Oschersleben: Mercedes preview

DTM Oschersleben, Preview: Three Fight for the DTM Lead

The track: The 3.667-kilometre long track was built between June 1996 and July 1997. It features short straights as well as medium fast and slow corners and it's therefore one of the slower circuits on the DTM calendar.

Marcel Fässler's average speed when he won the 2001 race at Oschersleben, the last DTM race there so far, was 152.950 kph. Only at Adria the speed is lower: Winner Mattias Ekström clocked 135.027 kph last May.

Five DTM races have been staged at Oschersleben so far. Opel won three of them and Mercedes-Benz two. Before Fässler, Bernd Schneider had won the fourth race in 2000.

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Mo-torsport:

"Oschersleben is a winding and comparatively slow track, and it's quite challenging as far as the set-up is con-cerned. The fight for the overall lead remains close. Gary Paf-fett scored his third victory in a row and the fourth out of six DTM races for the Mercedes C-Class. He is back among the title contenders besides Mattias Ekström and Christijan Albers."

"At the Nürburgring, three Mercedes C-Classes, two Audis and three Opels scored points. I expect an exciting race at Oschersleben as well with at least six drivers capable of winning."

Christijan Albers:

"After retiring from the Nürburgring race and losing the overall lead, I'm keen on fighting back at Oschersleben. I'll do my best to re-gain the top position in the championship. I'm glad, that there is another Mercedes driver fighting for the title against Mattias Ekström, after Gary won at the Nürburgring last weekend."

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