V for victory.

V for victory.

At the DTM opening race, the German drivers met the new V-Class.

Christian Vietoris's training secrets.

Christian, what were your three training secrets when you were preparing for the DTM season? During a race, the temperature in the cockpit is 60 to 70 degrees, so stamina is very important for a racing driver. In winter we worked hard on concentration and coordination,

as there are a lot of things going on at the same time in the car. You are in constant contact with the pit crew and have to regulate various car settings from the cockpit. Those are factors that can make all the difference between winning and losing.

Christian Vietoris on the subject of hot cockpits and multitasking.

Gary Paffett: one team with the car.

Gary, what does it mean for you that all the people in a team work together – and all have to pull together? In motorsport you have good times together, but bad times too. So it is very important for the success that everyone works together in one team. You can develop the car faster if everyone works together. At Mercedes-Benz we currently have a good team of drivers and engineers. Everybody works hard to improve the car and everyone has the same aim: winning races as a team.

To what extent are you and your car a team? I spend a lot of time on the track with my car. That is why it is very important to understand how the car behaves in different

Gary Paffett in Hockenheim: "It is very important for the success that all the people in a team work together."

situations. You should know the strengths and weaknesses of your car and develop a feeling of how the grip level of a tyre varies. So you can get the very best out of your car in the qualifying round and in the race.

For Robert Wickens, the new V-Class is not just a resting place and a family car – it's also the dream car for a rock band.

Robert Wickens: the calm for the storm.

Robert, how do you manage to get space for peace and concentration so you can show your very best performance in the race? How important is it for you to have comfortable surroundings before a race despite the excitement and anticipation? It's important for me to be in a peaceful space before a race weekend. I enjoy relaxing off the track and not thinking about motorsports for a while.

What impression did you get of the new V-Class? I really like the new V-Class. It looks much more modern and provides lots of space for the whole family. If I played in a rock band, the V-Class would definitely be the car of my choice for going on tour. Thank you very much for the interview and I wish you every success for the season.

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