DTM Hockenheim: Showdown with Müller farewell 🎥
LAST AUDI RACE AT TITLE DECISION This weekend, the 2022 DTM title will be awarded at Hockenheim. Although Nico Müller still has theoretical chances, he is in focus for another reason: It is his last race with Audi.
No fewer than ten different drivers across five brands have won at least one of the 14 2022 classification rounds so far. Among them are the two DTM Swiss Nico Müller and Ricardo Feller in their Audi R8s.
Five favorites among ten drivers
With a total of 58 points still to be awarded in the two qualifying sessions and races at Hockenheim, just as many people still have at least a mathematical chance of winning the DTM drivers' championship.
Realistically, however, the champion is likely to be among the five drivers from five different brands who are separated at the top of the standings by just 16 points. The short current video introduces them.
The rest of the almost 30-strong field of contenders on the six makes of Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche represented in the DTM probably has rather less to do with the outcome of the championship and will be fighting for a good finish to an exciting season at the season finale - including Nico Müller.
End of a nine-year partnership
It was the Berner's decision to end his work as an Audi Sport factory driver after nine seasons at Hockenheim and to devote himself to new tasks immediately afterwards. In other words, to compete for overall victory at Le Mans and the World Endurance Championship with Peugeot Sport from 2023 and to put pressure on the big names in the Formula E World Championship with the private team from ABT - which he knows very well from his DTM days until 2019.
As seventh in the standings with a 33-point gap to leader Sheldon van der Linde (BMW M4), everything would have to go in his favor and a lot against the other rivals ahead of him Lucas Auer (Mercedes), René Rast (Audi), Thomas Preining (Porsche), Mirko Bortolotti (Lamborghini) and Luca Stolz (Mercedes) in order to become DTM champion once again after finishing second in 2019 and 2020.
Full commitment to the finish line
But the outgoing Audi factory driver is realistic enough to stop dreaming about it.
Nico Müller: "In principle, I'm not dissatisfied with the season so far, because we've made significant progress in Team Rosberg. But I would have liked to have gone to Hockenheim as one of the top three with a real chance of winning the title. But as long as there's a chance, I'll try to get the maximum out of it."
Müller clinched eleven DTM race victories with Audi cars - the first in 2016 at the Norisring, the last on May 1, 2022 at Portimão. In addition, he was the only Swiss to date to stand on the overall winners' podium of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, which was his first success as an Audi factory driver in 2015.
Many Swiss fans in Hockenheim
As 13th in the standings, Ricardo Feller, on the other hand, no longer has a chance of winning the title, but the man from Aargau is hoping for a conciliatory end to the season. Both Swiss drivers will undoubtedly receive moral support from many of their compatriots in the paddock and the spectators in the grandstands.
They also get their money's worth when the attractive GT3 sports cars are not doing their laps. In the DTM Trophy with GT4 cars and in the BMW M2 Cup (with Swiss Sean Fuster), the title decision is also still to be made. In addition, the DTM Classics (with René Ruch on BMW M3 E30) and the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux provide acoustic and visual enjoyment.
The two DTM races start at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Those who are not live on site can watch them on free TV on ProSieben from 1 p.m. onwards.
