Robert Wickens has “great memories” of his years in DTM

Wickens contested his last DTM race for Mercedes-Benz last Sunday at the season finale at the Hockenheimring. With the announcement of Mercedes’ departure from the DTM at the end of 2018 and teams in the IndyCar series showing more and more interest in him, the opportunity to move came at exactly the right time.

Wickens will drive the No. 7 Dallara for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports next season, making a return to the open wheel category. The Toronto native was the Formula BMW USA champion in 2006, ranked third in the Formula Atlantic series in 2007, claimed second place in the GP3 series in 2010 and was the champion of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series in 2011.

Wickens is proud of his accomplishments in DTM, and has found memories of his time with Mercedes-Benz.

“I honestly think that the best memory in the last three years was really finding my groove in DTM and becoming more of a title contender,” Wickens declared.

“It's been a real pleasure. In the first year, I had to learn the ropes of the DTM, and then joining HWA was a big honour. Also getting my first ever DTM win at the Nürburgring in 2013 was an amazing feeling, because I know how much of a struggle it can be for formula car drivers or ex-Formula 1 drivers when they come into the DTM. So the fact that I got a win so quickly was a big relief for me. I had some amazing drives and team results, so it's hard to pick just one, but I would definitely say it's the last three years taken together that I will remember the most.”

Wickens is extremely grateful to the entire HWA team and to Gary Paffett who provided a great support. It's been an amazing six years of my life. I can't thank Mercedes enough for the last six years, and I wish them the best of luck for the future. I've made some lifetime friendships,” Wickens continued.

“I had a lot of ups and downs on the way, but I have never had so much support from a team before. It's been an honour to represent their brand, and maybe it's not the last time. Gary [Paffett] and I pretty quickly went from being teammates to actually being friends, and I think that showed both on and off the track. He is such a great guy, so down to earth. While I was a rookie coming into the championship, he was this legend, Gary Paffett. In my rookie year, he was the main title contender and only just missed out. In the following year, we really got to know each other after I had joined HWA. I will cherish our memories forever. There have been so many moments in our driver room that I will keep for a lifetime. I'm sure we're going to stay in contact, because we're past the point of a purely working relationship. Every time we speak, it's more as friends. We can talk for hours about anything. It's going to be sad and tough to swallow, especially as the last race in Hockenheim was a difficult one for me. I was holding back the tears on many occasions. I honestly wish we'd had a documentary crew to film my entire six years with the team.”

After having spent four years living in Germany, Robert will surely miss a few things when he returns to North America.

“Yes, schnitzel and Oktoberfest! [laughs] No, seriously, the German fans are so passionate about motorsports. I was able to live in Germany for four years, and I have some great memories and met some great people, but the thing I'm going to miss the most is all my German colleagues. Everyone has been so helpful and supportive throughout my career. The fans are amazing. Every single race has had packed grandstands. When I think back, it just puts a big smile on my face. I'm sad to be leaving, but all the same, I'm really excited about the new challenge.”