16.11.2009

Difficult Saturday

The guy who wanted to re-learn the job as racing driver: in 2009, his second DTM season, Schumacher wanted to up the ante. From the touring-car apprentice to the journeyman. An interim balance in two parts.

You live and lean...

A Saturday afternoon in early October, 16:06hrs. In great mood, Ralf Schumacher appears to meet the media. He is friendly, asks the Journalists on site how they are. Everybody knows and respects one another. And while the 34-year old feels great, the weather is disgusting. It rains cats and dogs. But that’s the reason for Schumacher’s great mood. In these extremely difficult conditions, Schumacher secured sixth grid position for the ninth round of the DTM season, held at Dijon-Prenois. While others - such as the reigning DTM Champion - had their problems with the adverse conditions. Timing was vital, the right tyre choice a must. Hence, this day in France was a special one, from Schumacher’s point of view. The best qualifying result of his DTM career. A great Saturday.

But more often than not on the Saturdays of the DTM weekends, Schumacher has to cope with set-backs of the most different kinds. So, his mood isn’t always great. But even then, he doesn’t get tight-lipped or musing. Again and again, the Saturday costs Schumacher the chance of securing a better race result - but not always through a fault of his own.

Three times, the undisputed star of the crowds fails to advance to the second knock-out phase of the four-stage qualifying session and only twice he makes it to Q3 - the stage where the top eight battle it out with one another. So, his usually Sunday task is making up for the ground lost on Saturday. While his three team-mates who also race 2009-spec cars battle it out for podiums and race wins right from the start. How does Schumacher explain these set-backs when he goes to buy his bread rolls for breakfast? “Fortunately, these questions are rare,” laughs Schumacher. “But I would explain that things aren’t so easy, in DTM. And that my team-mates are far more experienced than me when it comes to racing a DTM car. Hockenheim will be my only 21st DTM race - and the testing days are extremely limited. Therefore, every kilometre at the wheel is vital for improving.”

There is a certain difference between the own and the public expectations. Schumacher - this name should be a guarantor for top results. His brother Michael: the record-breaking seven-time Formula 1 World Champion. Ralf a six-time Grand Prix winner. The Schumachers just have got the motor-racing gene. “I’m still on the way to learning to take a DTM car to its very limit,” reveals Ralf Schumacher. “You need a lot of experience to do so. Therefore, my expectations for the 2009 season weren’t too high.”

But the pressure in his second DTM season increases. Following his learning year 2008 at the wheel of a 2007-spec car, the DTM apprentice is expected to deliver in the 2009 season he contests with the latest spec of the AMG Mercedes C-Class. Nonetheless, his team-mates seem to be clearly more competitive right from the beginning of the season: one of them is Gary Paffett, DTM Champion for HWA in 2005. Paul Di Resta, the Mercedes-Benz camp’s No 1 title contender in 2008 and Bruno Spengler, a regular on the podium, are the others. So, Ralf Schumacher has to cope with fourth and last position in the internal ranking of HWA, the racing and development team of the latest C-Class spec. How does he feel when arriving at the respective race venues on the Fridays? “Extremely motivated! I always look forward to the DTM races,” stresses the German. “It’s a pity that the season comprises only 10 of them.”

Please find the full Q&A as well as several other thrilling topics around DTM in the latest edition of the ‘DTM Magazin’ that can be ordered at the DTM-Fanshop.