By: Mercedes-AMG DTM
September 7 2016

Only three more race weekends until the new DTM champion is crowned. Next weekend at the Nürburgring, the Mercedes-AMG DTM Team enters the final stage of the championship battle.

Golden anniversary: The Nürburgring hosts the DTM for the 50th time this coming weekend.

Robert Wickens secured his first DTM victory at the Nürburgring in 2013 amid atrocious weather conditions

The Eifel has already proved to be a happy hunting ground for the brand with the three-pointed star this year. In probably the most exciting 24-hour race ever staged on the legendary Nordschleife, Mercedes-AMG scored a historic quadruple triumph, monopolising the Top Four positions.

Ulrich Fritz: "Broadly speaking, I'm anticipating a hard-fought and close weekend because we are after all entering the decisive phase of the championship battle."

Comments ahead of the DTM races at the Nürburgring  

Robert Wickens (27, Canada):
Car number: 6
Team: SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG (Mercedes-AMG DTM Team HWA)
Car: SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"I am always very excited about returning to the Nürburgring. It was there in 2013 that I won my first ever DTM race. The weather on that occasion was atrocious. Typical of the Nürburgring, you might say. At times, I didn't even know what position I was in. You often get races like that in the Eifel. If the result this weekend is the same as then, I won't mind one bit. Hopefully, we can reclaim the lead in the championship at the Nürburgring. To do that, though, we need to have a perfect weekend! But anyway, I've got a great team backing me up, and together we have what it takes to succeed."  

Paul Di Resta (30, Scotland):
Car number: 3
Team: SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG (Mercedes-AMG DTM Team HWA)
Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"We're reaching a crucial point in the championship at the Nürburgring. Including this weekend, we've got six races left. After a strong performance in Moscow, we can feel relatively optimistic about the trip to the Eifel. I'm hopeful of a good weekend and I aim to score as many points as possible at the Nürburgring."  

Gary Paffett (35, England):
Car number: 2
Team: EURONICS / FREE MEN'S WORLD Mercedes-AMG
(Mercedes-AMG DTM team ART)
Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"Moscow was a mixed weekend for me. In the wet conditions on Saturday, things went really well, but we then struggled in the dry on Sunday. At the Nürburgring, I'm hoping for a more consistent and somewhat better performance. As usual, that won't be easy. Competition in the DTM is always very tight, and that's the way it will be in the Eifel. But I'll do my best and hope for another strong weekend like at Zandvoort or in the Saturday race in Moscow."  

Lucas Auer (21, Austria):
Car number: 22
Team: BWT Mercedes-AMG (Mercedes-AMG DTM Team Mücke)
Car: BWT Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"I have many positive memories of the Nürburgring. Last year, I secured my first DTM pole position there. Essentially, the Nürburgring is a challenging circuit - really cool. Qualifying there is especially crucial, as overtaking is very difficult. But I hope that we will be competitive there as well. Unfortunately, I've been given a five-place grid penalty for the first race - that's tough, but then I'll just have to make sure I qualify higher. In the time since the race weekend in Moscow, I've been doing a lot of karting to keep myself fit. But now I'm looking forward to getting back in my DTM car."

Christian Vietoris (27, Germany):
Car number: 8
Team: BWT Mercedes-AMG (Mercedes-AMG DTM Team Mücke)
Car: BWT Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"I'm looking forward to my home race in the Eifel. The whole season has gone very well for me so far. I may have had the odd unlucky race, but overall I was almost always fast - and I'd like to prove that to my home fans at the Nürburgring. I think we're in for a great weekend. The weather has been pretty good in the Eifel over the last few days, and it should stay that way for next weekend. So I'm really fired up for a super weekend with fans, friends and family."  

Maximilian Götz (30, Germany):
Car number: 84
Team: Mercedes-AMG (Mercedes-AMG DTM Team HWA)
Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"Moscow was well worth the journey for me. On that last race weekend, I had my best ever qualifying and also my best race result to date, so I feel like I'm on an upward trajectory. Now I need to carry the momentum over to the Nürburgring. I know this track very well. I had my best DTM weekend of 2015 there, finishing fifth and sixth. I'd like to repeat that this year and maybe even go higher. We are also aiming for the team championship in the Eifel. The track should suit our car, so hopefully we can get a good result. Last year at the Nürburgring, there was some great overtaking. The fans can therefore look forward to plenty of action again."  

Daniel Juncadella (25, Spain):
Car number: 12
Team: SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG (Mercedes-AMG DTM Team HWA)
Car: Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"The second race in Moscow was really terrific. I hope I can perform equally as well at the Nürburgring which is one of my favourite tracks despite being very challenging. It's particularly important to have the right setup because of the many turns in the first and second sector. Still, I'm very confident that we can do that and achieve a good result."  

Felix Rosenqvist (24, Sweden):
Car number: 88
Team: EURONICS / FREE MEN'S WORLD Mercedes-AMG
(Mercedes-AMG DTM Team ART)
Car: FREE MEN'S WORLD Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM

"Moscow was a success in my view. I achieved the targets I had set myself for my first DTM weekend. For the Nürburgring, we now want to raise the bar slightly higher. I have good memories of this track. It was where I won the FIA Formula 3 European Championship last year and ran out winner in all three races. Consequently, I'll be arriving in the Eifel feeling confident. I like the track very much and have spent a lot of time there. It feels a bit like home. It obviously won't be easy, but with the race weekend in Moscow to look back on, I can approach it in an optimistic frame of mind and take it one step at a time."  

Ulrich Fritz, Head of Mercedes-AMG DTM:

"We're heading for the Eifel with decent prospects. Robert is in a promising position as far as the drivers' championship is concerned, and Paul is still in striking distance of the top, plus there is everything still to play for in the manufacturers' championship. We came away from the two races at the Nürburgring last year with nine Top Ten finishes and two podiums. However, we didn't quite make it onto the top rung. We intend to rectify that this weekend. Perhaps we'll have some luck in terms of the weather. In the Eifel, rain is famously not an uncommon occurrence, and we saw in Moscow how well our car works in the wet. Broadly speaking, though, I'm anticipating a hard-fought and close weekend because we are after all entering the decisive phase of the championship battle."  

Canadians In BOLD