There's excitement in the air – mixed with melancholy. Mercedes-AMG Motorsport DTM team's opening press conference for the 2018 season at the Mercedes-Benz Museum: Motorsport chief Toto Wolff and DTM team chief Ulrich Fritz present all the drivers for the coming season. The latest car is brought into the room via video – along with a series of thrilling racing scenes depicting duels from the past 30 years. Mercedes-Benz has been officially involved in this popular racing series since 1988, during which time it has won ten championship titles and finished in second place 16 times. This makes the brand the most successful manufacturer in DTM history.
Mercedes-Benz's 30 years of DTM history are also a colourful kaleidoscope of vehicle, team and race history. The Mercedes-Benz Museum has chosen five original racing cars from this kaleidoscope and is putting them on public display until 6 May. The following models will be on show in the museum's open-air area:
Another vehicle, the Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM (2015, model series C 204) driven by Robert Wickens, is on display in the museum's atrium.
On 4 May in Hockenheim, the final chapter in the DTM story of the Stuttgart-based brand starts with the opening race of the 2018 German Touring Car Masters. Because the brand will be withdrawing from the racing series at the end of the season. “These pictures evoke highs and lows with every emotion,” says Toto Wolff. “At the same time, we are totally motivated to win the trophy again in the 2018 season.” All six drivers leave no doubts about this, either: Lucas Auer, Paul Di Resta, Daniel Juncadella, Edoardo Mortara, Gary Paffett and Pascal Wehrlein. Each of them wants to be crowned champion in a Mercedes-Benz this year - so the season ahead promises to be an extremely exciting one.
Oliver Kapffenstein in conversation with Gary Paffett and Edoardo Mortara.
Roland Asch became a Mercedes-Benz driver in 1988.
The press conference also focuses on three former protagonists: Ellen Lohr, Roland Asch and Klaus Ludwig. They wrote spectacular DTM racing history under the banner of the Mercedes star. “It's a shame that this chapter of Mercedes-Benz motorsport is now coming to an end,” says Klaus Ludwig. “But we are proud: because, for a racing driver, there is no greater honour than lining up on the grid for Mercedes-Benz.”