being prepared on the grid. |
6th António Félix da Costa (PT) - BMW M4 – Team Schnitzer No.13
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| Saturday gave Antonio Felix da Costa his best DTM result of the year in his BMW M4. |
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| Antonio getting close attention at Tarzan from Mattias Elkstrom and Daniel Juncadella. |
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| Antonio Felix da Costa smiling at the fans on the top of the pits. |
7th Mattias Ekström (S) - Audi RS5 – Team Abt Sportsline No.5
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| Marcus Elkstrom in the Red Bull Audi exiting Kumhobocht. |
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| Marcus's car and grid girl. |
8th Daniel Juncadella (E) - Mercedes-AMG C 63 – Team HWA No.12
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| First DTM points of the year for Daniel Juncadella in the Mercedes. |
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| Daniel in the Hugenholtzbocht. |
9th Esteban Ocon (F) - Mercedes AMG C 63 – Team ART No.34
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| Esteban Ocon exits Hans Ernst Bocht in his Mercedes AMG. |
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| Esteban's car and grid girl |
10th Maxime Martin (BE) - BMW M4 – Team RBM No.36
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| Maxime Martin powers his BMW through the last corner - Arie Luyendijk Bocht. |
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| Maxime's mechanics chatting on the grid whilst warmers heat his tyres. |
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| Maxime driving through the Kumhobocht. |
11th Timo Scheider (D) - Audi RS5 – Team Phoenix No.10
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| Timo Schneider rides the kerbs on the exit of Kumhobocht in his Audi. |
12th Lucas Auer (AT) - Mercedes-AMG C 63 – Team Mücke No.22
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| Lucas Auer exits Kumhobocht in his Mercedes. |
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| Lucas's mechanics enjoy a joke on the grid. |
13th Bruno Spengler (CA) - BMW M4 – Team MTEK No.7
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| Bruno Spengler on the entry to Kumhobocht in his BMW M4. He was DTM champion in 2012. |
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| The BMWs were spectacular, throwing up sparks at various parts of the circuit. |
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| Bruno on the entry into Hans Ernst Bocht in his BMW. |
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| Bruno on the exit of Hans Ernst Bocht. |
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| Bruno heads a host of mid field cars at Tarzan on lap one. |
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| Bruno heads the other non-point scorers across the line at the end of the race. |
14th Mike Rockenfeller (D) - Audi RS5 – Team Phoenix No.99
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| No DTM points this weekend for Mike Rockenfeller in the Audi. He is a previous champion winning the DTM in 2013. |
15th Paul Di Resta (GB) - Mercedes-AMG C 63 – Team HWA No.3
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| Paul Di Resta braking for the Hans Ernst Bocht in his Mercedes. He is a previous DTM champion but had no luck on Saturday. He did get into the points on Sunday. |
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| Paul has a great fight with Lucas Auer into Tarzan. |
16th Tom Blomqvist (GB) - BMW M4 – Team RBM No.31
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| Tom Blomqvist throws up a shower of sparks at Kumhobocht in his BMW. |
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| Grid girl and Tom's BMW. |
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| It gets very close at Tarzan between Tom and Edoardo Mortara. |
17th Edoardo Mortara (I) - Audi RS5 – Team Abt Sportsline No.48
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| Out of the points on Saturday, after being penalised for going too fast in a slow zone, Edoardo Mortara finished third on Sunday and is now third in the DTM points standings. |
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| Edordo goes wide as he exits the Hans Ernst Bocht in his Audi. |
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| Edoardo chased by Antonio Felix de Costa |
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| Edoardo entering the slow Hans Ernst Bocht. |
18th Miguel Molina (E) - Audi RS5 – Team Abt Sportsline No.17
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| A race winner this year, Miguel Molina was not in the same form at Zandvoort. Here he exits the Kumhobocht. |
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| Smiling grid gird and Miguel's Audi. |
19th Martin Tomczyk (D) - BMW M4 – Team Schnitzer No.100
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| Martin Tomczyk's BMW at the exit of the Hans Ernst Bocht He was involved in the start line incident and then had a stop go penalty. Martin won the DTM championship in 2011. |
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| Martin's grid girl. |
20th Nico Müller (CH) - Audi RS5 – Team Abt Sportsline No.51
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| Another of this year's race winners who was out of luck at Zandvoort, Nico Müller's Audi is seen here on the kerbs exiting Kumhobocht. |
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| Nico fends off Tom Blomqvist and Augusto Farfus at Tarzan. |
21st Timo Glock (D) - BMW M4 – Team RMG No.16
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| Timo Glock was the last classified finisher on Saturday, but was in the points on Sunday. |
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| Timo Glock in his BMW follows the other cars down the pitlane and onto the grid. |
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| Timo Glock |
nc Augusto Farfus (BR) - BMW M4 – Team MTEK No.18
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| Augusto Farfus crashed fairly early on in Saturday's race but I got lots of pictures of him in practice and qualifying. |
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| Augusto exiting the Hans Ernst Bocht. |
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| Augusto attacking the kerbs on the entry to the Hans Ernst Bocht. |
nc Adrien Tambay (F) - Audi RS5 - Team Rosberg No.27
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| Adrien Tambay didn't even last one lap in the race but here he earlier in the day in practice. Tambay was involved in an accident immediately after the start invoving Götz and Tomczyk. |
nc Maximilian Götz (D) - Mercedes-AMG C 63 – Team HWA No.84
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| Maximilian Götz was another not to last one lap in Saturday's race. He was involved in the accident with Tambay that brought out the safety car. He is his Mercedes exiting the Hans Ernst Bocht in qualifying. |
Thanks to Gareth Rees for his hospitality over the weekend and providing the tickets. Getting all of these pictures of the DTM cars was the icing on the cake of a great long weekend.
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| Fans sitting in the dunes to watch the race. |
John Etherton asserts his copyright to all of the photos on this blogpost. However, you may post the photos elsewhere on the web as long as you credit the photographer, John Etherton, and this blog post, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com and provide a link to this page.
John Etherton affirme son droit d'auteur à l'ensemble des photos sur ce billet de blog. Cependant, vous pouvez poster des photos ailleurs sur le web aussi longtemps que vous créditez le photographe, John Etherton, et ce blog, Rouenlesafx@blogspot.com et fournissez un lien vers cette page.
Pictures of the Zandvoort European F3 round and DTM support races coming soon...
