AMG Mercedes C-Class driver Jamie Green is looking to secure his fourth win at the July 3rd race at Norisring after winning the last three DTM races at the Norisring (2008, 2009 and 2010). Mercedes-Benz has won the last eight races in Nuremberg and Mercedes-Benz drivers have scored a total of 13 victories on this track.
Comments on the fifth race of the 2011 DTM season from:
Bruno Spengler (27, Canada, Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG C-Class):
- has won twice at the Norisring (2006 and 2007)
- scored his first DTM victory in Nuremberg at the age of 22 years and 334 days, which makes him one of the youngest winners in DTM history
- started the 2007 and 2008 races in Nuremberg from pole position
“The Norisring is one of my favourite tracks – I’ve won here twice and had five podium finishes. That’s why I’m thrilled to be racing again in Nuremberg. As always, I’ll be preparing thoroughly for the weekend and going all out to get a good result. In the overall standings, I’m only one point behind Martin Tomczyk. With such a competitive field as we have in this year’s DTM, the situation at the top can turn around very quickly, so I don’t feel under any pressure. Instead, my team and I are focused on the job in hand and we’ll be on the attack again in Nuremberg.”
Ralf Schumacher (35, Germany, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- claimed his first DTM pole position and his first DTM fastest lap in last year’s race at the Norisring
- finished the 2009 race in Nuremberg in sixth position
- celebrates his 36th birthday on Thursday 30th June in the run-up to the Norisring weekend
“I have fond memories of the Norisring which is always a highlight on the DTM calendar. Obviously, I had hoped for more in last year’s race, but in retrospect it was a good performance to get my first pole position and my first fastest race lap in DTM. So if I carry on making similar progress this year, it will be great. With my two podium finishes at Hockenheim and Spielberg, I’ve shown that I’m comfortable driving the C-Class and that I’ve made the adjustment to DTM racing. After my pole last year at this circuit, I want to be battling it out at the front again in this year’s race.”
Jamie Green (29, England, AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- has won the last three races at the Norisring (2008, 2009 and 2010)
- started the 2006 race in Nuremberg from pole position
“I always feel like I’m in my element at the Norisring – and my three wins in the last three seasons would seem to bear that out. This year, I’m no longer in the same C-Class which I won with from 2008 to 2010, but that shouldn’t make a difference. Now I’m aiming to celebrate a victory in my current AMG Mercedes C-Class. In the past eight seasons, a Mercedes-Benz driver has always won in Nuremberg, and that gives me the confidence that we’ll be competitive again this year. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Gary Paffett (30, England, THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- won the 2004 and 2005 races in Nuremberg
- drove the fastest race lap on the Norisring in 2005
- won both races in the 2002 German Formula 3 Championship at the Norisring
“In the last race at the Lausitzring, I got closer to the front than in the first three races of 2011. That’s a good sign for the rest of the season because it means we are heading in the right direction. This is a trend we want to continue at the Norisring, where I’m hoping for my first podium finish of the year. I like the street circuit in Nuremberg with its very special characteristics, and I’ve already won there twice. However, my two wins date back to 2004 and 2005, which was quite a while ago, so it would be great if I could add my first win of the 2011 season here. That would also be a nice way of saying ‘thank you’ to my sponsor THOMAS SABO in their home race, as their headquarters are located close to Nuremberg.”
David Coulthard (40, Scotland, Deutsche Post AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- will compete at the Norisring for only the second time
- has crossed the finish line in all four races of the 2011 season
- won the Monaco GP in 2000 and 2002 (also staged on a street circuit)
“Even after one and a half seasons in DTM, the series still keeps springing surprises. I’m learning from one weekend to the next, and understanding more and more how to set up the C-Class for optimum performance. In Nuremberg, you especially need good brakes and a good front end to cope with all the cornering. The Norisring is quite unlike any other track we drive on – almost like a DTM version of Monaco. This brings back good memories for me, because after all, I won the Grand Prix there twice. But actually, I can’t think of a circuit that I don’t feel good at. If my team and I can find the right car balance, we’ll hope to reward the fans with a good result.”
Christian Vietoris (22, Germany, Junge Sterne AMG Mercedes C-Class):
- is driving the AMG Mercedes C-Class that won the last three races at the Norisring
- won the 2008 and 2009 Formula 3 Euro Series races in Nuremberg
“It’s nice to know that Jamie won each of the last three races at the Norisring driving the C-Class car that I’m in now. Of course, that doesn’t automatically mean that I’m set to continue the sequence this season, but maybe driving the legendary Norisring winner will bring me a bit of luck so that I can score my first DTM points. I know the Norisring from my time in the Formula 3 Euro Series – I’ve even won here twice. The track layout looks pretty straightforward, but as a street circuit, it has a bumpy surface, and the race is usually staged in very hot conditions. Anyone aiming to make their mark here needs to be fully focused and in top physical shape. I feel confident on both those points.”
Norbert Haug, Vice-President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:
“The Norisring is one of the highlights on the DTM calendar. With the sheer quality of the current field, it may well be that the difference between the fastest and slowest lap times in Nuremberg this year is down to less than half a second. We have won at the Norisring eight times and, most recently, Jamie Green triumphed three times in succession, driving the same C-Class. That achievement is unique in the history of the DTM. This time, we’re trying for win number nine, but I’m sure that more than half a dozen of our competitors will be doing their best to prevent us from achieving it. They have a realistic chance of doing so, but that doesn’t diminish our chances at all.”
For those of you attending the race, here are a few tips:
The city: Nuremberg, the home of the legendary Norisring and the second-biggest city of Bavaria, is located in the heart of Franconia. A true must-see is the restored medieval city centre including the mighty ‘Kaiserburg’ (Emperor’s castle). Apropos: here, you also will find the planet’s oldest Bratwurst restaurant, established back in 1313 – the cradle of the famous ‘Nürnberger Bratwurst’ that was already enjoyed by Nuremberg’s most famous son, Albrecht Dürer.
The circuit: The only street circuit of the DTM calendar, built every year extra for the race, the shortest DTM circuit on German soil, a pedestrian tunnel below the circuit allows the spectators to get to the stone grandstand.
Grandstand tip: ‘S-Kurve’: Here, door-to-door battles are guaranteed. View of the chicane and the end of the home straight.
Culture tip: Most definitely, the medieval city centre with the castle, the Albrecht Dürer House as well as the Gothic churches St. Lorenz and St. Sebald represent the highlights of Nuremberg. The cosy atmosphere between frame houses and cobblestone pavement has inspired every visitor of Nuremberg, to date. At the same time, the city also features several culture highlights: the “Germanische National museum”, for instance, is the biggest culture-historic museum in the German speaking countries. The latest information on expositions, events and other places of interest is available in the World Wide Web at: http://go.nuernberg.de. A universal ticket for all the places of interest of Nuremberg as well as the city’s public transport is the ‘Nürnberg Card’.
A culinary must: The ‘Nürnberger Bratwurst’! These sausages that aren’t bigger than a finger are a protected trademark and mustn’t be produced anywhere else than in Nuremberg’s urban area. Everywhere in the historic city centre you will find Bratwurst kitchens that serve this specialty – usually as a dish comprising six sausages and sauerkraut. Nonetheless, you also can get them as triple in a bun. They are a true culinary delight!
For partiers: The major part of Nuremberg’s night life takes place in the historic city centre. There, particularly below the castle and in the ‘Weißgerbergasse’, you will find numerous pubs, bars and clubs. And in summer, enjoying the city ambience in one of the countless beer gardens is a really great experience. For a good overview of Nuremberg’s night life please visit http://go.nuernberg.de in the World Wide Web.
Shopping: Nuremberg has got one of Germany’s biggest and oldest pedestrian areas. Here, in the southern part of the medieval city centre, you can get anything your heart desires. One of Nuremberg’s attractions with a special ambience is the ‘Handwerkerhof’. Surrounded by towers and walls of the medieval city fortification, the ‘Little Town at the King’s Gate’ invites to enjoy an eventful shopping trip. It’s really amazing to see what is going on in the small workshops, shops and alleyways and what a great number of adorable special goods can be admired and purchased, here. Tradition-rich craftsmen such as pewterers, purse makers, pottery makers, gold and silver smiths, stained-glass artists, gingerbread bakers and puppet makers have established their workshops in gorgeous frame houses and demonstrate their skills.
