Norisring: DTM stars race through the streets of Nuremberg

• Germany's only street circuit provides the stage for round four of the season
• Marco Wittmann arrives at home event with confidence after DTM milestone
• Thrilling programme, including motorcycle world champion Pol Espargaró

Munich. The DTM is coming to Nuremberg and is set to transform the Franconian city into a spectacular racing metropolis this weekend (4th to 6th July). The even tat the Norisring will see the drivers tackle the streets around the Dutzendteich lake and in front of the famous stone grandstands. The two races at the only street circuit in Germany will decide who ends the first half of the season as championship leader. Ahead of the fourth round of the season, Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) is sitting pretty at the top of the overall standings. However, a true Norisring expert is lurking just behind the Austrian, in the form of BMW driver René Rast (Bregenz/Schubert Motorsport). Fans can also look forward to a highlight on two wheels: one week ahead of the Liqui Moly Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany at the Sachsenring, former world champion Pol Espargaró will give spectators a taste of things to come with a number of demonstration laps on a MotoGP KTM. ProSieben is showing both DTM races live on TV, with coverage from the Norisring starting at 13:00 on both Saturday and Sunday. The two races can also be seen in a livestream on Joyn and ServusTV ON.

Key facts, Norisring, Nürnberg, races 7 and 8 of 16

• Circuit length: 2,126 metres
• Layout: Four corners (one right, three left), driven anti-clockwise
• 2024 winner, race 1: René Rast (Schubert Motorsport, BMW M4 GT3)
• 2024 winner, race 2: Nicki Thiim (SSR Performance, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2)

Norisring experts set sights on championship leader Auer
Auer is the hunted on the streets of Nuremberg. The 30-year-old championship leader already has two victories to his name this season, and has impressed with his intelligent driving: Auer has finished in the top ten in all six races so far, amassing 91 points in the process. Rast trails him by 16 points in second place, but arrives in Franconia in a rich vein of form. The three-time champion won last time out in Zandvoort - his third podium in the past four races. The Norisring is one of Rast's favourite circuits. The BMW racer has won twice on the street circuit in the past. His team-mate Marco Wittmann also knows the track well. The driver from Fürth reached a DTM milestone in Zandvoort, finishing runner-up in his 200th race. As such, he arrives at his home event with the wind in his sails. "Besides my two titles, the win at the Norisring in the 2018 season is one of the absolute highlights of my career. I am looking forward to my twelfth DTM weekend in Nuremberg," says Wittmann, who lies just five points behind Rast in sixth place in the table.

The current starting field features a further two Norisring winners: Lamborghini driver Nicki Thiim (DK/Abt Sportsline) claimed the first win of his DTM career at the iconic circuit last year. Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA) has won twice in Nuremberg, earning him a place in the history books. "I really enjoy racing at the Norisring. The track suits me, with its hard braking zones. I also feel very comfortable in my car at the moment," says Preining. A trio of Lamborghini drivers also arrives at the Norisring full of confidence: Mirko Bortolotti (I/Abt Sportsline), Luca Engstler (Kempten) and Jordan Pepper (ZA/both TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) won the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps together with Grasser Racing Team last weekend.

Cult circuit with a unique backdrop
At 2.162 kilometres, the Norisring is the shortest circuit on the DTM calendar. However, the venue for the fourth round of the season still asks a lot of questions. The drivers tear down the start/finish straight at roughly 250 km/h, while their powerful cars brush within mere centimetres of walls and crash barriers in some places. Thiim describes the high-speed adventure: "On paper, the circuit looks really easy, with just four corners. However, as a street circuit the Norisring has quite a lot of bumps. Plus, there are no run-off zones or gravel beds, so any mistake is punished severely. I love coming within millimetres of the walls, it gives you a real adrenalin kick."

Four support series and a MotoGP show
The DTM weekend features a high-class programme. Racing action with an earthy V8 soundtrack comes courtesy of the Prototype Cup Germany. The stars of tomorrow will be on display in ADAC GT4 Germany. Furthermore, the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland returns to the Norisring for the first time in six years. The NXT Gen Cup promises fully-electric racing power. Spectators will also be treated to outstanding two-wheel action: former Moto2 world champion Pol Espargaró will do a number of show laps on a Red Bull KTM MotoGP bike ahead of both DTM races - the perfect way to warm up for the Liqui Moly Motorcycle Grand Prix of Germany, which takes place at the Sachsenring one week later (11th to 13th July). Tickets for the DTM at the Norisring start at € 74 and are available online at dtm.com. All tickets include free travel to the circuit on public transport around Nuremberg.