DTM at Brands 3rd to 5th September 2010

[dr-baker]

I know this probably belongs in the Rejectwatch 2010 thread but so many F1-related drivers were at this weekend that I thought I would have one long post in its own thread, unless someone wants to move it there... And all the track action happened on the Indy loop.

Right, in the DTM race itself were a number of drivers who have driven F1 cars, the only truely non-reject being DC. Ralf I am counting as a popularity reject as in a fan survey a few years ago, participants were able to choose between all the drivers that year to choose as their favourite. All the drivers, including the least-well-known backmarkers, got at least 1 or 2 % - except Ralf on zero... Markus Winkelhock was there in the Playboy Audi, the only F1 driver to have gone from last to a substantial lead before the red flag and then gone straight back from first to last then DNFing in his only F1 race. Gary Paffett and Paul di Resta, 2nd and 3rd in the DTM championship for Mercedes, have both tested for Mercedes-powered teams in F1, the former for McLaren and the latter as a current occasional Friday tester for Force India. Jamie Green has previously won the McLaren BRDC Young Driver award in 2002 and has therefore presumably tested a McLaren. Alex Premat drove the third Midland at the 2006 Chinese Grand Prix. Katherine Legge tested a Minardi in November 2005. And CongFu 'Franky' Cheng was runner-up in Chinese F1 Idol in the 2006 Brazilian GP podcast (this section starting about 20 1/2 minutes from the end of the podcast), and according to Wikipedia, "In 2003 he (Franke Cheng) will be supported by the McLaren Formula One team, as part of its driver development programme." So that is at least half the grid of 18 drivers with some F1 experience...

And these drivers' results:

David Coulthard: 12th, last unlapped driver, 31.75 seconds off the lead after 98 laps, having qualified 14th and been penalised for jumping the start. And this was apparently his first race at the track since 1991...
Ralf Schumacher: DNF after 30 laps, damage after having collided with Ekstrom at the start (Ekstrom had already received damage, slowed round Paddock Hill and collected by Susie Stoddart...)
Markus Winklehock: DNF after 75 laps
Gary Paffett: 5th, and lost 2nd place in the championship to:
Paul di Resta: race winner
Jamie Green: 10th
Alex Premat: 8th and 1 point (DTM still using the old F1 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1)
Katherine Legge: equalled her best result of the year, scoring her fourth 14th this year, which here at Brands was the last-placed finisher.
CongFu 'Frankie' Cheng: sandwiched by Katherine Legge and David Coulthard in 13th.

David Coulthard

Ralf Schumacher

Markus Winklehock

Gary Paffett

Paul di Resta

Jamie Green

Alex Premat

Katherine Legge


CogFu Cheng


In the support races, I shall start by quoting something I posted on another thread over the weekend:

Perry McCarthy was at Brands Hatch today. There was a biogas-powered VW Scirocco race in which Derek Bell, Mark Blundell, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert raced the guest cars as "Legends." The last three named got onto the Legends podium in which Damon Hill and Perry McCarthy (and somebody else) presented the trophies. And then all five fought over the champagne and the former black Stig got absolutely drenched. All seemed to be having a good old jolly...

Blundell was second overall, Brundle was about 5th, Herbert was about 7th or 8th, and Derek Bell was nowhere... Not bad for the former F1 drivers considering it was their first time at the circuit since the late 1980s/early 1990s, just like DC... And all on the same weekend! Herbert did well, remembering his bitter-sweet experiences of the Grand Prix loop.

Amongst the crowd, nobody seemed to be getting excited about any driver in F3 Euroseries, but everybody seemed to get behind the same driver in Formula Ford, despite there only being one Brit in F3 (someone who everybody could have supported - Alex Sims) and plenty of Brits in FFords. But when that FFord driver is the son of the 1996 F1 champ, and grandson of the '62 and '68 champ, and after whom the third corner of Brands is named, everybody seemed to get excited by Josh Hill getting a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the three FFord races, particularly when competing against the competitive Australian Scott Pye.


Hill entering Paddock Hill bend


Hill following the Finn Antti Buri


Josh Hill (and the others...) entering Graham Hill bend

I think that's all the F1 links amonst the competitors. Hope this is of interest and the photos add interest.

Oh and I got Susie Stoddart's autograph!







Her race damage after collecting the slowing Ekstrom around Paddock Hill bend.

[shinji]

Frankie Cheng!

You really love your Brands, don't you? Must be awesome getting to go to so much.

[dr-baker]

Frankie Cheng!

You really love your Brands, don't you? Must be awesome getting to go to so much.

Well, yeah. It helps that they host so many quality event at prices much cheaper than the British Grand Prix, and only 40 - 60 minutes from home, depending on M25/Dartford River Crossing traffic. And the reason for such an epic post above was the number of F1 connections competing or attending this weekend as can be read.

I have been to Silverstone for the BTCC last month and even with them racing on the National configuration, you couldn't watch them over as much of the track as you can see at Brands. (Although Rockingham Motor Speedway in Corby, Northhamptonshire is not bad...)

Rockingham Motor Speedway


Silverstone from Woodcote grandstand


Brands Hatch, Paddock Hill grandstand, view to the right


Brands Hatch, Paddock Hill grandstand, view of Paddock, Druids and Graham Hill bends


So can see 95-99% of the Indy loop from Paddock Hill grandstand, with only a bit of Clark curve obscured (and a bit of Druids, depending how much the leaves on the trees are present on the trees! ). Beats any of the Grand Prix tracks, I reckon, although I would love to watch F1 at Eau Rouge or anywhere at Monza. (Went to the British GP in about 1996 in the pit straight grandstand and you could only see the pits and pit straight. Both Woodcote and Copse were difficult to see.)

[Phoenix]

And I don't have a bathplugging good circuit nearby (nearby: within 400 km)

[DonTirri]

And I don't have a bathplugging good circuit nearby (nearby: within 400 km)

Hey, shut up. You got two grand prix and four or five GP circuits in the country. The closest GP circuit to me is in friggin Hungary.

[shinji]

Go Mondello!

[f1-gast]

This is offtopic but F. DTM.
Ivé been there twice at zandvoort, i'm paying money to have acces every race weekend/event in the paddock and on the startinggrid.
Believe me, 2 times DTM 2 times i was at least 2 days frustrated, no one spoke english only German gorilla ape's that said oengaboenga jah aber nein.

I was't able to walk in the paddock, well ye si was, but everything was covert with black screens just everything!.
I Couldn't go upstairs to the stand above the paddock building.
NO acces denied because tohse Gorilla's told so.
I wernt to a marshal he told me, well sorry mate, but even WE can't do what we want on OUR circuit.
Asked someone from the organization, Ja aber mein friend, das war einmal.
If you ask some one from the circuit self (some administrator what so ever).
They have to keep their mouth shouth.
Been there last year 3 hours, ands was so frustrated that i destroyed almost my paddock pas.

It isnt fun anymore if it's like that.

Sorry for offtopic.

[dr-baker]

f1-gast, that was not off-topic in my opinion - it was your experience of watching the DTM. Personally, I have never bothered with a paddock pass or pit-lane walkabout. When general admission is £25, and grandstand is about about another £12 (it should add up to about £75 for 2), to have to pay another £12 each for either activity, when there's enough track action and merchandise browsing to be done, it ain't worth it. Although the official DTM merchandise stand at the weekend was in the support race paddock on the outside of Paddock Hill bend, so to even just browse the merchandise would have cost £12, and the FFord autograph session was held within the confines of that same paddock. I was quite content to just get the beautiful Susie's autograph, although to get Josh Hill's autograph may have been cool too, particularly if I could have got his dad's too.

[f1-gast]

I understand it. What you say.
WTCC is a open event it's more how to say peace fuller for the public.
Have to say that zandvoort said for this year that the people with a paddock pas can't go to DTM.

By the way, i was at the Masters of Formula 3 with my friend 3 days (fri till sun), and we spoke 2times with Damon hill.
Shame you didn't talk to him is is very nice, takes the time to make a chat with you =)

[Faustus]

Nice photos dr-baker! I was there as well and quite enjoyed it. Made a nice change for me to be spectating instead of racing. I spent the entire weekend with Mucke Motorsport.
I barely took any photos or videos, but these are about the only half-decent ones that I took:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIbrETDdzW8

A crap video of Paul di Resta's 1st pitstop, as shot by me from the Mucke Motorsport pit next door. Nothing much happens until 22 seconds in and then it's over quickly anyway.

A couple of photos of the Mucke Motorsport crew watching the race:

[dr-baker]

Thanks for the compliments on my photos (again) Faustus. It was a bit of an effort going through all the photos I took to find the clearest of each driver, and I had to delete several on the day due to excessive blurring. But the more I take, the more likely some are going to be OK... I was disappointed that I had switched my camera off just as the collision between Ekstrom and Susie happened - by lap 2 I tend to want to watch the action and then take a few more photos later in the race as the field becomes more spread out. And I also only had one chance to take a photo of the damage on Susie's car so I was kinda glad how it came out.

And your video clip of the race winner's 1st pitstop demonstrates the pressure that the pit crews must be under each race - they have to stand in position ready and tense for over 20 seconds and then, if they do their job well, it's all over in about a 10th of the time they've been waiting. The video shows just how much time they have to be poised for. And sorry we were not able to meet up. Next time, maybe?

[Faustus]

All in all, it was a pretty good race. I could have got you into the pits, dr-baker. But you probably would have lost your seat in the Paddock Hill Bend grandstand. Next time, I insist that I bring you into the pits! And that goes for any one else from here that happens to be at a race where I'm at.
Susie Stoddard's crash with Mattias Ekstrom caused a few unflattering and sexist (albeit funny) comments within the Mucke Motorsport crew, and DC's comments after finding out that he'd jumped the start where pretty priceless, although I couldn't possibly reproduce them within the confines of a family-friendly forum.

[DemocalypseNow]

All in all, it was a pretty good race. I could have got you into the pits, dr-baker. But you probably would have lost your seat in the Paddock Hill Bend grandstand. Next time, I insist that I bring you into the pits! And that goes for any one else from here that happens to be at a race where I'm at.
Susie Stoddard's crash with Mattias Ekstrom caused a few unflattering and sexist (albeit funny) comments within the Mucke Motorsport crew, and DC's comments after finding out that he'd jumped the start where pretty priceless, although I couldn't possibly reproduce them within the confines of a family-friendly forum.

Does this mean I could get into the Mucke pits at next year's F3 Masters? (I was hoping to go next year if my finances allow, maybe f1-gast can give me some help!)

[FullMetalJack]

And I don't have a bathplugging good circuit nearby (nearby: within 400 km)

Hey, shut up. You got two grand prix and four or five GP circuits in the country. The closest GP circuit to me is in friggin Hungary.

It is extremely unusual for you to never have a grand prix, especially considering how successful you've been in F1.

[thehemogoblin]

And I don't have a bathplugging good circuit nearby (nearby: within 400 km)

Hey, shut up. You got two grand prix and four or five GP circuits in the country. The closest GP circuit to me is in friggin Hungary.

In his defense, the closest good circuit to him is in Germany.

[Faustus]

All in all, it was a pretty good race. I could have got you into the pits, dr-baker. But you probably would have lost your seat in the Paddock Hill Bend grandstand. Next time, I insist that I bring you into the pits! And that goes for any one else from here that happens to be at a race where I'm at.
Susie Stoddard's crash with Mattias Ekstrom caused a few unflattering and sexist (albeit funny) comments within the Mucke Motorsport crew, and DC's comments after finding out that he'd jumped the start where pretty priceless, although I couldn't possibly reproduce them within the confines of a family-friendly forum.

Does this mean I could get into the Mucke pits at next year's F3 Masters? (I was hoping to go next year if my finances allow, maybe f1-gast can give me some help!)

If I'm still with them and I do the race, sure, no problem at all, my pleasure.

[dr-baker]

In the support races, I shall start by quoting something I posted on another thread over the weekend:

Perry McCarthy was at Brands Hatch today. There was a biogas-powered VW Scirocco race in which Derek Bell, Mark Blundell, Martin Brundle and Johnny Herbert raced the guest cars as "Legends." The last three named got onto the Legends podium in which Damon Hill and Perry McCarthy (and somebody else) presented the trophies. And then all five fought over the champagne and the former black Stig got absolutely drenched. All seemed to be having a good old jolly...

Blundell was second overall, Brundle was about 5th, Herbert was about 7th or 8th, and Derek Bell was nowhere... Not bad for the former F1 drivers considering it was their first time at the circuit since the late 1980s/early 1990s, just like DC... And all on the same weekend! Herbert did well, remembering his bitter-sweet experiences of the Grand Prix loop.

I am just finishing reading last week's Autosport magazine with the following news article:

British racing legend Damon Hill will not come out of retirement to compete in the DTM-supporting VW Scirroco R Cup 'Legends' race at Brands Hatch this weekend.

Organisers contacted the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion in an effort to get him to race alongside fellow ex-GP drivers Martin Brundle, Johnny Herbert and Derek Bell in the event, but Hill has no interest in the plan.

"They phoned me and I said, 'I'm not doing it,'" said the BRDC president. "It sounds like a lot of fun, but I haven't raced since I stopped F1 [in 1999].

"Those days are behind me and I've got no plans to come back."

Mark Blundell will replace Hill in the fourth 'Legends' car. The ex-GP and Champ Car racer returned to action this year, competing in the Spa 24 Hours for the United Autosports Audi R8 team.

I remember at the time (in 1999) that Damon seemed to be losing interest in racing and wasn't showing the same form. But to not make a one-off return a decade later in a race that seemed a lot of fun? On the same weekend his son was racing? Blundell admittedly did well, and Blundell, Brundle, Herbert, Hill and Perry all enjoyed the podium ceremony, but c'mon Damon, you wouldn't have done too badly compared to Derek Bell at least:

VW Scirocco R Cup result – Round 6, Brands Hatch

1 Kris Heidorn, 26 laps, 24:31.487
2 Jann-Hendrik Ubben, +4.486
3 Mark Blundell, +4.526
4 Maciek Steinhof, +6.742
5 Johnny Herbert, +7.036
6 Dennis Rieger, +8.315
7 Martin Brundle, +9.693
8 Stefano Proetto, +10.298
9 Ola Nilsson, +15.637
10 Timmy Megenbier, +16.498
11 Alan Lee, +16.916
12 Adam Gladysz, +17.143
13 Felix Tigges, +17.401
14 John Barker, 19.627
15 Arne Larisch, +20.105
16 Berek Bayindir, +22.179
17 Nicolas Schneider, +35.827
18 Isabelle Biela, +37.516
19 Eve Scheer. +42.737
20 Daniel Bohr, +43.284
21 Adam Hay-Nicholls, +1 lap
22 Derek Bell, + 1 lap
23 Hans-Peter Schleifer, +58.065, +3 laps

Not classified
Aditya Patel, 0 laps

So how do people think Damon could have done? Could his son have given him some tips on racing round Brands?

[P_Friesacher]

And I don't have a bathplugging good circuit nearby (nearby: within 400 km)

Hey, shut up. You got two grand prix and four or five GP circuits in the country. The closest GP circuit to me is in friggin Hungary.

In his defense, the closest good circuit to him is in Germany.

No, it's in Aragon! Too bad, F1 will never use it...
Also, DonTirri, I just spent about an hour on the Google Maps Distance Calculator because I couldn't believe it, but, of course, you're right - Budapest really is the nearest F1 circuit to you!
A sad fate to have that circuit as your next F1 venue, which, by the way, we share.

[Phoenix]

The problem with me is that I live in an island and I'm not entirely independent yet. dr-baker has the luck of having a top notch circuit close. The real closest I have is a small karting circuit, as plans for the Llucmajor GP seem to be being shelved.

[DemocalypseNow]

My nearest track is Knockhill...its a shite square track that only has BTCC and British GT. No important racing series has ever raced there. Ever. It's shite.

[Frentzen127]

I pity none of you. I pity myself.
I live about 40km south of a racing track. Which btw is the only dedicated racing facility in the country.
And its dreadful. Awlful indeed.

http://www.autodromos-sa.com/Autodromos ... Map=Pistas

And here's DC trying to beat JPM's long standing record. Don't know if he succeeded.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cx4ddmPWZ9Q
JPM's record was made in a prototype, don't know if DC managed to beat his time since it was raining. As it always does.
A bit like London, isn't it?

[dr-baker]

A quick query: I am at Silverstone this weekend for the final round of the (European) Le Mans Series race/fist round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race (otherwise known as the Autosport 1000 km of Silverstone). Anthony Davidson was signing autographs just after 3 pm in one of the Le Mans merchandise stalls (on outside of Woodcote. Just ahead of me in the queue was a long-haired guy with a photo of Anthony Davidson in a Super Aguri who I briefly chatted to. He also asked Anthony if he could recognise where the photo was taken. Was that guy a member of this forum by any chance? (I was a chubby guy in a white t-shirt and with curly brown hair.) (And I didn't get a cap signed. I didn't have it on me. )

[dr-baker]

A quick query: I am at Silverstone this weekend for the final round of the (European) Le Mans Series race/fist round of the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup race (otherwise known as the Autosport 1000 km of Silverstone). Anthony Davidson was signing autographs just after 3 pm in one of the Le Mans merchandise stalls (on outside of Woodcote. Just ahead of me in the queue was a long-haired guy with a photo of Anthony Davidson in a Super Aguri who I briefly chatted to. He also asked Anthony if he could recognise where the photo was taken. Was that guy a member of this forum by any chance? (I was a chubby guy in a white t-shirt and with curly brown hair.) (And I didn't get a cap signed. I didn't have it on me. )

Actually, it may have been that it was not anybody from this forum. When I returned yesterday (Sunday morning) to the weekend's official autograph session, several people were getting Super Aguri kit signed: jackets, photos, caps... Super Aguri fandom is rife and lives!