DTM testing: Augusto Farfus completes BMW domination at Hockenheim
Augusto Farfus completed BMW's domination of this week's official DTM test at Hockenheim by setting the pace on the final day of pre-season running on Friday
The RBM driver, last year's highest-scoring rookie in the series, beat his champion stablemate Bruno Spengler by 0.213 seconds on the timesheets, setting the pace in 1m32.976s.
Farfus completed 115 laps during the day in his team-mate Joey Hand's M3 while Schnitzer driver Spengler ended up with a total of 91 laps in the bag.
"The weather played a major role in this test. It alternated between rain and dry conditions," said Farfus.
"It is always beneficial to be able to complete a few laps in the wet, of course, but we would really have preferred more consistent conditions to allow us to prepare for the new season. Despite this, the overall impression is a positive one.
"Although preparations for the new season were generally very short, we are on the right track with regard to the start of the season."
Timo Glock made it a BMW 1-2-3 in his MTEK car, with Christian Vietoris the best of the Mercedes drivers in fourth.
Mike Rockenfeller was Audi's highest-placed driver, the German putting his Phoenix RS5 sixth, ahead of Andy Priaulx's RMG BMW.
Pos Driver Car Time Gap 1. Augusto Farfus RBM BMW 1m32.976s 2. Bruno Spengler Schnitzer BMW 1m33.189s + 0.213s 3. Timo Glock MTEK BMW 1m33.320s + 0.344s 4. Christian Vietoris HWA Mercedes 1m33.453s + 0.477s 5. Pascal Wehrlein RSC Mucke Mercedes 1m33.582s + 0.606s 6. Mike Rockenfeller Phoenix Audi 1m33.630s + 0.654s 7. Andy Priaulx RMG BMW 1m33.715s + 0.739s 8. Robert Wickens HWA Mercedes 1m33.844s + 0.868s 9. Filipe Albuquerque Rosberg Audi 1m33.897s + 0.921s 10. Mattias Ekstrom Abt Audi 1m34.370s + 1.394s 11. Timo Scheider Abt Audi 1m34.922s + 1.946s
DTM testing: Joey Hand quickest for BMW on day three at Hockenheim
Audi believes its 2013 DTM driver line-up is the best yet
The longest-serving Red Bull driver revealing F1’s true brutality
His day of days in Formula 1 came at Indianapolis in 2005, a day grand prix racing strives to forget. But Patrick Friesacher, the long-serving Red Bull lieutenant, remains active today driving a two-seater that provides ordinary people with a glimpse of an F1 car’s savage potential, including this writer...
How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir
OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle
The remarkable career of a 'classy' champion who rejected politics
Over two decades as a factory driver with Audi and BMW, Martin Tomczyk earned the respect of team-mates and rivals as a hard but fair racer. After calling time on his racing career, the 2011 DTM champion sat down with Autosport to look back
The other Hamilton conqueror seeking career revival
On his rise through the ranks before reaching Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton was usually a cut above the rest. But he never truly asserted himself over a Mercedes-backed fellow Briton who traded single-seaters for touring cars and is now seeking new opportunities after a year largely spent on the sidelines
How the DTM's shambolic finale poses awkward future questions
OPINION: The scenes at the Norisring as Mercedes used blatant team orders to secure the first DTM title of the new GT3 era totally undermined the credibility of the championship. But as well as overshadowing the season, it also presents uncomfortable questions to series bosses about the direction it is headed in
How Audi's new DTM star is channeling Rast to achieve his "childhood dream"
Having learned the ropes in GT3 alongside Rene Rast, Kelvin van der Linde is in line to take up the three-time champion's baton as Audi's new DTM king. From humble origins in South Africa, it's been a remarkable journey so far for the current series leader, but he knows that the 2021 title is a long way from settled just yet
The number-crunching behind the new-look DTM's equalisation drive
Switching to GT3 regulations marked a fresh start for the DTM in 2021, but it has also drawn a line in the sand against other series using similar cars by engaging AVL Racing to develop a bespoke Balance of Performance system. Here’s how it works
The initial verdict on DTM's move to GT3 cars
OPINION: Facing collapse last year, the DTM has shifted its philosophy from a championship for silhouette-based touring cars to GT machines not too dissimilar to those racing across multiple series worldwide. But despite some initial BoP-based teething troubles, there were some pleasant findings as the 'new DTM' got underway at Monza