DTM – Stars and Stories from the Red Bull Ring

• Gold rower Oliver Zeidler gives the starting orders in the DTM
• Streif winner Thomas Dreßen experiences alpine circuit in the Race Taxi
• Matthias Walkner, the first Austrian to win the Dakar, visits the DTM

Olympic rowing champion Oliver Zeidler sends the DTM into action
In Paris this year, multiple world and European champion Oliver Zeidler won gold in the singles sculls. At the Red Bull Ring, the 28-year-old sent the DTM field into the 14th of this season’s 16 races with the “Drivers start your engines” sign. Beforehand, Zeidler had been out on the alpine track himself in the Schaeffler DTM Innovation Taxi. “This is my first motorsport event, an amazing experience. It was a great honour for me to hold aloft the start sign before the start of the DTM race,” said Zeidler, who was at the circuit as a guest of Audi team Abt Sportsline and DTM partner Schaeffler.

Austrian motocross legend presents trophy
Matthias Walkner is already a legend in his home country: the 38-year-old was the first Austrian to win the motorcycle class at the Dakar Rally. At the Red Bull Ring, the gifted offroader and multiple motocross world champion experienced the DTM up close and personal on the starting grid, and also presented the trophy to the winning team, Schubert Motorsport, after Sunday’s race. “I have been a big DTM fan for quite a few years. This is real racing and I really like it. I had my fingers crossed for Thomas Preining and Lucas Auer, as I have known them both for quite a long time,” said Walkner.

Red Bull Ring instead of “Streif”
German skier Thomas Dreßen celebrated his greatest success in Austria: back in 2018, he won on the infamous “Streif” in Kitzbühel, one of the most difficult and dangerous downhill routes in the world. The 30-year-old has since called time on his career and lives with his family in Austria. A guest of Abt Sportsline and Schaeffler at his “home event” at the Red Bull Ring, Dreßen conquered the alpine circuit on a taxi ride. “It is impressive how much grip a race car like this has, and how late it brakes. The final turn is particularly brutal at the Red Bull Ring – you are really put through the wringer there. Like in skiing, it is essential to find the right line in motorsport. I would love to take a race car out for a spin myself sometime,” said Dreßen.

TV chef gets a taste of the action
Jannis Alexandridis showcased his talent in the kitchen on TV cooking show “The Taste”. At the Red Bull Ring, the chef from Wendelstein was served up top racing action, instead of pork tenderloin or finely seasoned jumbo prawns. And Alexandridis was in his element: he took a look around the paddock, checked out the DTM cars with great interest, and experienced the alpine circuit in Schaeffler’s DTM Innovation Taxi. “This great circuit, with the beautiful scenery, is really cool. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to take the Race Taxi round the Red Bull Ring, admire the picturesque mountains and experience that awesome speed,” said Alexandridis, summing up his visit. He also had a culinary tip for the DTM stars: “As a chef, I can only advise the drivers to eat something light and easily digestible before the race. However, they know that better than anyone, otherwise they would not be driving in the DTM.”

Action-packed premiere of the “PS on Air Tyre Change Challenge”
There was plenty going on in the Vierol Fan Box at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday evening: 24 teams of two battled it out for victory in the “PS on Air Tyre Change Challenge”. The competitors included nine DTM drivers, media representatives, partners and officials. The challenge was to change a front and a rear tyre as quickly as possible. After the initial attempts, presenter Patrick Simon was astounded by how fast many of the crews were. In the end, the Dekra team won with an impressive time of 10.2 seconds. Julian Hübgen and Martin Heisterkamp were rewarded with a golden wheel gun and a bottle of champagne. “The challenge was a lot of fun in front of this great crowd,” said Hübgen.

Beer and pretzels at ProSieben
TV partner ProSieben invited guests to an Oktoberfest in the pit lane at the Red Bull Ring on Friday evening. With beer, pretzels and meatloaf on offer, the drivers, teams and media representatives chatted in a laid-back atmosphere and, despite cool temperatures, relaxed on long benches as they celebrated the start of the penultimate DTM weekend of the year in Spielberg.