British fans have a first opportunity to see the Aston Martin Vantage DTM in action when it contests its British home race
R-Motorsport invite team members from their GT3 programme as well as Aston Martin Lagonda staff to be their guests on the Brands Hatch weekend
Home race also for two of the R-Motorsport drivers, namely Jake Dennis and Paul Di Resta
Latest generation of DTM cars set to reach top speeds of around 255 km/h and an average speed of 190 km/h at Brands Hatch
Dr Florian Kamelger: “Points finishes, as on the last two DTM weekends, would obviously be another gratifying outcome for us as the Aston Martin makes its home debut”
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Paul Di Resta holds the DTM track record on the Grand Prix circuit, Copy: R-Motorsport
Debut of the Aston Martin Vantage DTM in Great Britain coincides with season reaching the two-thirds stage: R Motorsport in first Brands Hatch outing
The sixth race weekend of the 2019 DTM season (10th/11th August) brings R-Motorsport to the historic British motor racing circuit at Brands Hatch in Kent, 30 kilometres to the southeast of London. As the second third of the season draws to a close, the team not only looks forward to a home debut for the Aston Martin Vantage DTM and for two members of its driver squad, Jake Dennis and Paul Di Resta, but also faces a modified schedule, i.e. the cars will be allowed out of the garage on Saturday and Sunday only.
Consequently, the customary two free practice sessions on Friday will not take place. Instead, the sole 45-minute free practice session of the weekend will be held on Saturday at 09:00 local time (10:00 CEST) just before the first qualifying session at 10:50 BST (11:50 CEST). For the drivers and teams, this means less time and opportunity for setup and general preparation. The start of the first race will be on Saturday at 13:30 BST (14:30 CEST, live coverage on SAT1 commencing at 14:00 CEST). On Sunday, the second of the two qualifyings will take place at 10:00 BST (11:00 CEST) and the second race at 13:30 BST (14:30 CEST, live coverage on SAT1 commencing at 14:00 CEST).
For the second year in succession, the DTM race will be contested on the 3.91km Grand Prix configuration at Brands Hatch. Between 2006 and 2013, eight races in the series took place on the shorter 1.93km Indy variant. Paul Di Resta is the most successful DTM driver at this particular venue – his home track – with a total of three victories. Since last year, he also holds the DTM track record on the Grand Prix circuit with a lap time of 1:19.943 minutes.
The new DTM turbo-charged cars will reach top speeds of around 255 km/h at Brands Hatch. The fastest corner is Hawthorns which is negotiated at 198 km/h with a lateral acceleration of 2.4 G. The slowest part of the track is Druids, a hairpin bend taken at 98 km/h. During a full lap of the 3.91km GP circuit, drivers change gear 32 times.
Comments on the race weekend at Brands Hatch
Jake Dennis:
“I haven’t competed in all that many races at Brands Hatch, so I don’t really associate any special memories with the track. My best experience was definitely when I got the chance to drive on the Grand Prix circuit for the first time. I think the best thing is that the run-off areas consist exclusively of grass and gravel. I love ‘old-school’ tracks like this one. The first time I drove at Brands Hatch was in the 2017 GT3 series. The result was a good one, and I scored points in both races. However, we need to be realistic going into this race weekend. Qualifying will be a lot of fun if we take the car to its absolute limit. The race is going to be tough, as it’s almost impossible to overtake at Brands Hatch. But If tyre degradation is high, anything is possible.”
Paul Di Resta:
“The DTM race weekend at Brands Hatch is going to be something special for me, because after all it’s my home race. Of course, looking back over the past three seasons, my win here last year brings back special memories, especially as it was the second win in a row after Misano. However, it would be naïve to believe that we could repeat that success this time. All the same, though, we had a double points finish at Assen and would like to continue on our upward trajectory with modest gains and to achieve another good result. Brands Hatch is a real ‘old-school’ track, and I like that. It has some extremely tricky corners and not many run-off zones. The first corner, Paddock Hill, is outstanding for its steep gradient. I first competed at Brands Hatch in 2003. It was a wet November day in the Formula Renault winter series. The race wasn’t a success for me, but it was certainly character building!”
Ferdinand von Habsburg:
“The unique history of this legendary circuit is most impressive, and it is going to be a very special moment for me to drive an Aston Martin Vantage DTM there and become part of its history. This will be the first time I’ve competed at Brands Hatch, but I’ve ‘driven’ the track many times on my simulator and I’m already a big fan. The most interesting part is probably the first corner, Paddock Hill Bend. That’s my absolute favourite. The track features some steep inclines and some tricky corners that you have to take blind. These include Paddock Hill Bend and the long high-speed section on the Grand Prix circuit where you have to go flat out. My objective for the weekend is to add to my points tally in these two races. DRS is going to play a key role here.”
Daniel Juncadella:
“I’m really looking forward to Brands Hatch. It was where I notched up my second DTM pole position and my first DTM victory last year. Consequently, I have very fond memories of this track. I’ll also be driving for a British manufacturer in the UK for the first time, which is bound to make the whole race weekend a very special experience. The track is fantastic but technically very demanding. The most interesting sections are the fast right-handers in the second sector. The first time I drove at Brands Hatch was in Formula 3 in the 2012 season. I was on pole position twice, but unfortunately all I got from the weekend was one runner-up spot. As usual, my expectations play no special role in my preparation for the race weekend. My aim is to keep working hard with the team to get 101 percent out of the existing package. If we can do that, we should be well placed to get a decent result.”
Dr Florian Kamelger, Team Principal
“The DTM race weekend at Brands Hatch in England has a special significance for us, because it’s where our Aston Martin Vantage DTM will be making its home debut. For the first time ever, British fans will be able to watch the Aston Martin performing live in its DTM home race. What’s more, members of our R-Motorsport GT3 team and employees of Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd will be joining us at Brands Hatch as our guests, and they will be cheering us on from the stands and from trackside. We’ve seen an improvement in our fortunes at the Norisring and more recently at Assen. The squad will now be doing their utmost to continue that upwards trend on the 4km former Grand Prix circuit in Kent. Points finishes, as on the last two DTM weekends, would obviously be another gratifying outcome for us as the Aston Martin makes its home debut.”