DTM – Stars and stories from the Norisring race weekend

• European champion Thomas Helmer and former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld visit Nuremberg
• Spectacular DTM Champion Trophy presented in the MotorSport Lounge
• Legendary drivers turn back time with vintage racing in DTM Classic

Former Formula 1 driver Nick Heidfeld visits the DTM
Nick Heidfeld, affectionately known as “Quick Nick” by his fans, spent eleven years in Formula 1 and finished fifth in the World Championship in 2007. The 46-year-old not only checked out the DTM cars, but also those in the support series, and also spent time chatting to the drivers. On Saturday, Heidfeld sent the DTM field onto the track for the opening DTM race of the weekend with the “Drivers start your engines” sign.

Celebrity magnet: the “Franconian Monaco”
As the only street circuit in Germany, the Norisring enjoys cult status among drivers and fans alike. Many celebrities also travel to Nuremberg to enjoy the unique atmosphere of the DTM weekend. Party singer Peter Wackel felt right at home in the paddock, as the high temperatures reminded him of his favourite island Mallorca, to which he dedicated his catchy song “Inselfieber”. YouTube stars PietSmiet were impressed by the wide range of attractions on the DTM platform, as were Prince Leopold of Bavaria and Jannis Alexandridis (Chef Janni), the successful Nuremberg-based chef from “The Taste”. Cristian Fiél, manager of 1. FC Nuremberg, was also among the visitors and showed a great interest in what was going on just round the corner from the Max Morlock Stadium. Stéphane Ratel, founder and CEO of the SRO Motorsport Group, presented the trophy to third-placed Dennis Olsen after Saturday’s race.

Auto Bild kicks off proceedings at the Dutzendteich lake
Industry get-together in the 2023 MotorSport Lounge: in keeping with tradition, B&M Marketing, the marketing company behind Auto Bild Motorsport, marked the start of the Norisring weekend by inviting guests to the picturesque Bootshaus on the Dutzendteich lake on Friday. Racers, business partners and friends of the specialist magazine ushered in the weekend at the “Franconian Monaco” with delicious food, cool drinks and entertaining music. The DTM drivers also swung by to check out the event. Porsche driver Laurin Heinrich: “It was cool to spend Friday evening relaxing together with all the drivers. I saw the impressive new DTM trophy for the first time and got to know a lot of people who are not active at the racetrack, but are very well known in the world of motorsport – Nick Heidfeld, for example.”

DTM trophy presented
The new DTM Champion Trophy was unveiled for the first time at the Auto Bild reception by the Dutzendteich lake. Weighing around 20 kilograms, the trophy is made of artificial marble resin coated in carbon fibre. The names of all the previous DTM winners are engraved in the base of the trophy. The word Champion is cast brass with a golden finish, the DTM lettering is made of golden metallic resin. The trophy was handmade in Italy and took three weeks to produce.

Former football international Thomas Helmer presents the trophy
Thomas Helmer was making his DTM debut at the Norisring. This was his very first visit to the popular racing series. Older football fans in Nuremberg will still vividly remember one legendary appearance by the 1996 European champion, who spent many years in the German national team. Playing for FC Bayern Munich at the time, the defender scored the so-called “Phantomtor” (phantom goal) against 1. FC Nuremberg in the Olympic Stadium in 1994 – a goal that went down in Bundesliga history. Although Helmer poked the ball past the Nuremberg goal, the referee decided it was a goal. Helmer did not protest. As the television footage showed clearly that it was not a goal, the match was replayed and Nuremberg lost 0:5. At the Norisring, the 58-year-old presented the trophy to Saturday’s runner-up, René Rast, and set the DTM field rolling on the Sunday. “It was a great experience, said the former footballer, describing his DTM debut. “The atmosphere in the DTM is very informal and friendly. You can take a close look at the cars in the garages, and immediately get chatting to the drivers. A few footballers could learn a thing or two here.”

DTM cap is a fast-seller at the Norisring
The new DTM merchandise collection was presented for the first time in the Fan Zone at the Norisring. Visitors could check out and purchase more than 20 items, ranging from a mug for your morning coffee to a fashionable hoodie, in the DTM shop. Many spectators took advantage of this offering and stocked up souvenirs. The DTM cap proved to be a fast-seller in the heat and glorious sunshine. The full range is available in the online shop at dtm-shop.com.

Football ladies challenge DTM stars
Even before their first outing at the Norisring on Thursday, there was an internal battle at Abt Sportsline. Ricardo Feller and Kelvin van der Linde went head to head in a penalty shootout. The two drivers each received prominent support from a member of the 1. FC Nuremberg ladies team, which sealed promotion to the 1st Bundesliga with a 3:0 victory in the last match of the season. With the help of Kerstin Bogenschütz, Ricardo Feller took a narrow victory over Kelvin van der Linde, who was ably assisted by Luisa Guttenberger. The whole ladies team was given a glimpse behind the scenes at Abt Sportsline, as was the junior squad from the Nuremberg Ice Tigers ice hockey club.

SSR Performance puts on barbecue for the marshals in Nuremberg
The SSR Performance team thanked the marshals at the Norisring with a great event on Saturday evening. The indispensable volunteers were invited for bratwurst and beer, and exchanged their experiences with drivers and mechanics in front of the team hospitality. Marshal Harald Schilling: “We are thrilled to have received this invite from SSR Performance. This kind of thing really doesn’t happen often. There are between 180 and 200 people at the racetrack. The working day begins early in the morning and, as a rule, does not end until the evening. SSR Performance is genuinely showing how much our work is valued with this great initiative.”

Stepping into the past
DTM Classic not only thrilled visitors with various models from the later stages of the “old” DTM. The legendary drivers in the cockpit of the classic racers, the oldest of which dates back to 1987, also put on a real motor racing spectacle for the fans. Christian Danner, Klaus Ludwig and Stefan Mücke were taking no prisoners and treated spectators to the kind of battle they used to be embroiled in back in the old days. Former Formula 1 driver and long-term TV commentator Danner said: “I have driven in DTM Classic once before and, like today, it was a unique experience. However, when you are out on the track, it doesn’t matter what car you are sat in or what series you are racing in. As a racing driver you always try to be as fast as possible and beat the opposition.”

World first at the Norisring
Visitors to the DTM Fan Zone witnessed a real eye-catcher at the Norisring: BMW presented the new BMW X1 M35i xDrive. The car impresses with a 300-hp four-cylinder petrol engine and is the sporty top-of-the-range model in the X1 family. The SUV attracted plenty of interest at the DTM race weekend at the Norisring, and was a popular subject for many photos.

Expert talk on 50 years of sports sponsorship in Germany
The pink liveries of BWT, the Schaeffler “Green Machine” and the red Dekra cap worn by Michael Schumacher all have one thing in common: without sports sponsorship, none of these iconic designs would have been possible. Sports sponsorship was born 50 years ago, when the footballers of Eintracht Braunschwieg ran out with the Jägermeister logo on their kit for the first time. To mark the 50th anniversary of this event, the Vereinigung der Sportsponsoringanbieter (VSA – association of sports sponsorship providers) and the ADAC invited guests to a panel discussion “50 years of sports sponsorship. Anything else is advertising” at the Norisring. DTM legend Bernd Schneider, former Head of Motorsport at Mercedes-Benz Norbert Haug, Head of Sports Sponsorship at BWT Anna Grubeck, Head of Partnerships, Cooperations and Sponsoring at the ADAC Kay Langendorff, and VSA CEO Inka Müller Schmäh presented their stories and insights into the fascinating subject.

Sustainability takes priority again at the Norisring
The ADAC has introduced sustainable and future-oriented structures in the DTM – and consistently implemented these at the Norisring too. Only 100 percent green electricity was used at the third round of the season in Nuremberg. All the cars in the DTM, ADAC GT Masters and the Prototype Cup Germany are powered by an environmentally-friendly and innovative Shell fuel, which is made of 50 percent renewable components. In the Bottle-Free Zone, which has also been established since the start of the season, free water dispensers from series partner BWT reduced plastic waste and were in great demand from visitors and participants, given the high temperatures in Nuremberg. Fans from the surrounding area were able to leave their car at home: the admission ticket included free travel to and from the racetrack by public transport within the VGN network, while the rail company put on special trains to ensure visitors could travel in comfort.