2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

Timo Scheider won his first Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Championship while Paul di Resta (right) finished second in the championship.

The 2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters was the twenty-second season of premier German touring car championship and also ninth season under the moniker of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series' resumption in 2000. The series began on 13 April at the Hockenheimring and finished on 26 October at the same venue, after eleven rounds. Timo Scheider won the title, having never previously won a race before the start of the season.

Teams and drivers

The following manufacturers, teams and drivers competed in the 2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Dunlop.

DTM-Mercedes C-Class (W204) of season 2008
DTM-Audi A4 of season 2008
Manufacturer Car Team No. Drivers Rounds
Audi Audi A4 DTM 2008 Abt Sportsline 1 Mattias Ekström All
2 Martin Tomczyk All
9 Tom Kristensen All
10 Timo Scheider All
Audi A4 DTM 2007 Team Phoenix 14 Alexandre Prémat All
15 Oliver Jarvis All
Team Rosberg 18 Mike Rockenfeller All
19 Markus Winkelhock All
Audi A4 DTM 2006 Futurecom TME 20 Katherine Legge All
21 Christijan Albers All
Mercedes-Benz AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2008 HWA Team 3 Bruno Spengler All
4 Paul di Resta All
5 Jamie Green All
6 Bernd Schneider All
AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2007 Persson Motorsport 7 Gary Paffett All
8 Mathias Lauda All
16 Susie Stoddart All
Mücke Motorsport 11 Ralf Schumacher All
12 Maro Engel All
Sources:

Team changes

After competing with Three cars in 2007, Mücke Motorsport downsized to two cars for 2008, meaning that there would now be 19 cars on the grid.

Driver changes

Mika Häkkinen retired from motorsport at the end of the 2007 season. He was replaced at HWA Team by Paul di Resta who had driven for Persson Motorsport the previous season.

Alexandros Margaritis left the series due to his dissatisfaction with competing in year-old cars.

After 11 years in Formula 1, Ralf Schumacher would make his DTM debut with Mücke Motorsport after leaving the Toyota F1 Team at the end of the previous season.

After spending 2007 as a reserve driver in Formula 1 and the DTM, Markus Winkelhock became an Audi factory driver and replaced Lucas Luhr at Team Rosberg who left the series to focus on Endurance racing.

Newly signed Mercedes factory driver Maro Engel joined the series with Mücke Motorsport after finishing runner up in the British Formula 3 championship in 2006.

Christian Abt left the DTM after eight seasons to join the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany. He was replaced by 2007 Macau Grand Prix winner Oliver Jarvis.

Christijan Albers returned to the DTM with Futurecom TME after spending the previous three seasons in Formula 1.

Champ Car World Series driver Katherine Legge joined the DTM with Futurecom TME, replacing Vanina Ickx who left the series.

Mathias Lauda and Susie Stoddart moved from Mücke Motorsport to Persson Motorsport.

Daniel La Rosa left the series after two seasons in the DTM.

Race calendar and winners

Round Circuit Date Pole position Fastest Lap Winning driver Winning team Winning manufacturer
Präsentation Düsseldorf 6 April no race
1 Hockenheimring 13 April Timo Scheider Paul di Resta Mattias Ekström Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi
2 Oschersleben 20 April Timo Scheider Timo Scheider Timo Scheider Audi Sport Team Abt Audi
3 Mugello 4 May Timo Scheider Jamie Green Jamie Green Salzgitter AMG Mercedes Mercedes
4 EuroSpeedway 18 May Paul di Resta Paul di Resta Paul di Resta Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Mercedes
5 Norisring 29 June Bruno Spengler Bruno Spengler Jamie Green Salzgitter AMG Mercedes Mercedes
6 Zandvoort 13 July Mattias Ekström Tom Kristensen Mattias Ekström Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi
7 Nürburgring Short 27 July Tom Kristensen Martin Tomczyk Bernd Schneider Original-Teile AMG Mercedes Mercedes
8 Brands Hatch Indy 31 August Timo Scheider Timo Scheider Timo Scheider Audi Sport Team Abt Audi
9 Catalunya Short 21 September Bernd Schneider Tom Kristensen Paul di Resta Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG Mercedes
10 Le Mans Bugatti 5 October Tom Kristensen Paul di Resta Mattias Ekström Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi
11 Hockenheimring 26 October Mattias Ekström Paul di Resta Timo Scheider Audi Sport Team Abt Audi
Source:

Season standings

Scoring system

Points are awarded to the top eight finishers.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th 
Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Drivers' Standings

Pos Driver HOC
 OSC
 MUG
 LAU
 NOR
 ZAN
 NÜR
 BRH
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Pts
1 Timo Scheider 2 1 10 2 3 2 5 1 2 6 1 75
2 Paul di Resta 13 4 2 1 5 7 2 2 1 2 2 71
3 Mattias Ekström 1 8 6 3 4 1 6 3 DSQ 1 7 56
4 Jamie Green 6 5 1 5 1 6 3 4 8 10 3 52
5 Bruno Spengler 4 3 9 6 2 5 7 6 Ret 7 4 38
6 Bernd Schneider 8 12 4 7 6 9 1 9 3 5 6 34
7 Martin Tomczyk 5 2 17 4 Ret 4 Ret 5 4 Ret 8 32
8 Tom Kristensen 3 19† 3 16 7 3 Ret 7 13 8 5 27
9 Gary Paffett 7 11 12 10 DSQ 11 4 8 11 4 11 13
10 Alexandre Prémat 11 9 8 DSQ 14 Ret 14 10 6 3 13 10
11 Mike Rockenfeller 10 7 14 9 13 10 15 13 5 9 9 6
12 Markus Winkelhock 12 6 7 Ret 11 8 9 11 12 11 Ret 6
13 Oliver Jarvis 9 15 5 8 12 17† 13 12 9 Ret 10 5
14 Ralf Schumacher 14 10 Ret 13 16† 12 8 15 7 Ret 14 3
15 Mathias Lauda 15 13 16 12 8 13 10 16 Ret 15 Ret 1
16 Maro Engel 17 18† 11 11 9 14 Ret 17 15 14 12 0
17 Christijan Albers Ret 16 13 14 Ret Ret 11 14 10 13 Ret 0
18 Susie Stoddart 16 14 15 17† 10 15 12 19 Ret 12 Ret 0
19 Katherine Legge 18 17 18 15 15 16† Ret 18 Ret 16 NC 0
Pos Driver HOC
 OSC
 MUG
 LAU
 NOR
 ZAN
 NÜR
 BRH
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Pts
Sources:
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2008 in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.
  • † — Driver retired, but was classified as they completed 90% of the winner's race distance.

Notes:

  • In the ninth round of the championship in Catalunya Ekström originally crossed the line 5th and Green 8th. However, due to an overly harsh duel between the two on the last lap the stewards penalized both men. Ekström was disqualified and Green was given a 30 seconds’ time penalty. As Ekström already had caught the attention of the stewards in a negative way during the race, his penalty was bigger.

Teams' championship

Pos. Team No. HOC
 OSC
 MUG
 LAU
 NOR
 ZAN
 NÜR
 BRH
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Points
1 Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG 3 4 3 9 6 2 5 7 6 Ret 7 4 109
4 13 4 2 1 5 7 2 2 1 2 2
2 Audi Sport Team Abt 9 3 19† 3 16 7 3 Ret 7 13 8 5 102
10 2 1 10 2 3 2 5 1 2 6 1
3 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 1 1 8 6 3 4 1 6 3 DSQ 1 7 88
2 5 2 17 4 Ret 4 Ret 5 4 Ret 8
4 Salzgitter / Original-Teile AMG Mercedes 5 6 5 1 5 1 6 3 4 8 10 3 86
6 8 12 4 7 6 9 1 9 3 5 6
5 Audi Sport Team Phoenix 14 11 9 8 DSQ 14 Ret 14 10 6 3 13 15
15 9 15 5 8 12 17† 13 12 9 Ret 10
6 Stern / Pixum AMG Mercedes 7 7 11 12 10 DSQ 11 4 8 11 4 11 14
8 15 13 16 12 8 13 10 16 Ret 15 Ret
7 Audi Sport Team Rosberg 18 10 7 14 9 13 10 15 13 5 9 9 12
19 12 6 7 Ret 11 8 9 11 12 11 Ret
8 TRILUX / JungeSterne AMG Mercedes 11 14 10 Ret 13 16† 12 8 15 7 Ret 14 3
12 17 18† 11 11 9 14 Ret 17 15 14 12
9 TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes 16 16 14 15 17† 10 15 12 19 Ret 12 Ret 0
10 Futurecom TME 20 18 17 18 15 15 16† Ret 18 Ret 16 NC 0
21 Ret 16 13 14 Ret Ret 11 14 10 13 Ret
Pos. Team No. HOC
 OSC
 MUG
 LAU
 NOR
 ZAN
 NÜR
 BRH
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Points
Sources:

References

  1. ^ "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Summary 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  2. ^ "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) – 2008: Entrylist". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Hakkinen retires". www.eurosport.com. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
  4. ^ a b c "2008 Mercedes drivers confirmed". 10 March 2008.
  5. ^ "Margaritis leaves the DTM".[dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Ralf Schumacher will start with the AMG Mercedes C-Class".
  7. ^ a b c d "Audi completes driver line-up for 2008 DTM".
  8. ^ "Christian Abt to end his DTM career".
  9. ^ "Daniel la Rosa out of Mercedes". 24 January 2008.
  10. ^ "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Results 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  11. ^ "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) – 2008: Point standings". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  12. ^ a b "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Standings 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  13. ^ "2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Standings". TouringCars.net. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Rankings". Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2023.