A lot of drivers this weekend have said that DRS would be able to provide a welcome help to overtaking along with the Hankook Option tyres, but the DMSB, the governing body for the DTM, have decided to outlaw the use of the system throughout the race weekend.
All 22 cars will have to revert to the standard wing supports (EB-028) for the race in the dunes, as this will now change the strategies all the teams may have already calculated going into the 44-lap race and qualifying. With the fact that Circuit Park Zandvoort is the only “old-school” track that is rather abrasive on tyres, due to the asphalt configuration in comparison to Oschersleben, it could help to extend the life of the tyres for all concerned.
Hankook’s DTM racing engineer, Christophe Stucki, said that the teams may decide to lower the tyre pressures on the Ventus Race Prime, thereby helping to extend the contact patch area increasing the grip the driver has: “This does increase the level of stress on the tyres, but they are well able to withstand it.”
Stucki also explained that if the tyres are pushed beyond the normal tolerances that are specified, this could spell disaster if times start dropping rapidly: “The Ventus Race Plus is sure to produce very fast times over a third of the distance, but then we expect a considerable drop-off effect. For this reason, it is very important that the teams employ the right tyre strategy in this extremely decisive phase.”
A brave move could prove to be the right or the wrong call, depending on the outcome, but with the way the track flows and provides exciting action whenever the lights go out. But without DRS, the drivers will have to make that split-second decision at a moment’s notice. Who will be bravest of all come race day?
