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DTM Brands Hatch 2012: Complete Report - Gary Paffett secures pole position and achieves victory in home race

By Adji | Published Saturday, 26 May 2012

DTM Brands Hatch 2012 - Qualifying Report

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) is on pole position for his home race at Brands Hatch on Sunday. This is the third race of the 2012 DTM season (Starts 2pm and has live coverage on ARD, Germany from 13:35pm). The Brit drove a lap of 41.266 in the final shoot-out segment of qualifying. It is his ninth DTM pole position and his first at Brands Hatch. Mercedes-Benz drivers have achieved four pole positions at Brands Hatch since its inaugural DTM race in 2006. Mercedes Benz drivers have started from first place on the grid seven times in DTM races in England (since 1991 there have been 19 races in Brands Hatch, Donington and Silverstone). Mercedes-Benz has had a total of 110 DTM pole position starts. This is the new DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé's first pole position.

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé / 41.410) will be next to Paffett on the grid. He has secured a position on the front row for the first time in his 14th DTM race. This is the 65th double pole for Mercedes-Benz since the factory began contesting the DTM in 1988, and a Mercedes-Benz driver will be on the front row for the fourth time this season.

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) drove a time of 41.284 seconds in the third qualifying section. This was only 0.264 seconds slower than the fastest qualifying time. Green, who came second in the opening race in Hockenheim, will start from tenth on the grid.

Qualifying Part 1: Jamie Green posted the second fastest time in the first part of qualifying. Robert Wickens (stern AMG Mercedes C-Coupé / 41.584) and Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.587) in 17th and 18th position missed progressing into Q2 by two thousandths and five thousandths of a second respectively. David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.657) and Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.677) finished 20th and 21st. Only 0.431 seconds separated positions one and twenty-one.

Qualifying Part 2: Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé / 41.524) will start the third race of the season from 16th position on the grid. Again in Q2, there were only four and a half tenths of a second between P1 and P16.

Comments on qualifying:

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Pole Position (41,266):
„Pole position is important in every race, but pole is doubly important at this track, because overtaking is so difficult. My THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Coupé ran really well and the team did a great job – qualifying was just fantastic. The race is long, almost 100 laps, and there’s no chance to relax, every lap has to be perfect, without any mistakes. What’s really nice is securing fastest time in qualifying before my home race. After achieving victory at the opener in Hockenheim and second place in the Lausitz, we’re in with a really good chance of securing another good result tomorrow.“

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé), Second (41,410):
„Qualifying went just as I had imagined. I feel really at ease at this track and I’m well placed for the race in second position. Overtaking is very difficult around this circuit and the weather is still a bit of an unknown quantity – let's just see what tomorrow brings but I have to say, I’m very pleased with today.“

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Tenth (41,284):
„It's a shame. I had reckoned on doing better today. I try to be in contention at the end of every qualifying session, so I am obviously very disappointed with this result. I hope I can manage to push further forward during the race and take away as many points as possible.“

Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 16th (41,524):
„I am really pleased with our progress. We are improving with each qualifying session and I just hope this continues throughout the next races. My Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was very good today. It was very tight in the first qualifying session but we managed to get into the second session. I'd like to build upon this great result during the race.“

Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 17th (41,584):
„I missed going through to Q2 by only two thousandths of a second. What a pity, especially as overtaking is very difficult at Brands Hatch. I realise that I’m in for a tough race tomorrow starting from 17th position on the grid but I will do my best to achieve a decent result.“

Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 18th (41,587):
„18th on the grid is obviously a disappointing result. Unfortunately, things did not go my way today and I missed going through to Q2 by the smallest of margins, five thousandths of a second. I proved in the last couple of races that I can still finish in the points even from way down the field, but it won’t be easy at this track. I’ll do my level best tomorrow to improve my result.“

David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 20th (41,657):
„That was a very close qualifying session – just four and a half tenths of a second between 1st and 21st. I’m still having a few problems with the tyres and paid the price today as the field was so tightly bunched. We’ll see in the race, though, what I can do from my grid position.“

Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 21st (41,677):
„It is, of course, a big disappointment to be so far down the field for the start of my home race in Brands Hatch. I had hoped to do better before qualifying got underway, but now I’ll just have to make the most of my starting position. It won’t be easy, but I will do everything I can to achieve a great race for all my fans.“

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
„That was no ordinary qualifying. It was a real thriller of a session, the likes of which we’ve never seen before, so gripping, so exciting. BMW set the pace in the second qualifying session with Martin Tomczyk, Augusto Farfus and Bruno Spengler, then Audi and Mike Rockenfeller piled on the pressure in Q3, posting a fantastic time out on the track. But it was our turn in Q4 with Gary Paffett and Christian Vietoris. We achieved the fastest times, a double pole and front row lock-out.
Hitchcock himself might have scripted today’s events since no-one could have predicted the outcome of this thriller. It is really terrific to have this result under our belt and to have set the scene for success in tomorrow’s race.

„Our thanks go to Gerhard Ungar and his team, to Christian and Gary – you were super cool today and that gives us the impetus to go for the maximum possible tomorrow.“

DTM Brands Hatch 2012 - Race Report

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) won his home race, the third race of the DTM 2012 season at Brands Hatch, from pole position. His lead over Bruno Spengler (BMW) was five seconds. It was Paffett's 19th win in the DTM and his first at this track. It was the Brit's 28th podium finish in 84 races in the DTM. With his 19 victories and a win rate of 23%, Paffett is the most successful of the current set of drivers taking part in the DTM. After the opening win in Hockenheim, it was Paffett's second victory in the third race of the new DTM era in the THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé.

This was Mercedes' fourth win out of seven races at Brands Hatch. It was also the eighth win for a Mercedes driver in a DTM race in England. There have been 19 DTM races in England since 1991 (in Donington, Silverstone and Brands Hatch). Mercedes-Benz have won a total of 167 races since they started participating in the DTM in 1988.

His second win of the season enabled Paffett to increase his lead in the DTM drivers' championship to 68 points. He currently has a 25 point advantage over his second place rival Bruno Spengler (BMW). The THOMAS SABO / Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG team leads the team championship with 88 points. The manufacturers' championship is headed by Mercedes-Benz with 133 points, followed by Audi (86 points) and BMW (84 points).

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé) and Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) were in the points with finishes in 6th and 8th place respectively. Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) and Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) came in 14th, 15th, 17th and 19th place. Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) had to retire early.

A total of 27,000 spectators attended the DTM race weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun) at Brands Hatch.

Race summary

The start: Gary Paffett defends his lead at the start from Bruno Spengler (BMW). Robert Wickens moves up four places on the first lap. Ralf Schumacher and David Coulthard both go up by two positions on this first lap. Susie Wolff gains three places.
Lap 10: Paffett leads by one second.
Lap 15: Schumacher overtakes Roberto Merhi and moves into 15th position.
Lap 24: The pit stop window is now open. Christian Vietoris comes in for his first mandatory stop.
Lap 27: Schumacher pits for first time.
Lap 39: Wickens and Merhi come in for the first time. Vietoris pits for second time.
Lap 40: Paffett makes his first mandatory stop from lead position.
Lap 43: Coulthard pits for first set of fresh tyres.
Lap 47: Jamie Green pits for first time from lead position.
Lap 53: Paffett leads by two and a half seconds. Schumacher comes in for second mandatory pit stop.
Lap 55: Second set of fresh tyres for Merhi.
Lap 57: Schumacher given drive-through penalty. Second pit stop for Wolff.
Lap 62: Final mandatory pit stop for Paffett, who still leads.
Lap 63: Coulthard comes in for his second pit stop.
Lap 81: Wolff ends race before finish.
Lap 84: Paffett extends his lead to 3.5 seconds.
Lap 86: Green overtakes Filipe Albuquerque (Audi).
Lap 94: Green overtakes Edoardo Mortara (Audi) and moves into eighth position.
Final lap (98): Gary Paffett wins third DTM race of the season at Brands Hatch after 98 laps and a total distance of 189.042 kilometres. Christian Vietoris is sixth.

Comments after the race:

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Winner:
„It's a great feeling to win my home race. I’ve now finally secured my first DTM victory at this track. The team and my THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé were simply terrific – it was a perfect race that we controlled from start to finish. Still, it was not easy, as Bruno Spengler kept piling on the pressure but we stayed in front. Three races, two wins and one second place – let’s hope this season continues just as it began.“

Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé), Sixth:
„I didn't get a very good start off the first row unfortunately. That caused me to drop back a few places at the start of the race. From then on I found it difficult to move up the field but I eventually did manage to gain a few places on the others and collect some important points with sixth place.“

Jamie Green (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), Eighth:„Eighth place is not quite the result that I had counted on. Unfortunately, I lost a little time just before coming in for my first pit stop. After that, my Mercedes AMG C-Coupé was very quick, but overtaking is very difficult on this track. Nevertheless, I got the drop on both Filipe Albuquerque and Edoardo Mortara and went up two places as a result.“

Robert Wickens (stern Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 14th:
„All in all, I'm happy with my third DTM race. My pace was quite decent and my stern AMG Mercedes C-Coupé ran very well. I'm getting better from race to race and gaining experience through working with the team.“

David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 15th:
„I really would have liked to have secured a better result for all the British fans at Brands Hatch, but unfortunately, 15th place was all that was possible today. At the start, I muscled my way up the field a bit, but my car sustained some minor damage on the first lap. I’m now focusing on the next race at Spielberg.“

Roberto Merhi (Junge Sterne Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 17th:
„Unfortunately, my start did not go according to plan. Still, I did quite well on the first two stints, although I struggled a bit on the final stint. Of course, I had intended doing better than 17th place before the race, but so far, I'm happy with progress as I learn the ropes in the DTM.“

Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), 19th:
„My race went quite well all things considered, but I didn’t move up the field by as many positions as I had intended. Now we have to analyse the data from this weekend and draw our conclusions for the next race.“

Susie Wolff (TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé), retired:
„The start of my home race in Britain went really well and resulted in me moving up a number of positions to join the battle in the tightly bunched mid-field. Unfortunately, I had to retire just before the end of the race and so was unable to secure a decent result for my fans, but nevertheless, I hope they enjoyed this exciting race and Gary's win.“

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
„A perfect weekend for Gary with great performances yesterday and today. His pole and the way he achieved it were simply breathtaking and formed the springboard for this victory: where previously, there had been eight competing drivers all within one and a half tenths of a second, Gary put that gap between himself and his team-mate Christian Vietoris.

„And then a day later, Gary controlled the race from start to finish over 98 laps. He was clearly the boss here at Brands and thoroughly deserves his 68 points in the championship after securing two wins and a second place: Gary Paffett is Gary Perfect.”

* Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH *

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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DTM Brands Hatch 2012: Preview

By Adji | Published Wednesday, 16 May 2012

• Mercedes-Benz has won three out of the six DTM races at Brands Hatch
• David Coulthard (Scotland), Jamie Green (England), Gary Paffett (England) and Susie Wolff (Scotland) aiming to excel in their home race
• Mercedes-Benz leads driver, team and constructor standings in DTM 2012
• Brands Hatch has been staging DTM races since 2006; at just 1.93km in length, it is the shortest track on the race calendar – with the obvious exception of the show event in Munich’s Olympic Stadium; the drivers complete a total of 98 laps, equivalent to a total distance of 189.04 kilometres.

Drivers’ comments on the third race of the season at Brands Hatch:

Gary Paffett (31, England, THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- leads the 2012 DTM drivers’ championship after two races with one win and one second place
- started from the front row in the 2011 race at Brands Hatch

“It’s great to be returning to Brands Hatch for my home race and to be showcasing DTM racing for the British fans. In the early stage of my career, I used to compete at Brands Hatch three or four times a year, so I have very fond memories of the circuit and the races there. I’m especially looking forward to welcoming my Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team-mate Jenson Button who is making a guest appearance at Brands Hatch this weekend. He’ll be giving me a lift in the Mercedes ‘race taxi’. It will be quite a novel experience for me sitting in the passenger seat! The track is very demanding and represents a major challenge on the calendar. A single lap is very short, but we complete almost 100 of them, so it’s a tiring weekend. I aim to send the British fans home satisfied with a result that matches the first two races of the season.”

Jamie Green (29, England, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):- second and fourth places in the first two races – plus two fastest laps
- currently second in the DTM drivers’ standings

“It’s easy to get the wrong impression about Brands Hatch; it may be short, but it’s also extremely tricky. In the race, we need to stay fully focused for all 98 laps – you can’t afford to slacken off for a second. Last year, I was very quick in the dry and I also posted the fastest time in Q3. I’d like a repeat of that this year and to continue the good run of results so far in 2012. Although Brands Hatch is my home race, I only drove there a couple of times before joining the Mercedes-Benz DTM line-up. That just increases my resolve to fight for the win on Sunday.”

Christian Vietoris (23, Germany, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Coupé):- already has one Brands Hatch podium in the 2009 Formula 3 Euro Series
- currently ranks sixth after two races in the 2012 DTM season

“Brands Hatch is a strange sort of circuit that places great demands on both the driver and the car. There are relatively few corners, and a lap is very short. Consequently, the vehicle setup and handling out on the track have to be in perfect harmony to get the most out of the car. At Brands Hatch, the starting field will be more evenly matched than at any time before in the DTM – a tenth of a second in qualifying can make a huge difference in terms of grid position.”

Ralf Schumacher (36, Germany, Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):
- qualified fourth at Brands Hatch in 2010

“The first two race weekends of the 2012 season haven’t quite gone to plan for me, but at least I was able to score points in both races, and I feel that I’ve adapted well to our new Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. Brands Hatch looks deceptively simple, but it’s a real driver’s circuit. The corners are very tight, so your car needs to be really well balanced. This weekend, a lot will depend on getting a good grid position in qualifying. If I can do that, I should be able to grind out a decent result.”

David Coulthard (41, Scotland, DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):- won two out of three races in the 1991 British Formula 3 Championship at Brands Hatch
- is about to contest his third DTM race at the venue

“Between 1991 and 2010, I didn’t drive a single race at Brands Hatch, so it’s all the more gratifying to pay this annual visit with the DTM and to experience the excitement generated by the British racing fans. Brands Hatch is an unusual and difficult track that is very unforgiving if you make a mistake. Early on in my career, I won two Formula 3 races there, plus I finished third in the Formula Ford Festival. So I have a pretty good track record at Brands Hatch, and now I’m aiming to score a good result in the DTM as well.”

Susie Wolff (29, Scotland, TV Spielfilm Mercedes AMG C-Coupé):- has competed in all six races at Brands Hatch since the venue made its DTM debut in 2006
- finished on the podium twice at Brands Hatch in the 2004 British Formula Renault 2.0 Series

“After two back-to back races at the start of the season, I’m looking forward to the third race weekend of 2012 at Brands Hatch. The track is just eight hours from my native Scotland, but for me it still counts as a home race, which makes for an exciting weekend. There isn’t a big difference in lap times over such a short distance, and it’s not easy to overtake here. This means that qualifying plays a crucial role.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“At Brands Hatch, you can almost smell the motor racing heritage. This track is a classic. The short layout where the DTM is making its annual appearance may look straightforward, but therein lies the difficulty. The drivers are under constant pressure for all of the 98 laps. It’s just one corner after another, each of which is completely different from the one before. Even the two straights don’t allow time for a breather.

“The importance of qualifying in the DTM was once again illustrated in the last race at the Lausitzring: being faster than the opposition in the race is not enough to secure a win unless you also start at or near the front. That’s why, at Brands Hatch this coming Saturday, we will see the biggest qualifying showdown in the history of the DTM: I’m quite sure of that. Everyone wants pole position – but only one driver can have it.”

* Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH *

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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Jenson Button to drive Mercedes DTM ‘race taxi’ at Brands Hatch

By Adji | Published Tuesday, 15 May 2012

A distinguished guest is planning to drop in on the third race of the 2012 season (18th - 20th May): Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 driver Jenson Button will be checking out the DTM when it makes the first of its four foreign excursions this year.

On Sunday, Button will meet up with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team-mate and current DTM championship leader Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG C-Coupé). The winner of the first race of the new DTM era will then show him around the new DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé, focusing particularly on the features that distinguish it from an F1 car. Once Button has familiarised himself with the controls, he will be offering his services as a ‘race taxi’ driver, to take the current DTM championship leader around the legendary English circuit.

The winner of the opening race of the 2012 Formula 1 season in Melbourne last competed at Brands Hatch in 1999 when he was contesting the British Formula 3 Championship, finishing each of the three races in the points.

On Sunday 20th May at 11:10 in front of the Mercedes-Benz hospitality suite, there will be an autograph session for fans followed by a question and answer session chaired by Mercedes-Benz DTM driver David Coulthard (DHL Paket Mercedes AMG C-Coupé) who is the expert analyst on the BBC live coverage of Formula 1 racing.

In his Formula 1 career to date, Jenson Button has scored 13 Grand Prix victories for Honda, Brawn GP-Mercedes and Vodafone McLaren Mercedes – twelve of them with Mercedes-Benz power – and won the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship title for the Mercedes-Benz customer team Brawn GP. The victory for Nico Rosberg (MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS) in this year’s Chinese Grand Prix was the first since 1955 for a 100% works- Silver Arrow; the winner was joined on the podium by Button (third) and by McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton (runner-up). This was the second time in three years that the Chinese GP finished with three Mercedes-Benz-powered drivers on the podium.

Jenson Button: “Brands Hatch is one of the circuits where I cut my teeth in junior single-seaters and I have many fond memories of the place – in Formula Ford, the Formula Ford Festival, and in British Formula 3. It’s one of the greatest tracks in the world, and a place with an awful lot of motorsport history.

“It’s going to be a fantastic experience to head back to Brands Hatch to watch the DTM race there on May 20. I think the new DTM rules are going to provide the British fans with some really close, tense and exciting racing – and I’ll be hoping that Gary Paffett, my Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team-mate and our test and development driver, will be able to hold onto his lead in the championship with another win. “Gary’s also given me the chance to drive the DTM ‘race taxi’ with him – it’ll be the first time I’ve driven Brands since doing F3 there back in 1999. It’s going to be very cool.

“I think the DTM weekend will be a great event – it’s a fantastic series with some excellent, close racing and some of the best drivers in the world. For me, it’s going to be a great personal experience and a fantastic opportunity to get up-close and personal with all the British fans who have been supporting me over the years.”

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsportchef: “Like most of the current crop of Formula 1 drivers, Jenson takes an interest in the DTM, so he was pleased to accept our invitation to the Brands Hatch weekend. I am sure he will have a lot of fun driving one of our DTM ‘race taxis’ and watching the race itself.”

Credits: Daimler AG

Copyright © 2012, Mercedes-Benz-Blog. All rights reserved.

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DTM Brands Hatch 2011: Qualifying - Bruno Spengler secures important championship points / Fourth Place for Gary Paffett

By Adji | Published Thursday, 8 September 2011

Gary Paffett (THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished in P4 as best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver at the seventh race of the season in Brands Hatch.

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) scored points with P5 and P7. Eighth-placed Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) secured the final point at his 70th DTM race. Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) also finished in the Top 10. David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class), Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class), Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) finished in positions twelve to fifteen.

A total of 21,000 spectators visited Brands Hatch across the DTM race weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).

Race summary

The start: The race begins in wet conditions. Because of the rain, the drivers complete two parade laps and the race distance is reduced by one lap to 97 laps. Gary Paffett finishes lap one in fifth place, while Ralf Schumacher maintains P6. Christian Vietoris moves up one place and is tenth. David Coulthard moved up three places to 13th.
Lap 4: Bruno Spengler overtakes Miguel Molina (Audi) and moves into eighth position. Vietoris also passes Molina to take ninth place.
Lap 10: Coulthard now in P11.
Lap 12: Spengler overtakes Jamie Green and is seventh.
Lap 16: Vietoris moves up into P9.
Lap 24: The pit stop window is now open, and both Green and Coulthard come in to make their first stops.
Lap 26: Maro Engel makes his first mandatory pit stop.
Lap 32: Vietoris pits for the first time.
Lap 36: Susie Stoddart comes in for her first pit stop and draws up in front of her crew.
Lap 43: Schumacher makes his first pit stop lying in sixth place.
Lap 45: The rain is now falling heavier again. Paffett, currently in P4, comes in to make his first mandatory pit stop, and reemerges ahead of Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) and Schumacher.
Lap 46: Schumacher overtakes Rockenfeller. Green pits for the second time.
Lap 56: Third-placed Spengler comes into the pit lane to make his first mandatory pit stop.
Lap 70: Paffett, Schumacher and Coulthard come in for a second set of fresh tyres.
Lap 71: Spengler comes in for his second and final mandatory pit stop.
Lap 85: Green gets the better of Oliver Jarvis (Audi), moving up into eighth position.
Final lap: After 88 laps and a total distance of 169.752 km, Gary Paffett comes home as the best-placed Mercedes-Benz driver in P4 at the seventh race of the season in Brands Hatch. Owing to heavy rain, the race ran to the 70-minute time limit rather than the full planned distance. Ralf Schumacher gained one position from sixth on the grid to finish in fifth place. David Coulthard gains four places in the course of the race to finish twelfth.

Comments after the race:

Gary Paffett (AMG Mercedes C THOMAS SABO-Class) – Fourth:
“Fourth place is obviously not ideal, but given the circumstances, it’s a decent result. I was fastest this morning in warm-up, so it could have gone better for us in the dry, but it was a tough race in the wet. I dropped down a couple of places at the start and after that, couldn’t initially keep up with the pace of the leaders. In the second half of the race we were more competitive, and I kept closing on Edoardo Mortara in third place, but unfortunately in the end it wasn’t enough.”

Ralf Schumacher (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Fifth:
“Although the rain made conditions tricky, this was a good race for me – I’m more than satisfied with fifth place. My C-Class was really quick today, and the crew did some excellent work – so a special thanks to them.”

Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class) – Seventh:
“Unfortunately the heavy rain really didn’t suit me – starting eighth on the grid, the spray meant I had very poor visibility out on track. That’s why I drove carefully in the beginning to avoid taking any risks, and not make any mistakes. Many thanks to my team for their quick work in the pits, which enabled me to move up a place – that won me two valuable points in the overall standings. I’ll be back on the attack over the next three races, aiming to score as many points as possible.”

Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Eighth:
“I’m of course not too happy with eighth place in the race, in view of starting from fourth position on the grid. It was an eventful race for me – on the first stint I went into the gravel, then I spun: both incidents cost me a lot of time. Still, I fought my way back into the points and I overtook Oliver Jarvis just before the finish for eighth place.”

Maro Engel (GQ AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Tenth:
“Unfortunately, I didn’t get away well. Timo Scheider forced me over to the outside of the track in turn one, causing me to drop down the field a few places. My C-Class had plenty of speed after that and I moved up a couple of positions. Unfortunately, my car sustained some damage in a collision with Miguel Molina. It wasn’t easy to drive from that point onwards. My team did a great job and we had a good strategy – but today unfortunately, more just wasn’t possible.”

David Coulthard (Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class) – Twelfth:
“I moved up four places during the race, but all in all I had a poor day. Racing in the wet is certainly more entertaining for the spectators, but I always prefer dry conditions. It’s a shame, because my C-Class was quick today.”

Christian Vietoris (Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 13th:
“Sadly, the race didn’t go according to plan for me – even though I’d hoped for rain. I got off to a decent start from eleventh on the grid and moved up a few places. Unfortunately, I lost some time in a pit stop and then later on I received a drive-through penalty – after that, 13th was the best I could achieve.”

Susie Stoddart (TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 14th:
“The heavy rain meant this wasn’t an easy race for any of the drivers. The conditions were so bad that at times I had problems keeping the car on the track. At least I had an exciting duel with Renger van der Zande, but overall I’m afraid this wasn’t a good weekend for me.”

Renger van der Zande (stern AMG Mercedes C-Class) – 15th:
“Unfortunately, I just wasn’t quick enough today. Actually, I fancied my chances more in the wet than yesterday in the dry, but unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that way. We must now sit down together and analyse the data to find the cause.”

Norbert Haug, Vice-President, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“Our performance in the wet today wasn’t as strong as usual, but the points standings are now almost level at the top of the table with just three races to go this season. The battle for the title starts here and Bruno Spengler is in with an excellent chance. Congratulations to Audi on their one-two-three finish.”