Nico Rosberg is to get his first proper taste of DTM machinery at Hockenheim this weekend, with the Mercedes GP driver scheduled to complete several laps in a C-Class.
The German will be driving passengers in a car kitted out in the colours of a personal sponsor, for what will be his very first track experience of a touring car.
Speaking about his DTM experience, Rosberg said: “As a racing driver, it’s great to be able to drive different cars and broaden my experience - you always learn something.
“Although it’s a tin-top, the AMG Mercedes C-Class is a serious racing machine. I’ll be treating it with respect on my first drive but I’m also looking forward to seeing what it can do, and to discovering the differences compared to my Formula 1 car.” Yahoo! Eurosport UK
Those differences are likely to be fairly apparent. At 1050kg, the DTM car weighs 60 percent more than its F1 counterpart, and produces around 500 bhp from its 4-litre V8, compared to 700 bhp-plus from the 2.4 litre V8 of Rosberg’s Mercedes GP car. And for even more of a contrast, Rosberg will also be a sampling the 1886 Benz Patentwagen, which boasts less than 1 bhp. Formula 1
Rosberg is no stranger to the DTM paddock, having taken part in the series’ support races as he rose through the ranks of the German single-seater championships earlier in his career.
“I have learned my trade as a racing driver in the DTM environment,” Rosberg added. “I contested numerous Formula BMW Junior and Formula 3 races in the DTM support programme and always admired and enjoyed this outstanding series with its unique atmosphere and its fantastic spectators. Nonetheless, I never had the chance of driving a DTM car, to date - apart from the few metres when driving DTM Champion Paul Di Resta to the winners’ party in Stuttgart, at the end of the 2010 season.” ESPN F1
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