DTM – Paffett: Accumulate points before Hockenheim

At the start of the season, Gary Paffett dominated the proceedings and created a good lead in the championship. However, the Briton had three difficult meetings without getting on the podium, which allowed Bruno Spengler to come back to just 11 points. In Valencia, the HWA Team driver will try to get ahead of his main rivals in the title race in order to approach the last round of the season (October 20-21) calmly.

« I have already done a lot of laps in my career on the Valencia circuit, in DTM but also in Formula 1 with McLaren Mercedes, Paffett explains. It's really different from the other tracks on the calendar and it's really difficult to find the right settings. There are a lot of slow corners and that means traction plays a big role and rear tire degradation is quite significant. Valencia is a difficult circuit, but my Mercedes C-Coupé has been fast throughout the season. My goal is to score as many points as possible in order to create a nice cushion before going to Hockenheim for the last race of the season. »

For his part, Jamie Green knows that he could lose his last title hopes in Valencia if he does not achieve a good result. With 19 points behind, the slightest mistake could be fatal. “ This will be the third time that the DTM has visited Valencia since 2010, says Green. The Ricardo Tormo circuit has recently been resurfaced. In the past, the surface in Valencia was really dependent on heat, and this had a significant impact on lap times. I'm curious to see how the track behaves now. »