Darren Turner Q&A

"Qualifying was a bit of a lottery really. I was fortunate to have laps left to go out at the end as the track was getting faster. The track was damp for a lot of the session, but it was drying towards the end. We could have gambled on going out earlier and hoped it would rain again, but waiting until the end just removed the 'what if?' factor. I think I still went out too early by a couple of minutes, but I'll take fifth."



"I was just warming my brakes and got hit from behind. I was like, 'oh no! Not already!', but knew the damage to my car wasn't bad. Then I looked in the mirror, saw the state of the front of Bernd's car and thought 'uh,oh...' You just don't do that sort of thing to Bernd Schneider. I went down to the garage afterwards and saw him and he was really good about it. He said he was probably a little bit asleep and not quite paying attention, but he was really cool. Oh, and he still got pole, so it all worked out fine in the end..."



"At Team Rosberg, we're not a works team like HWA, plus we're running 2000 cars - exactly the same ones as last year in fact - so I've got to be completely realistic. I know that to get a really good result this year, like a podium, we have to have very special circumstances, or we have to find a really big improvement somewhere. Last year, I think I expected too much, so this year I'm approaching it from completely the opposite direction. I've just got to concentrate totally on what we've got and how we make it better, and we'll see what happens.

"We still need to get the balance of our car better. These DTM cars are very difficult and challenging to drive, and it's very easy to go beyond the limit. With the new control tyre, it's made it a little bit easier for us, but it's made it a little bit easier for everybody, so the whole level you're chasing has been raised."



"I want to be stronger this year. I want to beat (team mate) Pedro (Lamy), I want to make less mistakes and I want people to see that I'm doing the best job with the equipment the team has at its disposal. It's good to get a second year with Mercedes, but we'll just have to wait and see if it opens any doors. At the moment, my focus is on this season and on taking it one race at a time."



"Mixed conditions level things out. Not dry, not wet, but changing. It doesn't suddenly put us at an advantage, but it increases the chances of things going our way. There aren't really any circumstances where a 2000-spec car will be better than a new one."



"Yeah, that's another variable that could play into our hands from time to time. For teams who are further down the order, it could move us up a lot . You've got to be flexible and be aware of what's going on around you when you make your decision to pit. Traffic, your position in the race, safety cars, the weather - they could all play a part, so you've got to think on your feet.

"We've practiced a few stops and we're not too bad at all. We're nothing special when you compare us to the speed the HWA team does it in, but we're okay and we'll be getting better."



"I'm pleased about that. The testing situation is still a bit 'as and when', but I'm pleased that I'm doing a lot more circuit testing for the team, getting a lot more track time, and not just straightline aero-mapping stuff. The experience is very good for me and I hope it continues to grow. They feel happy that I do a good, solid job for them and I think that if they give me the opportunity, I can do the times."