Mercedes completes 2018 DTM line-up with Daniel Juncadella
Mercedes has completed its 2018 DTM line-up by recalling Daniel Juncadella to the series
Juncadella raced for Mercedes' DTM team between from 2013-16 but was only a reserve last year while racing in the Blancpain GT series.
He will return to the DTM for what will be Mercedes' final year in the series, ahead of its switch to Formula E.
"I arrive with charged batteries, super-motivated after a very good year of transition, to enjoy the races again," Juncadella told Autosport.
"I have learned a lot and I have re-found myself, especially at the end. I arrive with the desire to make a very good season and achieve that result that has resisted me in the past.
"Being the last year of Mercedes in the DTM we want to finish it in style and say goodbye with the championships.
"My main objective is to win a race at least and if you can fight for the championship, great, but that will depend on many factors such as the start of the season."
Juncadella and Formula 1 outcast Pascal Wehrlein replace Maro Engel and Robert Wickens, who have left for FE and IndyCar respectively, in Mercedes' DTM squad.
Team boss Ulrich Fritz said Juncadella's familiarity with Mercedes made him the logical option for 2018.
"Daniel knows the team really well from previous years and was present at race weekends during 2017 as a test and reserve driver," said Fritz.
"So he won't need much time to settle back in. He knows the car and the team members from the past and will have no problem settling back in with the squad.
"I'm confident that he'll be able to support the team really well this season with his experience and speed."
Juncadella is Mahindra's unofficial FE reserve driver and has tested for the team twice.
He added that a future FE deal was very much in his plans, and that he is keen to dovetail GT races with the DTM this season.
"I want to continue working to try to get to Formula E in the future and I hope to do the maximum possible races of Blancpain GT, in addition to the 24 hours of Spa and Nurburgring," Juncadella said.
DTM 2018 line-up
Audi: Rene Rast, Jamie Green, Mike Rockenfeller, Nico Muller, Loic Duval, Robin Frijns
Mercedes: Lucas Auer, Gary Paffett, Paul di Resta, Edoardo Mortara, Pascal Wehrlein, Daniel Juncadella
BMW: Marco Wittmann, Timo Glock, Bruno Spengler, Augusto Farfus, Joel Eriksson, Philipp Eng
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
Mechanic dies on the last liaison of Dakar 2022
Al-Attyiah given belated FIA seat belt penalty, keeps Dakar lead
Why Loeb has joined forces with an old enemy for Dakar
Engel returns to DTM as Mercedes unveils seven-car line-up for 2022
Friday favourite: The era-ending F1 Williams that made its mark
Spa 24 Hours: ASP Mercedes tops opening qualifying
Haas disputes Magnussen's Chinese GP F1 penalty was "justifiable"
Ranking the top 10 BTCC liveries
RB brands Ricciardo/Tsunoda Chinese GP crashes “unnecessary”
How rain and strategy spelled disaster for Ferrari in WEC Imola 6 Hours
Autosport writers' most memorable moments of 2022
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
The longest-serving Red Bull driver revealing F1’s true brutality
How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments