The DTM is headed for the legendary Norisring district
Spectacular races instead of daily traffic: From July 3rd to July 5th Norisring will host the fourth round of this year's DTM season in the heart of Nuremberg.
The only city circuit in Germany requires maximum concentration from the drivers. The narrow line between the barriers and the walls around the historic stone stands requires precise work and is completely merciless to errors. After his second victory in DTM at Lausitzuring, the leading driver of the Matteo Cairol Championship is trying to defend the first place in the table, but his lead is small. In second and third place is behind them, just a point less than behind Italy, a pair of Mercedes-AMG Maro Engel and Lucas Auer pilots
The win at Lausitzring has turned Ferrari Cairoli's only driver in the DTM with two wins this season and also brought him to the top of the table. However, the Nuremberg Road Circuit is practically a new territory for him.
"I only raced at Norisring once, 11 years ago," says the 30-year-old rider. "I know that you have to brake extremely late and, on the way out of the corners very soon, add gas to reach the maximum speed on the long planes. Moreover, the surface is unique because it is everyday roads. It might be a hot weekend, but Lausitzuring was the perfect preparation. I will fight until I fall."
The racer Aston Martin Nicki Thiim has particularly nice memories of the road circuit. "In 2024 I won my first DTM race at Norisring. It was an incredible experience. The circle is the absolute peak and in the cockpit it gives you adrenaline. Racing there is every rider's dream. We will show a good show," promises the Dane, who is currently the sixth in the table.
Norisling is also of special importance for Thomas Preining, the new 24H Spa winner. Austrian has made history in Nuremberg: Four years ago, Preining here won the first victory in DTM for the Porsche. The driver of Manthey now has three victories on Norisring. The 27-year-old driver won a legendary 24-hour race at Spa- Francorchamps alongside his team colleague from DTM Ricard Feller and the new DTM Bastian Buuse.
With fast planes and only four sharp turns, the road track in Nuremberg is difficult to brake. The vehicles shall slow down from more than 250 km / h to 60 km / h. The bumps just before the corners are causing more challenges. When leaving the corners, the rider must find the right track to approach the walls without losing the rear-view mirror.
The local favorite Marco Wittmann (Schubert Motorsport), who comes to his home business as the best placed BMW in fourth place, is looking forward to the weekend. "The atmosphere on Norisring is amazing. It is a great pleasure for me to race on this unique road circuit in front of my family, my home audience and my fan club," says the man from Fürth.