Augusto Farfus would be the first to admit his track record at the Norisring can only get better. He really likes the track, but in the past two years it has not liked him. However, that has not put him off aiming for his first points here in the fourth round of the 2014 DTM on this iconic street track.
One thing the Brazilian driver knows is all the drivers will get a great reception there
with one of the biggest crowds of the season. Last year 126,000 fans went to the track on the streets of Nürnberg to watch the excitement in scorching temperatures. “I really like the track and the atmosphere there, but it is not what you would call a proper race circuit, as it basically has two corners and long straights,” said the BMW Team RBM driver.
with one of the biggest crowds of the season. Last year 126,000 fans went to the track on the streets of Nürnberg to watch the excitement in scorching temperatures. “I really like the track and the atmosphere there, but it is not what you would call a proper race circuit, as it basically has two corners and long straights,” said the BMW Team RBM driver.
He also knows it will be a difficult weekend to get the best out of his Castrol EDGE BMW M4 DTM, as he explained: “This is always a tough track for everyone. The engineers have to get the car’s set-up right, the drivers have to deliver a perfect performance and the strategy has to be spot on. On paper it may look quite simple, but circumstances change quickly so to get the right strategy can be extremely difficult.”
In the past Brands Hatch has been the shortest track on the DTM calendar, but this dubious honour now goes to the Norisring which is 2.3 kilometres long. Augusto knows just what that can mean: “The fact that this is the shortest track on the calendar also makes life difficult. It is always a compromise, a matter of give and take, as you have to go for maximum efficiency, which does not help the braking or the grip. You end up having a car that is extremely efficient on the straights, but very bad on braking and not really good on turning. If you are not at the front you can easily be lapped if you make your pit stop at the wrong time. I know all about this, as last year was tough for me, we didn't get the right set-up and it cost us quite a lot.”
The track is very much the home one for BMW, as Nürnberg is the second biggest city in Bavaria and only 160 kilometres down the A9 autobahn from the company’s Munich headquarters. This will be the 14th DTM race at this track as it has been on the calendar every year since 2001.
The DTM action starts, as usual, on Friday, with the roll out from 16.45 to 17.20, with this split into two 15-minute sessions with a five-minute break in between. On Saturday the schedule for free practice has been changed, and from this race on there will be two 60 minute sessions rather than a single 90 minute one. Free practice one is from 08.30 to 09.30 and then free practice two from 11.30 to 12.30. Qualifying will be held from 14.50 to 15.40. The race on Sunday starts at 13.30 and is run over 83 laps.
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