[Raceboy]

Demanding track, good opportunities for overtaking
Only one week ago, the DTM had a blasting start into the season with a double victory for Abt-Audi at the Hockenheimring. And the second round, May 3-5, is a special occasion, too: after an eight years? break, the DTM returns to the track, at which it had great events from 1984 to 1994 ? at the 3.997 km long Circuit Zolder (B), only about 80 km away from Aachen. Laurent Aiello (Abt-Audi) is coming to Zolder as the championship leader wit
12 points, followed by his fellow-Audi-driver Mattias Ekström (7 points) and DTM-novice Jean Alesi (Mercedes-Benz, four points).


Some kind of home race: Albers and Huisman
For three DTM-drivers, Zolder is some kind of home race: Belgian Yves Olivier (Opel) and the two Dutchmen Christijan Albers and Patrick Huisman (both Mercedes-Benz). "The track is very demanding. It is especially hard on the brakes", says Olivier, who is driving an Opel Astra V8 Coupé for the Italian Euroteam. "You can compare it with the Norisring, that is also very hard on the brakes, but there, you only have one chicane and two hairpins. In Zolder, however, you already have three chicanes which you have to brake for on every lap, then a hairpin and the narrow left-hander at the end of the main straight. The chicanes are crucial, good brakes and optimal traction are important." Olivier is looking forward to his home race: "There will be a lot of friends out there."

For Patrick Huisman, who is driving for the Team CEB AMG-Mercedes, the track has everything a racing driver likes: "Slow and fast corners, chicanes, straights and ?blind? corners where you can?t see how the track continues." Moreover, the track is extremely slippery. "And, contrarily to the Hockenheimring, it offers many places where you can overtake well. Therefore, the race surely will be a highlight for the spectators."

Former F1-driver Karl Wendlinger, at his DTM-debut with the Abt-Audi TT-R third in qualifying and sixth in the race, dismisses a role as favourites for the Team Abt Sportsline?s five Audi Coupés: "For everyone, the situation in Zolder is equal. Nobody has been testing there with a new DTM-car. Therefore, I believe that the driver who manages to find the perfect set-up of his car for this varying track within the limited test and practice time will be in front. A difficult affair. I don?t see any advantages for Abt-Audi in that respect, even though we were that strong in Hockenheim."

bron: DTM.de

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