Mercedes-Benz in the 2005 DTM:

Enthralling DTM Presentation in Hamburg's City

25,000 attend the show at the city hall square and along the track

Mercedes-Benz introduced their eight DTM drivers for the 2005 season during the championship’s presentation at Hamburg, Germany, on Tuesday. 25,000 enthusiastic spectators attended an action-packed show programme including drivers of Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Opel. At Hamburg’s Rathausmarkt, the square in front of the city hall, and along a temporary track in the centre of the city, they experienced driving activities, acceleration demonstrations and pit stop competitions. The 2005 DTM will begin at Hockenheim on 17 April.

On the occasion of a press conference at the Hamburg Stock Exchange, the AMG-Mercedes C-Class featuring a four-litre V8 engine was presented to more than 230 media representatives. The technicians headed by HWA’s technical director Gerhard Ungar and the team of his managing director colleague Hans-Jürgen Mattheis have carried out an intensive programme in preparation for this season.

Five drivers will race the new AMG-Mercedes C-Class in 2005: The most spectacular new entry is without doubt the 1998 and 1999 Formula One World Champion Mika Häkkinen (36, Sport Edition AMG-Mercedes). His four colleagues are: four-times DTM Champion Bernd Schneider (40, Vodafone AMG-Mercedes) who is record champion and record winner with four titles and 38 race wins; last year's runner-up Gary Paffett (24, DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes); Jean Alesi (39, AMG-Mercedes); and Jamie Green (22), who enters the DTM as a Mercedes Junior after winning the 2004 Formula 3 Euro Series Championship title in a Dallara Mercedes.

Three drivers will race a 2004 AMG-Mercedes C-Class: Bruno Spengler (21, Mercedes-Benz Used Cars) as well as (23) and Alexandros Margaritis who at the age of 20 is the youngest driver in the 2005 DTM. Mücke and Margaritis will race for Mücke Motorsport, the team of Stefan's father Peter.

Mücke Motorsport is the first Mercedes-Benz private team in the new DTM. The project will be financed by sponsors and two cars plus a parts kit required for the season are made available to the team on a leasing basis. Thus Mercedes-Benz Motorsport lead the way for the 2006 DTM regulations by which the manufacturers will be obliged to lease competitive cars at competitive terms and conditions to private teams.

The DTM comprises 11 races. Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium on 15 May, Avignon; France on 18 September; Istanbul, Turkey on 2 October are new on the calendar. The season will end on 23 October traditionally at Hockenheim. The DTM will be broadcast live by German network ARD. For the first time, they will also show Saturday's qualifyings live.

Formula 3 Euro Series in the centre of the city:

The Formula 3 Euro Series was also presented at Hamburg. Most of the championship's races will be run as DTM supporting event. Seven drivers from four countries, entered by four teams, will start with the Mercedes-Benz engine M271 in the Euro Series’ third year.

The 2004 Championship winning team ASM from France will start with Lewis Hamilton (20, Great Britain) and Adrian Sutil (22, Germany); Lucas di Grassi (Brazil, 20) and Paul di Resta (Great Britain, 18) will race for Manor Motorsport from Sheffield, Great Britain; German team Mücke Motorsport will enter Sebastian Vettel (Germany, 17) und Atila de Abreu (Brazil, 17); HBR Motorsport from Austria will provide one car for Hannes Neuhauser (19, Austria). It's the youngest Mercedes-Benz driver line-up in four years involvement in Formula 3.

Mercedes Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport:

“The 2005 DTM will be even more competitive than in previous years and I expect about a dozen combinations of drivers and cars capable of winning. Therefore, we can expect very close gaps in qualifyings and races, and the spectators at the race tracks as well as the TV viewers can look forward to thrilling sport and an exciting season. With many activities, the Mercedes team wants to put the spectator at the venues in the centre of attention and to entertain him excellently with the DTM.”