2015 DTM Season

2015 DTM Season
Pascal Wehrlein: The DTM's youngest Champion.
Season Information
No. Rounds	9 (18 Races)
First Round	2015 Hockenheim Opening Race 1
Last Round	2015 Hockenheim Finale Race 2
Makers	Audi; BMW; Mercedes-AMG
Tyre(s)	Hankook
Drivers' Championship
Champion	Second	Third
Pascal Wehrlein	Jamie Green	Mattias Ekström
169 Pt(s)	150 Pt(s)	147 Pt(s)
Teams' Championship
Champion	Second	Third
gooix/OT Mercedes-AMG	BMW Team RMG	Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
225 Pt(s)	206 Pt(s)	201 Pt(s)
Brands' Championship
Champion	Second	Third
BMW	Audi	Mercedes-AMG
602 Pt(s)	595 Pt(s)	534 Pt(s)
Season Guide
2014	2016

The 2015 DMSB Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Championship, otherwise known as the 2015 DTM Season, was the sixteenth season of the DTM since the series reformed in 2000, and twenty-ninth year of elite German touring car racing. The season started on 2 May at the traditional home of the series at Hockenheim, before coming to its conclusion at the same circuit on the 18 October, with seven events in between.

The DMSB and FIA adopted a new format for the Championship for 2015, opting to reintroduce the two race weekend last used in 2002. It was hoped that the new format would help improve the DTM's fanbase, with more action over the weekend and a full highlight and full race replays bill shown on YouTube. Their changes were successful, with attendances rising across the season, while the Official DTM YouTube account hit 64,000 subscriptions before the end of the season.

This new format also gave way to a record breaking year in the DTM, with thirteen different winners, fourteen unique pole sitters, three maiden race winners and, ultimately, the youngest ever Champion. Yet, if 2014 had been the year of the youth, 2015 saw the return of the old guard, as four of the top five in the Championship had a combined start tally of 461 races. That said, Jamie Green (runner up with the most race wins in the season), Mattias Ekström, Edoardo Mortara and Bruno Spengler were all defeated by the man who turned 21 on the final day of the season.

Indeed, Pascal Wehrlein proved to be the most consistent driver throughout the season, with a largely trouble free run throughout the year earning him the title with two wins to his name. His only retirement came in the second race at the Red Bull Ring, in an incident which ultimately cost Audi the Manufacturers' Championship, as Mercedes and BMW shared the spoils. Adding to Wehrlein's crown, HWA Team claimed their first title since 2010 on behalf of Mercedes, while BMW fended off Audi by seven points on the final day to secure the third Brand's title since their return.

But, ultimately, 2015 will be long remembered for the action it threw up throughout the season, with crashes, controversy and, above all, wheel-to-wheel racing in all eighteen races.

Background

Very little changed over the winter of 2014, with only a few changes made to the driver line ups. Joey Hand was dropped by BMW, opening the door for Tom Blomqvist to join the series. Elsewhere, Mercedes announced that they would be supplying eight cars to the Championship, meaning they would be on a level playing field with Audi and BMW. ART Grand Prix were drafted in to run a pair of Mercedes-AMG C63 DTMs for the year, with Gary Paffett and Lucas Auer taking their allocation. Vitaly Petrov opted to leave the series at the end of 2014, meaning Maximilian Götz was given the final seat in DTM with Mercedes, as Audi retained their drivers.

Calendar

The 2015 edition of the DTM consisted of 18 races at eight different circuits across Europe, with the Hockenheimring hosting the first and final races of the season. The three rounds held outside of Germany saw action in Russia, Austria and the Netherlands, with five German circuits hosting the DTM, Audi TT Cup and occasional rounds of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship and Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland.

An Extended Campaign

The season would open on 2 May at the Hockenheimring, with the field using the full Grand Prix circuit for both races. The 30 - 31 May would then see the field complete two battles around the Lausitzring, before a double bout at the Norisring in Nuremburg on 27 - 28 June. The Circuit Park Zandvoort was to host the next pair of races on 11 - 12 July, before a three week break before the next fight.

The Red Bull Ring was the next circuit to host the Series on 1 - 2 August, while the Moscow Raceway held its pair of races on 29 - 30 August. Oschersleben was the Series' next port-of-call on 12 - 13 September, followed by the annual trip to the Nürburgring on 26 - 27 September. The season would then conclude on the 17 - 18 October back at the Hockenheimring, with eighteen races to decide the Championship.

Schedule

The full calendar for the 2015 DTM Championship is shown below:

2015 DTM Championship Calendar
Round	Event	Circuit	Date	Report
I	DTM Hockenheim Opening 2015	Hockenheimring	2 May 2015	Report
			3 May 2015	Report
II	DTM Lausitz 2015	Lausitzring	30 May 2015	Report
			31 May 2015	Report
III	DTM Nuremberg 2015	Norisring	27 June 2015	Report
			28 June 2015	Report
IV	DTM Zandvoort 2015	Circuit Park Zandvoort	11 July 2015	Report
			12 July 2015	Report
V	DTM Spielberg 2015	Red Bull Ring	1 August 2015	Report
			2 August 2015	Report
VI	DTM Moskau 2015	Moscow Raceway	29 August 2015	Report
			30 August 2015	Report
VII	DTM Oschersleben 2015	Motorsport Arena Oschersleben	12 September 2015	Report
			13 September 2015	Report
VIII	DTM Nürburg 2015	Nürburgring	26 September 2015	Report
			27 September 2015	Report
IX	DTM Hockenheim Finale 2015	Hockenheimring	17 October 2015	Report
			18 October 2015	Report
2015 DTM Tests
I	DTM Pre-season Test 2015	Hockenheimring	5 - 7 April 2016	Report
II	DTM Rookie Test 2015	Circuito de Jerez	29 Nov - 2 Dec 2016	Report

Entrants

DTM 2015 saw 24 drivers entered at the start of the season, with both BMW and Mercedes blooding new talent in one or two of their cars. Only Audi retained their exact line up from 2014, with their only change occurring when Timo Scheider was banned, meaning they drafted in a new face in Moscow. Ultimately, four drivers made their débuts in 2015, and the three to start the season improved as the year went on.

Season Entry

The full entry list for the 2016 DTM Championship is outlined below:

2016 DTM Championship Entry List
Entrant	No.	Name	Abbr.	Rnds.	Liv.
BMW Team RMG BMW M4 DTM 15	1	Marco Wittmann	WIT	All
	36	Maxime Martin	MAR	All
Euronics/BWT Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM 15	2	Gary Paffett	PAF	All
	22	Lucas Auer	AUE	All
Silberpfeil Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM 15	3	Paul di Resta	DIR	All
	6	Robert Wickens	WIC	All
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi RS5 DTM 15	5	Mattias Ekström	EKS	All
	17	Miguel Molina	MOL	All
BMW Team MTEK BMW M4 DTM 15	7	Bruno Spengler	SPE	All
	16	Timo Glock	GLO	All
gooix/Original-Teile Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM 15	8	Christian Vietoris	VIE	All
	94	Pascal Wehrlein	WEH	All
Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi RS5 DTM 15	10	Timo Scheider	TSC	1-5, 7-9
	93	Antonio Giovinazzi	GIO	6	File:GIO 15 Livery.png
	99	Mike Rockenfeller	ROC	All
Petronas Mercedes-AMG Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM 15	12	Daniel Juncadella*	JUN	All
	34	Esteban Ocon*	OCO	9
	84	Maximilian Götz	GOE	All
BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M4 DTM 15	13	António Félix da Costa	DAC	All
	77	Martin Tomczyk	TOM	All
BMW Team RBM BMW M4 DTM 15	18	Augusto Farfus	FAR	All
	31	Tom Blomqvist	BLO	All
Audi Sport Team Abt Audi RS5 DTM 15	27	Adrien Tambay	TAM	All
	48	Edoardo Mortara	MOR	All
Audi Sport Team Rosberg Audi RS5 DTM 15	51	Nico Müller	MUE	All
	53	Jamie Green	GRE	All
Source:

• * Ocon was meant to replace Juncadella at the Season Finale in Hockenheim after the Spaniard fell ill. However, Juncadella recovered over night on Friday, meaning Ocon was dropped after FP1.

Changes

Several changes were made to the DTM line-up over the winter of 2014, although there would also be a couple made during the season. Notable absentees in 2015 would be Joey Hand and Vitaly Petrov, the latter leaving after just one year, with four new faces joining the series in turn.

Débutantes

• Lucas Auer: FIA Formula 3 European Championship → ART Grand Prix
• Tom Blomqvist: FIA Formula 3 European Championship → BMW Team RBM
• Maximilian Götz: Blancpain Sprint Series → Mücke Motorsport

Mid-season

• Antonio Giovinazzi: FIA Formula 3 European Championship → Audi Sport Team Phoenix (Moscow Raceway)*
• Timo Scheider: Audi Sport Team Phoenix → Ban (Moscow Raceway)*
• Esteban Ocon: DTM Reserve → Mücke Motorsport (Practice at the Season Finale)

* Scheider was back in his seat after the Moscow round for the rest of the season.

Inter-team

• António Félix da Costa: BMW Team MTEK → BMW Team Schnitzer
• Gary Paffett: HWA Team → ART Grand Prix
• Bruno Spengler: BMW Team Schnitzer → BMW Team MTEK

Left DTM

• Joey Hand: BMW Team RBM → United SportsCar Championship
• Vitaly Petrov: Mücke Motorsport → Sabbatical

All changes were based on driver line ups as they were at the 2014 Hockenheim Finale Race.

Season Report

The 2015 DTM Season sees nine rounds and eighteen races on the calendar, which kicks off at the DTM Festival in Hockenheim on the 30 April until the 3 May.

Round I: DTM Festival 2015

The first round of 2015 was held at Hockenheim, the spiritual home of the DTM. Renamed the 'DTM Festival', the extended weekend programme included the FIA World RallyCross Championship, FIA Formula 3 European Championship, Audi Sport TT Cup and Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland, and ran over four days, from 30 April to 3 May.

Race One

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Hockenheim Opening Race 1 article.

Christian Vietoris goes for a spin after contact.

 Jamie Green opened his 2015 campaign with victory from pole position in the first race of the season, holding a solid three second lead throughout the race. He beat Pascal Wehrlein and Paul di Resta, with the latter duo having a race long battle for second, only put on pause due to two safety car periods. The first appeared after Daniel Juncadella ran wide and into the barrier at the Sachskurve shortly after the half-way mark of the race.

Martin Tomczyk lost control of his BMW braking for the hairpin after the restart, causing the second safety car when he put himself, Gary Paffett and rookie Lucas Auer out of the race. Edoardo Mortara took fourth as Audi claimed four of the top six places, while the best placed BMW, that of Maxime Martin down in seventh.

Race Two

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Hockenheim Opening Race 2 article.

Lucas Auer crashes out, before the start of the race.

Mattias Ekström put in a dominant display to take victory in the second race of the weekend, beating pole sitter Mike Rockenfeller off the line to take his 20th career victory. He led home Edoardo Mortara (who left Hockenheim at the summit of the championship), and Gary Paffett, the latter of whom had battled his way from 23rd on the grid. In what was the first race of the season to contain a compulsory pitstop, and held in the rain, Ekström proved unbeatable.

Race one winner Jamie Green was left in thirteenth at the end of the first wet race of the season, with fellow Brits Paul di Resta and Tom Blomqvist (making his DTM bow) down at the back of the field. Lucas Auer, one of three débutantes (the other being Maximilian Götz, never even started the second race, crashing out at the Sachskurve (as Juncadella did on the Saturday) on his reconnaissance lap.

Round II: DTM Lausitz 2015

The Lausitzring hosted its only DTM event in 2015 from the 29 to 31 May, using the familiar infield circuit.

Race Three

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Lausitzring Race 1 article.

The first race at the EuroSpeedway saw Jamie Green recover from a poor start to win the race with a late race push. His rise was at the cost of Miguel Molina, who tumbled from first to fourth in short order in the dying embers of the 40 minute race, as Mattias Ekström and Edoardo Mortara forced their way past to fill the podium. Pascal Wehrlein was the best Mercedes driver in fifth, while Maxime Martin came at the top of the BMW rankings in seventh, as both battled against the Audi hoard at the front.

An early casualty from the race was Augusto Farfus, who came off worse from heavy contact with Paul di Resta on the opening lap. The Brazilian proved to be the only retirement from the race, despite the high amount of side-by-side action throughout the field. Gary Paffett was last for Mercedes, almost 50 seconds behind race winner Green.

Race Four

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Lausitzring Race 2 article.

Green made it two from two at the Lausitzring on Sunday, putting in a dominant display to retake the lead from Ekstrom after a second poor start. He became the first man since Laurent Aïello to take two wins in a single DTM weekend (although there had been a break of twelve years since the series had raced twice in the same weekend), and meant he had won three of the opening four races of the season. He also made it a clean sweep with pole and fastest lap, with Ekstrom and Molina filling the podium.

A race full of incident saw several drivers take trips through various gravel traps littered around the circuit, with Tom Blomqvist the first man out on only the third lap. Paffett joined him on the sidelines a few laps later with an unspecified drama, while Farfus exited the second race of the weekend with more damage to his BMW M4 DTM. Lucas Auer and Adrien Tambay also ended the race early, but were still classified as finishers, as Green headed an Audi quartet in the top five of the Championship.

Round III: DTM Nuremberg 2015

The DTM made its annual visit to the town of Nuremberg and the Norisring on the 26 to 28 June 2015, using an unchanged circuit.

Race Five

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Norisring Race 1 article.

A rain affected first race in Nuremberg saw Pascal Wehrlein take advantage of being one of the few to start the race on slicks to take his second career win. Christian Vietoris had been the best off the line, taking advantage of a slide from Jamie Green into the Grundig Kehre to take the lead from Gary Paffett, Robert Wickens and Paul di Resta. Vietoris lost out when the majority of the field pitted for slick tyres (having started on wets), with Paffett, Wickens and several other drivers benefiting from sub three second stops to get back into the race.

Joining Wehrlein on the podium were Wickens and Paffett, who also benefited from a rear guard action by Vietoris to fend off the best Audi of Green and the top BMW in Bruno Spengler. A race full of action, which in the final laps saw the fastest lap traded between almost every driver each time they crossed the line, had three retirements through accidents. Most notable was the retirement of di Resta, whose contact with Green saw him out with suspension damage but with one of the most stunning pieces of car control to prevent the Scot's car slamming into the war.

Race Six

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Norisring Race 2 article.

Race two was the longer race of the weekend, although the pitcrews (who were meant to be servicing cars during the race) were unable to match the pace of Saturday, with no one getting a sub-three second stop. Robert Wickens claimed a victory for Mercedes after battling past Canadian compatriot Bruno Spengler, who took pole and BMW's first podium of the year by finishing third. Christian Vietoris ended the day in second.

Mattias Ekström ended the day as the best Audi in fourth after a late battle with Spengler, as Green failed to score. Elsewhere, Tom Blomqvist was disqualified after post-race scruitneering deemed his car to be running with illegal parts, while four other drivers retired. The quartet retired over the space of the first four laps, all being casualties of the familiar first corner concertina.

Round IV: DTM Zandvoort 2015

The 2015 campaign headed to North Holland in the Netherlands for the first non-German based race weekend of the season, held at the Circuit Park Zandvoort among the sand dunes. The weekend started on the 10 July and concluded on 12 July, using the full Zandvoort layout.

Race Seven

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Zandvoort Race 1 article.

Having taken a fourth pole position of his career, Augusto Farfus suffered from not getting a perfect start to tumble from first to fourth by the time the field made it through to the first corner. His tumble was Marco Wittmann's gain, as the defending Champion took his first win of the season, ahead of six fellow BMW drivers. It was a record for the Bavarians in taking the top seven, as they scored maximum points and became the first manufacturer to get seven cars in the top seven.

Wittmann's win was ahead of António Félix da Costa (claiming his first podium) and Maxime Martin, with all bar Martin Tomczyk scoring for the marque. Mike Rockenfeller claimed eighth to be the best Audi, while Pascal Wehrlein was left to finish tenth to claim just one point for Mercedes. The Stuttgart squad would also have to burn the midnight oil, as Paul di Resta suffered a heavy collision at the start of the race, while Robert Wickens limped out with damage as well.

Race Eight

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Zandvoort Race 2 article.

Another day and another all conquering performance by BMW, who were able to take a clean sweep of the top five once again, largely due to a lack of performance weight. A maiden win for da Costa capped off the Bavarian brilliance, as Farfus and Bruno Spengler completed the podium. With Timo Glock and Wittmann also scoring, the marque just missed out on another maximum score, with Tomczyk once again the only BMW pilot to fail to score.

Elsewhere, Wehrlein claimed sixth for Mercedes to bring himself right into the title fight, with Mattias Ekström inching ever closer to Jamie Green's lead. An accident involving Edoardo Mortara and Daniel Juncadella eliminated them from the race at the halfway mark, with another race dominated by minor contact.

Round V: DTM Spielberg 2015

The annual trip to Austria followed, with the Red Bull Ring hosting the DTM from 31 July to 2 August.

Race Nine

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Spielberg Race 1 article.

Jamie Green grinds to a halt at the front of the field.

The Spielberg circuit was always popular with the drivers, a fact proved in the first race of the weekend where Edoardo Mortara kickstarted his Championship campaign with victory. The Italian had led from the second lap, after team mate, and Championship leader, Jamie Green retired with a gearbox issue, but was under constant pressure from Pascal Wehrlein throughout. Completing the podium was Paul di Resta, who hoped that race nine (marking the end of the first half of the season) would bring a change in fortune for him.

Two others joined Green on the sidelines during the race, as DRS and the unique go-kart-esque style of the Red Bull Ring combined to provide a thrilling race. All three Championships were tightened through the result, although with BMW now heavier, it was deemed that the performance weights were having their intended effect. Indeed, Augusto Farfus was their highest placed driver in sixth, with Marco Wittmann their only other scorer.

Race Ten

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Spielberg Race 2 article.

"PUSH HIM OUT!" - Scheider vs. Wickens & Wehrlein - "Schieb ihn raus!" - DTM Spielberg 2015

The excitement for the second race was enhanced by the fall of rain during the start of the race, which would ultimately cause one of the most controversial incidents in DTM history. With just one lap to go, Robert Wickens eased his pace to allow Wehrlein (Championship leader) to close up on him and Timo Scheider, with the young German squeezing past at turn two. Wickens slotted in behind, before Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich told an irate Scheider to touch the back of the Canadian to put him out. The veteran racer did so, with a well timed dive on the brakes causing him to slide into Wickens, who went on the slide into the back of Wehrlein. Both were in the gravel and out, while Scheider continued to seventh, before being both banned and disqualified.

With Wehrlein in the gravel, Mattias Ekström claimed the lead of the Championship with victory in tenth race of the season, having had little to do during the race. Gary Paffett battled his way to second, pulling off a stunning move on Mike Rockenfeller in the process, while race one winner Edoardo Mortara ended the day in third.

Round VI: DTM Moskau 2015

Moscow hosted the sixth race weekend of the season from the 28 to 31 August.

Race Eleven

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Moscow Raceway Race 1 article.

In a race affected by two safety cars, Pascal Wehrlein snatched victory from Marco Wittmann in the closing stages of the race. Jamie Green almost compounded Wittmann's misery in the last corner of the race, only too lose out to Bruno Spengler, who snatched third from him instead. Further back, a debutante joined the field in place of the banned Timo Scheider, although Antonio Giovinazzi would finish last of the finishers.

There was even better to come for Wehrlein after the race, after title rival Mattias Ekström got a three place grid penalty for race two, having caused an accident in the first race. Ekstrom had tried an optimistic dive on Timo Glock in the race, only to put both out in the gravel, after an earlier accident had bunched the field behind a first safety car. Miguel Molina had been spun around at the first corner of the race, before an unsighted Christian Vietoris slammed into him, putting both out of the race with heavy damage.

Race Twelve

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Moscow Raceway Race 2 article.

Sunday, however, was to put the Championship back in Ekstrom's court, as he claimed third while Wehrlein only claimed tenth and a single point. Mike Rockenfeller won the race from Bruno Spengler, with Rocky claiming his first victory since the 2013 race in Moscow. An almost all Audi and BMW affair resulted in the second race, with Gary Paffett the only Mercedes driver (other than Wehrlein) to claim points.

Martin Tomczyk was the only driver to retire from the race, as the title fights in every Championship tightened once again. With the Championship returning to Germany for the final third of the season, four drivers seemed to be in with a realistic chance of the title, although the BMW rabble could not be ruled out. Robert Wickens, meanwhile, was hit with a heavy fine for repeatedly speeding in the pitlane.

Round VII: DTM Oschersleben

The 11 to 13 September saw the DTM return to German soil for the final three rounds of the season, starting at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.

Race Thirteen

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Oschersleben Race 1 article.

DTM's return to home soil saw another dominant BMW display, with all eight of the Bavarian machines in the top half of the field, and seven scoring points. Timo Glock took a clean sweep of pole, fastest lap and victory to claim his second DTM win, ahead of Bruno Spengler and António Félix da Costa. The only non-BMW in the top eight was to be Pascal Wehrlein, whose fifth place finish put him back to the top of the title pile.

Miguel Molina was the only Audi to take points, as the Ingolstad marque struggled throughout the first day. They would also have to carry out repairs on three of their cars, as Jamie Green Nico Müller and Mike Rockenfeller all suffered damage from an accident caused by Rocky and Robert Wickens. The latter pair were later given grid penalties for their involvement, with Wickens starting dead last on Sunday due to penalties carried over from Moscow.

Race Fourteen

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Oschersleben Race 2 article.

Race two of the Oschersleben weekend ended prematurely, as Lucas Auer crashed heavily on the penultimate lap to bring the race to a halt. Having been lapped, Auer lost front end downforce in the wake of Wehrlein, who ended the race in fifth, and skided into the tyre barrier on the exit of the final corner. That unfortunate end, however, could not detract from the feat accomplished by Tom Blomqvist, who claimed a maiden victory in his fourteenth DTM race, and a dominant one at that.

Having snatched the lead from Augusto Farfus at the start, the Brit never looked back to claim victory with one of the biggest leads of the season from the Brazilian and Marco Wittmann. BMW were able to get seven cars in the points once again, although this time Mercedes were able to snatch a clutch of higher places, with Wehrlein fifth and Paul di Resta sixth. With Ekstrom failing to score once again, Wehrlein headed into the penultimate weekend of the season with a fourteen point lead.

Round VIII: DTM Nürburg 2015

Infamous in name, the Nürburgring played host the penultimate round of the season from the 25 to 27 September, with the DTM using the 'National' circuit.

Race Fifteen

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Nürburgring Race 1 article. Maxime Martin managed to take his second career victory in the first race of the weekend, as Edoardo Mortara made ground in the Championship by taking Pascal Wehrlein early on. Wehrlein finished third to extend his Championship lead over Mattias Ekström, who could only manage tenth after a poor qualifying session, a common theme for the Swede. A strong performance from Maximilian Götz earned him a season best finish of fifth, ahead of another 2015 rookie in Lucas Auer.

An accident early on had seen another title contender out of the race, as Jamie Green was hit hard by Miguel Molina after a spin. Tom Blomqvist attempted to nose his way past Green through the second part of the Mercedes-Benz Arena on the first lap, only to tap the Audi into a spin. Green's spinning Audi was then collected by Molina, who with no where to go, also managed to remove the front splitter from the Orange Audi, and knock the car into Timo Scheider, who also retired with damage.

Race Sixteen

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Nürburgring Race 2 article.

Race two was the 67th start in the career of Molina, and ultimately resulted in the first win for the Spaniard, as he went fifth in the all time list for longest waits for a first win. It was also an almost decisive day in the Championship, as Wehrlein took fifth to take a 37 point lead over Mortara in the Championship, with just 50 left to fight for at the Finale. Ahead of the now Champion-elect were Paul di Resta, Bruno Spengler (who remained just about in the title fight, mathematically at least) and Tom Blomqvist.

Green was now out of the title fight despite having taken more wins than anyone else, a brake issue meaning he had a poor start and couldn't recover. Ekstrom failed to score while Mortara retired with damage sustained through numerous incidents, meaning it was advantage Wehrlein, with four heading to Hockenheim with title hopes, but with one holding a huge advantage.

Round IX: DTM Hockenheim Finale 2015

Hockenheim saw the field return for the final round of the season from the 16th to the 18th of October. Ahead of the weekend, Pascal Wehrlein was judged to be the favourite for the title, leading Edoardo Mortara by 37 points, with 50 still to fight for. Mathematically, Mattias Ekström and Bruno Spengler also had a chance, but all three challengers to Wehrlein would most likely need to win both races outright to stand any chance at all.

Race Seventeen

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Hockenheim Finale Race 1 article. A dramatic first race of the weekend saw accidents, penalties and wheel-to-wheel fighting throughout the field, as Mercedes did their best to aid Wehrlein. Their work, which saw Wehrlein allowed by almost all of his stable mates bar Paul di Resta in the race, was enough to secure eighth place for the youngster. That result, combined with him beating Mattias Ekström on track (the Swede in ninth) and both Mortara and Spengler retiring, meant Wehrlein was the Champion, and the youngest in DTM history to boot.

It had not all been plain sailing for the Champion, however, as he was almost wiped out in an accident at the start. Spengler had pushed Adrien Tambay into a spin (which ultimately put the Frenchman out), leaving Wehrlein to scamper wide to avoid the accident. That cost him time and meant he had to fight his way through the field, as Mortara fell behind with a puncture, and Ekstrom suffered from contact with Robert Wickens.

Away from the title fight, and Timo Scheider had produced his most dominant display for a long time to take his first win in five years. Having forced his way past pole sitter Maxime Martin early on, the German had sprinted away from a safety car period to lead the race, with Martin also falling to Jamie Green. That put Green in with a serious chance of finishing the season as runner-up, while the Teams' and Brands' Championships remained undecided into the final race.

Race Eighteen

For the full race report, head to the 2015 Hockenheim Finale Race 2 article.

His title won, Wehrlein was up for a scrap in the final race of the season, and was seen battling with anyone who came near him. It resulted in one of his worst finishes all season, as Jamie Green swept across the line to net his fourth victory of the season and end the year as runner up. He led home Ekstrom and Mortara, whose 1-2-3 was just not quite enough to secure the Brands' Championship for Audi, who missed out to BMW by seven points.

Like the penultimate race of the season, the finale was full of action. While Wehrlein went kerb hopping in his battle with Nico Müller, Christian Vietoris took out Adrien Tambay, leaving the Frenchman to come last in the Championship. Wickens, meanwhile, received punishment for his incident with Ekstrom in race one, as Tom Blomqvist pulled an almost identical move to what the Canadian had to the Swede. But, at the end of it all, Wehrlein was Champion, HWA won their first title since 2010, and BMW secured their third Brands' Championship since their return in what would be remembered as a vintage year in the DTM.

Regulations

2015 was the first DTM season since 2002 in which two races were held at each race meeting, with a 40 minute race held on the Saturday, and a longer, 60 minute race on Sunday. A qualifying session was to be held on the morning before each race, with a pitstop required in the second race, although there would only be one tyre compound supplied by Hankook.

Technical

2015 sees a continuation of the weight/ballast penalty for top ten finishers, with cars getting an additional 20kg (on top of the minimum race weight of 1,120kg), for taking victory. The Drag Reduction System, shortened to DRS, also returns in 2015, although the situations in which it may be used have changed. A driver may deploy DRS three times during a single lap, provided that they are within one second of the car ahead of them at the start/finish line. The obligatory pitstop during the second race of the weekend must see all four tyres changed, with the pitlane speed limited to 80km/h.

Sporting

As with the 2014 season, the DTM used the FIA's standardised points system, as established in Formula One and Formula E. Each race was awarded the same number of points, meaning the race winner of any race would receive 25 points, second handed 18 and third 15. Points were then awarded to the rest of the top ten, with no other points awarded for pole position or fastest lap.

The full points scoring system for the 2015 DTM campaign is outlined below:

2015 DTM Championship Race Points
1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	10th
25	18	15	12	10	8	6	4	2	1

All of the DTM field in 2016 used tyres provided by Hankook, with no variation in compounds.

Additionally, 2015 is the first season in which a driver may choose their race number, which they will carry for the rest of their DTM career. Numbers may be chosen from #2 to #99, with the champion from the previous season allocated #1 if they wish.

Coverage

In Germany, all eighteen races were to be shown live on ARD, who were familiar to the DTM game, and continued their long association with the series. Elsewhere, BT Sport and ESPN signed a deal to show races live in the UK and US, although their screening of the races was often delayed. 40 other minor TV companies across the world agreed deals to screen the series in 2015, with official media partner MEDIA AG signing an extended contract until 2017.

In addition to the TV deals, DTM was also to be shown live on YouTube through the official DTM account, although there would be restrictions. In places where TV deals existed, only Practice and Qualifying would be streamed live (with both English and German commentary), with the Race limited to countries without TV access. This was a controversial move, given that all twenty races from the previous two seasons had been shown live on the internet regardless of territory or TV.

The official DTM YouTube account also saw highlights, interviews and exclusive content uploaded, including the "Almost Selfie" series with all 24 drivers. About a month after each race, the full race highlights from each round were also uploaded, meaning fans could re-watch the race on the internet for free. Media was also uploaded to the DTM Website and the official Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Standings

DTM 2015 will see three different championship titles on offer, with the ultimate prize, the title of DTM Champion, awarded to the highest scoring driver. The top scoring team will be named as the the DTM Team Champion, while the crown of DTM Brand Champion will be awarded to the manufacturer with the highest point tally.

Drivers' Championship

So, on the eve of his 21st birthday, Pascal Wehrlein became the youngest ever DTM Champion, ultimately taking the title from Jamie Green, whose mid-season loss of form proved fatal. Veteran Mattias Ekström ended the season in third after battling at every round at the front, while Edoardo Mortara slipped to fourth on the final day, ahead of the best BMW driver in Bruno Spengler.

Outgoing Champion Marco Wittmann ended the season in sixth, one place ahead of team mate Maxime Martin, with Scot Paul di Resta in close attendance. Gary Paffett ended the season strongly to claim ninth, ahead of 2013 Champion Mike Rockenfeller, who rounded out the top ten. With twelve different winners out of eighteen races, fourteen different pole sitters and all 24 drivers who started the season scoring points, one of the most exciting DTM Championships in history came to a close.

Displayed below are the final standings for the 2015 DTM Championship: 

2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Championship for Drivers
Pos.	Abb.																			Pts.
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
1st	WEH	2nd	8th	5th	13th	1st	5th	10th	6th	2nd	21st	1st	10th	5th	5th	3rd	5th	8th	20th	169
2nd	GRE	1st	13th	1st	1st	7th	18th	Ret	13th	Ret	17th	4th	5th	Ret	8th	Ret	17th	2nd	1st	150
3rd	EKS	12th	1st	3rd	2nd	17th	4th	13th	7th	5th	1st	Ret	3rd	14th	11th	10th	11th	9th	2nd	147
4th	MOR	4th	2nd	2nd	5th	11th	15th	Ret	Ret	1st	3rd	6th	8th	19th	Ret	2nd	Ret	Ret	3rd	143
5th	SPE	11th	9th	11th	19th	5th	3rd	5th	3rd	15th	15th	3rd	2nd	2nd	10th	19th	3rd	19th	8th	123
6th	WIT	9th	5th	13th	17th	9th	13th	1st	5th	9th	11th	2nd	7th	6th	3rd	7th	18th	6th	Ret	112
7th	MAR	7th	14th	7th	8th	Ret	10th	3rd	17th	14th	19th	18th	4th	11th	9th	1st	13th	3rd	6th	94
8th	DIR	3rd	22nd	14th	15th	Ret	6th	Ret	14th	3rd	9th	14th	15th	13th	6th	12th	2nd	4th	4th	90
9th	PAF	Ret	3rd	23rd	Ret	3rd	7th	11th	10th	7th	2nd	7th	6th	Ret	13th	4th	Ret	Ret	9th	89
10th	ROC	5th	6th	9th	10th	14th	Ret	8th	11th	8th	4th	10th	1st	Ret	19th	11th	7th	5th	15th	83
11th	DAC	13th	20th	19th	14th	12th	12th	2nd	1st	13th	10th	11th	22nd	3rd	4th	9th	15th	11th	7th	79
12th	FAR	10th	21st	Ret	Ret	8th	Ret	4th	2nd	6th	18th	15th	11th	4th	2nd	18th	8th	Ret	14th	77
13th	WIC	Ret	7th	6th	18th	2nd	1st	Ret	19th	Ret	20th	12th	23rd	Ret	16th	8th	Ret	Ret	18th	61
14th	BLO	Ret	17th	22nd	Ret	Ret	DSQ	7th	18th	17th	22nd	8th	12th	7th	1st	Ret	4th	7th	17th	59
15th	GLO	8th	10th	18th	12th	13th	Ret	6th	4th	19th	14th	Ret	17th	1st	7th	13th	20th	18th	21st	56
16th	VIE	14th	11th	17th	7th	4th	2nd	12th	8th	4th	8th	Ret	20th	18th	21st	15th	14th	12th	Ret	56
17th	MOL	Ret	18th	4th	3rd	20th	17th	Ret	12th	18th	13th	Ret	14th	9th	Ret	Ret	1st	17th	11th	54
18th	TSC	Ret	12th	8th	4th	16th	16th	14th	15th	16th	DSQ	BAN	BAN	12th	12th	Ret	Ret	1st	5th	51
19th	TOM	Ret	4th	12th	11th	6th	11th	Ret	Ret	Ret	12th	17th	Ret	8th	20th	WD	9th	15th	10th	27
20th	JUN	Ret	15th	10th	6th	10th	8th	16th	Ret	11th	23rd	5th	13th	10th	15th	17th	10th	13th	12th	26
21st	MUE	6th	19th	20th	9th	18th	19th	9th	21st	12th	5th	9th	9th	Ret	Ret	16th	16th	14th	16th	26
22nd	GOE	16th	16th	15th	16th	Ret	Ret	15th	16th	20th	7th	16th	18th	16th	18th	5th	6th	10th	13th	25
23rd	AUE	Ret	DNS	21st	21st	15th	9th	17th	20th	21st	6th	13th	19th	15th	17th	6th	19th	16th	19th	18
24th	TAM	15th	Ret	16th	20th	19th	14th	18th	9th	10th	16th	Ret	16th	17th	14th	14th	12th	Ret	Ret	3
25th	GIO											19th	21st							0
Pos.	Abb.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Pts.

Teams Championship

Despite only scoring four points over the final weekend of the season, gooix/Original-Teile Mercedes-AMG won the Teams' Championship on behalf of Mercedes, the first time since 2010 that any Mercedes team had won the Championship. They benefited from the fact that Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline and BMW Team MTEK were overhauled in the final weekend by former Champions BMW Team RMG. Audi Sport Team Rosberg ended the season in fifth, despite Green's four victories, ahead of the second HWA pairing of di Resta and Robert Wickens.

The Teams' Championship standings are displayed below:

2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Championship for Teams
Pos.	Abb.	No.																			Pts.
			1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
1st	GOO	8	14th	11th	17th	7th	4th	2nd	12th	8th	4th	8th	Ret	20th	18th	21st	15th	14th	12th	Ret	225
		94	2nd	8th	5th	13th	1st	5th	10th	6th	2nd	21st	1st	10th	5th	5th	3rd	5th	8th	20th
2nd	RMG	1	9th	5th	13th	17th	9th	13th	1st	5th	9th	11th	2nd	7th	6th	3rd	7th	18th	6th	Ret	206
		36	7th	14th	7th	8th	Ret	10th	3rd	17th	14th	19th	18th	4th	11th	9th	1st	13th	3rd	6th
3rd	ABS	5	12th	1st	3rd	2nd	17th	4th	13th	7th	5th	1st	Ret	3rd	14th	11th	10th	11th	9th	2nd	201
		17	Ret	18th	4th	3rd	20th	17th	Ret	12th	18th	13th	Ret	14th	9th	Ret	Ret	1st	17th	11th
4th	MTE	7	11th	9th	11th	19th	5th	3rd	5th	3rd	15th	15th	3rd	2nd	2nd	10th	19th	3rd	19th	8th	179
		16	8th	10th	18th	12th	13th	Ret	6th	4th	19th	14th	Ret	17th	1st	7th	13th	20th	18th	21st
5th	ROS	51	6th	19th	20th	9th	18th	19th	9th	21st	12th	5th	9th	9th	Ret	Ret	16th	16th	14th	16th	176
		53	1st	13th	1st	1st	7th	18th	Ret	13th	Ret	17th	4th	5th	Ret	8th	Ret	17th	2nd	1st
6th	SIL	3	3rd	22nd	14th	15th	Ret	6th	Ret	14th	3rd	9th	14th	15th	13th	6th	12th	2nd	4th	4th	151
		6	Ret	7th	6th	18th	2nd	1st	Ret	19th	Ret	20th	12th	23rd	Ret	16th	8th	Ret	Ret	18th
7th	ABT	27	15th	Ret	16th	20th	19th	14th	18th	9th	10th	16th	Ret	16th	17th	14th	14th	12th	Ret	Ret	146
		48	4th	2nd	2nd	5th	11th	15th	Ret	Ret	1st	3rd	6th	8th	19th	Ret	2nd	Ret	Ret	3rd
8th	RBM	18	10th	21st	Ret	Ret	8th	Ret	4th	2nd	6th	18th	15th	11th	4th	2nd	18th	8th	Ret	14th	136
		31	Ret	17th	22nd	Ret	Ret	DSQ	7th	18th	17th	22nd	8th	12th	7th	1st	Ret	4th	7th	17th
9th	PHO	10	Ret	12th	8th	4th	16th	16th	14th	15th	16th	DSQ	BAN	BAN	12th	12th	Ret	Ret	1st	5th	134
		93											19th	21st
		99	5th	6th	9th	10th	14th	Ret	8th	11th	8th	4th	10th	1st	Ret	19th	11th	7th	5th	15th
10th	EUR	2	Ret	3rd	23rd	Ret	3rd	7th	11th	10th	7th	2nd	7th	6th	Ret	13th	4th	Ret	Ret	9th	107
		22	Ret	DNS	21st	21st	15th	9th	17th	20th	21st	6th	13th	19th	15th	17th	6th	19th	16th	19th
11th	SCH	13	13th	20th	19th	14th	12th	12th	2nd	1st	13th	10th	11th	22nd	3rd	4th	9th	15th	11th	7th	106
		77	Ret	4th	12th	11th	6th	11th	Ret	Ret	Ret	12th	17th	Ret	8th	20th	WD	9th	15th	10th
12th	MUC	12	Ret	15th	10th	6th	10th	8th	16th	Ret	11th	23rd	5th	13th	10th	15th	17th	10th	13th	12th	51
		84	16th	16th	15th	16th	Ret	Ret	15th	16th	20th	7th	16th	18th	16th	18th	5th	6th	10th	13th
Pos.	Abb.	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Pts.

Manufacturers Championship

BMW lost out on the Manufacturers' Title in 2014, but made up for it by taking the 2015 title instead, having become the first manufacturer to take maximum points in a single race. That said, the decisive factor in the Championship proved to be Audi's lost points in the second race at the Red Bull Ring, after Timo Scheider's antics. At the back, but not by much, were Mercedes, who could take solace from the fact that they had outscored their rivals more often than not throughout the season.

The final standings for the Manufacturers' Championship in 2015 are shown below:

2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Championship for Manufacturers
Pos.	Name																			Pts.
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
1st	BMW	13	25	6	4	24	16	69	80	10	1	37	36	88	79	33	33	29	19	602
2nd	Audi	55	51	76	83	6	12	6	8	40	0	23	56	2	4	19	31	55	68	595
3rd	AMG	33	25	19	14	71	73	1	13	51	38	41	9	11	18	49	37	17	14	534

References

Videos and Images;

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