In what was a slightly confusing tale when the racing got underway for the 2013 DTM season, the season opener at Hockenheim was a bit of a mélange, so to speak, when it came to determining just who was on the new Hankook option tyres and who was on standards. Confusion was clearly reigning that weekend…
There was originally a yellow marking strip on the side wall, which was used until Spielberg, where the Hankook lettering was printed in yellow for all to see, thanks to ITR, thus making things that little bit easier for the TV audience and the people in the grandstands to clearly see who was going for it out on track.
As of this weekend’s action, which is soon set to get underway at the famed Norisring, the sensors that will be mounted in the wheels will transmit both tyre pressure readings, but also the information via an individual code placed by the DMSB representative.
So when the tyres are on the car during the race, a receiver in the car will transmit the relevant information plus the race number of the car that is wearing the option tyres, to the real-time interface that the TV graphics have, as well as the information system that is used by the TV commentators.
“As the next step following the bigger yellow identification marks on the tyre sides that we have already been using since Spielberg, this system makes sure that the TV graphics also are up to date at any time. This provides the spectators and the TV audience a better overview of what is going on in the race,” stated ITR Chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht, who said that the system would be more transparent for everyone.
This is just one of the two main factors that the DTM and the DMSB decided to introduce for this season to spice up the action, as the cars themselves were heavily-limited when it came to technical regulations being frozen for this season, so it makes the ‘show’ that little bit more exciting for the onlookers trackside…
