2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

The 2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters was the twenty-second season of premier German touring car championship and also ninth season under the moniker of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series' resumption in 2000. The series began on 13 April at the Hockenheimring and finished on 26 October at the same venue, after eleven rounds. Timo Scheider won the title, having never previously won a race before the start of the season.

2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

Drivers' Champion:
Timo Scheider
Teams' Champion:
HWA Team I

Previous

2007

Next

2009

Support series:
Formula 3 Euro Series

Timo Scheider won his first Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Championship while Paul di Resta (right) finished second in the championship.

Teams and drivers

The following manufacturers, teams and drivers competed in the 2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Dunlop.

DTM-Mercedes C-Class (W204) of season 2008

DTM-Audi A4 of season 2008

Make	Car	Team	No.	Drivers	Rounds
Audi	Audi A4 DTM 2008	Abt Sportsline	1	Mattias Ekström	All
			2	Martin Tomczyk	All
			9	Tom Kristensen	All
			10	Timo Scheider	All
	Audi A4 DTM 2007	Team Phoenix	14	Alexandre Prémat	All
			15	Oliver Jarvis	All
		Team Rosberg	18	Mike Rockenfeller	All
			19	Markus Winkelhock	All
	Audi A4 DTM 2006	Futurecom TME	20	Katherine Legge	All
			21	Christijan Albers	All
Mercedes-Benz	AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2008	HWA Team	3	Bruno Spengler	All
			4	Paul di Resta	All
			5	Jamie Green	All
			6	Bernd Schneider	All
	AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2007	Persson Motorsport	7	Gary Paffett	All
			8	Mathias Lauda	All
			16	Susie Stoddart	All
		Mücke Motorsport	11	Ralf Schumacher	All
			12	Maro Engel	All
Sources:[1][2]

Team changes

After competing with Three cars in 2007, Mücke Motorsport downsized to two cars for 2008, meaning that there would now be 19 cars on the grid.

Driver changes

Mika Häkkinen retired from motorsport at the end of the 2007 season.^[3] He was replaced at HWA Team by Paul di Resta who had driven for Persson Motorsport the previous season.^[4]

Alexandros Margaritis left the series due to his dissatisfaction with competing in year-old cars.^[5]

After 11 years in Formula 1, Ralf Schumacher would make his DTM debut with Mücke Motorsport after leaving the Toyota F1 Team at the end of the previous season.^[6]

After spending 2007 as a reserve driver in Formula 1 and the DTM, Markus Winkelhock became an Audi factory driver and replaced Lucas Luhr at Team Rosberg who left the series to focus on Endurance racing.^[7]

Newly signed Mercedes factory driver Maro Engel joined the series with Mücke Motorsport after finishing runner up in the British Formula 3 championship in 2006.^[4]

Christian Abt left the DTM after eight seasons to join the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.^[8] He was replaced by 2007 Macau Grand Prix winner Oliver Jarvis.^[7]

Christijan Albers returned to the DTM with Futurecom TME after spending the previous three seasons in Formula 1.^[7]

Champ Car World Series driver Katherine Legge joined the DTM with Futurecom TME, replacing Vanina Ickx who left the series.^[7]

Mathias Lauda and Susie Stoddart moved from Mücke Motorsport to Persson Motorsport.^[4]

Daniel La Rosa left the series after two seasons in the DTM.^[9]

Race calendar and winners

Round	Circuit	Date	Pole position	Fastest Lap	Winning driver	Winning team	Winning manufacturer
	Präsentation Düsseldorf	6 April	no race
1	Hockenheimring	13 April	Timo Scheider	Paul di Resta	Mattias Ekström	Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline	Audi
2	Oschersleben	20 April	Timo Scheider	Timo Scheider	Timo Scheider	Audi Sport Team Abt	Audi
3	Mugello	4 May	Timo Scheider	Jamie Green	Jamie Green	Salzgitter AMG Mercedes	Mercedes
4	EuroSpeedway	18 May	Paul di Resta	Paul di Resta	Paul di Resta	Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG	Mercedes
5	Norisring	29 June	Bruno Spengler	Bruno Spengler	Jamie Green	Salzgitter AMG Mercedes	Mercedes
6	Zandvoort	13 July	Mattias Ekström	Tom Kristensen	Mattias Ekström	Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline	Audi
7	Nürburgring Short	27 July	Tom Kristensen	Martin Tomczyk	Bernd Schneider	Original-Teile AMG Mercedes	Mercedes
8	Brands Hatch Indy	31 August	Timo Scheider	Timo Scheider	Timo Scheider	Audi Sport Team Abt	Audi
9	Catalunya Short	21 September	Bernd Schneider	Tom Kristensen	Paul di Resta	Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG	Mercedes
10	Le Mans Bugatti	5 October	Tom Kristensen	Paul di Resta	Mattias Ekström	Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline	Audi
11	Hockenheimring	26 October	Mattias Ekström	Paul di Resta	Timo Scheider	Audi Sport Team Abt	Audi
Source:[10]

Season standings

Scoring system

Points are awarded to the top eight finishers.^[11]

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
Points	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1

Drivers' Standings

Pos Driver HOC OSC MUG LAU NOR ZAN NÜR BRH CAT BUG HOC Pts 1 Timo Scheider 2 1 10 2 3 2 5 1 2 6 1 75 2 Paul di Resta 13 4 2 1 5 7 2 2 1 2 2 71 3 Mattias Ekström 1 8 6 3 4 1 6 3 DSQ 1 7 56 4 Jamie Green 6 5 1 5 1 6 3 4 8 10 3 52 5 Bruno Spengler 4 3 9 6 2 5 7 6 Ret 7 4 38 6 Bernd Schneider 8 12 4 7 6 9 1 9 3 5 6 34 7 Martin Tomczyk 5 2 17 4 Ret 4 Ret 5 4 Ret 8 32 8 Tom Kristensen 3 19† 3 16 7 3 Ret 7 13 8 5 27 9 Gary Paffett 7 11 12 10 DSQ 11 4 8 11 4 11 13 10 Alexandre Prémat 11 9 8 DSQ 14 Ret 14 10 6 3 13 10 11 Mike Rockenfeller 10 7 14 9 13 10 15 13 5 9 9 6 12 Markus Winkelhock 12 6 7 Ret 11 8 9 11 12 11 Ret 6 13 Oliver Jarvis 9 15 5 8 12 17† 13 12 9 Ret 10 5 14 Ralf Schumacher 14 10 Ret 13 16† 12 8 15 7 Ret 14 3 15 Mathias Lauda 15 13 16 12 8 13 10 16 Ret 15 Ret 1 16 Maro Engel 17 18† 11 11 9 14 Ret 17 15 14 12 0 17 Christijan Albers Ret 16 13 14 Ret Ret 11 14 10 13 Ret 0 18 Susie Stoddart 16 14 15 17† 10 15 12 19 Ret 12 Ret 0 19 Katherine Legge 18 17 18 15 15 16† Ret 18 Ret 16 NC 0 Pos Driver HOC OSC MUG LAU NOR ZAN NÜR BRH CAT BUG HOC Pts Sources:[12][13]

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX)

• † — Driver retired, but was classified as they completed 90% of the winner's race distance.

Notes:

• In the ninth round of the championship in Catalunya Ekström originally crossed the line 5th and Green 8th. However, due to an overly harsh duel between the two on the last lap the stewards penalized both men. Ekström was disqualified and Green was given a 30 seconds’ time penalty. As Ekström already had caught the attention of the stewards in a negative way during the race, his penalty was bigger.

Teams' championship

Pos.	Team	No.	HOC	OSC	MUG	LAU	NOR	ZAN	NÜR	BRH	CAT	BUG	HOC	Points
1	Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG	3	4	3	9	6	2	5	7	6	Ret	7	4	109
		4	13	4	2	1	5	7	2	2	1	2	2
2	Audi Sport Team Abt	9	3	19†	3	16	7	3	Ret	7	13	8	5	102
		10	2	1	10	2	3	2	5	1	2	6	1
3	Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline	1	1	8	6	3	4	1	6	3	DSQ	1	7	88
		2	5	2	17	4	Ret	4	Ret	5	4	Ret	8
4	Salzgitter / Original-Teile AMG Mercedes	5	6	5	1	5	1	6	3	4	8	10	3	86
		6	8	12	4	7	6	9	1	9	3	5	6
5	Audi Sport Team Phoenix	14	11	9	8	DSQ	14	Ret	14	10	6	3	13	15
		15	9	15	5	8	12	17†	13	12	9	Ret	10
6	Stern / Pixum AMG Mercedes	7	7	11	12	10	DSQ	11	4	8	11	4	11	14
		8	15	13	16	12	8	13	10	16	Ret	15	Ret
7	Audi Sport Team Rosberg	18	10	7	14	9	13	10	15	13	5	9	9	12
		19	12	6	7	Ret	11	8	9	11	12	11	Ret
8	TRILUX / JungeSterne AMG Mercedes	11	14	10	Ret	13	16†	12	8	15	7	Ret	14	3
		12	17	18†	11	11	9	14	Ret	17	15	14	12
9	TV Spielfilm AMG Mercedes	16	16	14	15	17†	10	15	12	19	Ret	12	Ret	0
10	Futurecom TME	20	18	17	18	15	15	16†	Ret	18	Ret	16	NC	0
		21	Ret	16	13	14	Ret	Ret	11	14	10	13	Ret
Pos.	Team	No.	HOC	OSC	MUG	LAU	NOR	ZAN	NÜR	BRH	CAT	BUG	HOC	Points
Sources:[12][14]

References

1. "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Summary 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
2. "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) – 2008: Entrylist". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
3. "Hakkinen retires". www.eurosport.com. Retrieved 2024-07-30.
4. "2008 Mercedes drivers confirmed". 10 March 2008.
5. "Margaritis leaves the DTM".^{[dead link]}
6. "Ralf Schumacher will start with the AMG Mercedes C-Class".
7. "Audi completes driver line-up for 2008 DTM".
8. "Christian Abt to end his DTM career".
9. "Daniel la Rosa out of Mercedes". 24 January 2008.
10. "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Results 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
11. "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) – 2008: Point standings". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
12. "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Standings 2008". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
13. "2008 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Standings". TouringCars.net. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
14. "Rankings". Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2023.

External links

• Official website