Presentation in Hamburg

10,000 spectators experience DTM buzz at close quarters in Hamburg

Roaring engines, rapt spectators and magnificent weather: the DTM staged a spectacular show in Hamburg on Tuesday. The DTM stars offered a close look into Europe's most popular touring car race series by turning the centre of Hamburg into a jam-packed drivers' camp with racing-taxi rides around the Binnenalster (Inner Alster), top-class music gigs, a pitstop competition on the Rathausmarkt (town hall square) and starts on the Lombard bridge.

Over 10,000 spectators attended the DTM presentation.

Photo by Audi Sport Press.

In the car parade featuring the current DTM cars, racers including former Formula 1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen in an Opel Vectra GTS V8, Mercedes' Jean Alesi in a Mercedes-Benz C-class and Tom Kristensen in an Audi A4 brought the fascination of the DTM closer to the spectators around the Binnenalster ahead of the 2004 season.

Martin Kesici and Jasmin Wagner ensured the right atmosphere with their singing on the large stage at the Rathausmarkt, while several other celebrities were chauffered around the Binnenalster in DTM cars kitted out with passenger seats. These included actress Dorkas Kiefer, presenter Collien Fernandes, Thomas Stein, Miss Hamburg Hiltja M?ller as well as Alpine skiing shooting star Maria Riesch. "It was absolutely fantastic to be driven around the Binnenalster in a DTM car," Maria Riesch said after her speedy drive through Hamburg. "Now I want to experience the same thing again on a racetrack."

The season's first comparison in the pitstop competition between the three DTM makes of Audi, Opel and Mercedes-Benz went to the manufacturer from R?sselsheim. The Opel mechanics were the fastest changing tyres and in doing so signalled they were in top form for the DTM season-opener at the Hockenheimring Baden-W?rttemberg from April 16-18.

-dtm-