2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

Bernd Schneider (left) won his fourth Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Championship while Bruno Spengler (right) finished second in the championship.

The 2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters was the twentieth season of premier German touring car championship and also seventh season under the moniker of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series was resumed in 2000. The number of race weekends was reduced, from eleven in 2005, to ten for the 2006 season. Each track hosted one race, with the exception of Hockenheim, which hosted two. As in 2005, each event consisted of one race of approximately one hour, with two compulsory pit stops for each car. The Championship was won by Bernd Schneider driving an AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2006 for the HWA Team. Team Rosberg returned to the series after one-year absence and thus switched to Audi Sport machinery.

Changes for 2006

  • Opel exited the series, leaving Audi and Mercedes as remaining manufacturers. Audi and Mercedes respectively increased their number of entries from eight to ten cars each to fill up the four empty spots left by Opel.
  • Older 2004 models became cheaper, allowing privateer teams to buy them.
  • The rounds in Belgium at Spa-Francorchamps and Turkey at Istanbul Park were dropped in favour of Le Mans in France and Barcelona in Spain.
  • The round in Czech Republic at Brno were removed from the schedule.

Teams and drivers

The following manufacturers, teams and drivers competed in the 2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Dunlop.

Manufacturer Car Team No. Drivers Rounds
Mercedes-Benz AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2006 HWA Team 2 Bernd Schneider All
3 Jamie Green All
8 Mika Häkkinen All
9 Bruno Spengler All
AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2005 Persson Motorsport 10 Jean Alesi All
11 Alexandros Margaritis All
AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2004 21 Mathias Lauda All
AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2005 Mücke Motorsport 17 Stefan Mücke All
18 Daniel la Rosa All
AMG-Mercedes C-Klasse 2004 22 Susie Stoddart All
Audi Audi A4 DTM 2006 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 4 Martin Tomczyk All
5 Mattias Ekström All
6 Heinz-Harald Frentzen All
7 Tom Kristensen All
Audi A4 DTM 2005 Audi Sport Team Phoenix 12 Christian Abt All
14 Pierre Kaffer All
Audi Sport Team Rosberg 15 Frank Stippler All
16 Timo Scheider All
Audi A4 DTM 2004 Futurecom TME 19 Olivier Tielemans 1–3*
Jeroen Bleekemolen 4–5**
Nicolas Kiesa 6–8***
Thed Björk 9–10
20 Vanina Ickx All
Sources:[1][2]

Team changes

Opel left the series after the 2005 season due to budget cuts at General Motors in Europe. Team Holzer would also leave after being part of Opel's squad since 2000.[3]

Team Joest left the series so they could concentrate on the development of the Audi R10 diesel sports car. They were replaced by Team Phoenix, who had run Opel's the previous season, and Team Rosberg who returned to the series after a one year absence. Both teams would run one year old cars.[4]

F1 team boss Colin Kolles would enter the championship with two two year old Audi A4s run under the Futurecom TME banner.[4]

Mercedes teams Mücke Motorsport and Persson Motorsport expanded to three cars each  with each running two one year old cars and one two year old cars each.

Driver changes

Reigning champion Gary Paffett left the DTM to focus on his F1 test driver role at McLaren Mercedes with hopes of a race seat in 2007.[5]

Bruno Spengler and Jamie Green were promoted from Persson Motorsport to HWA Team while Jean Alesi was demoted from HWA Team to Persson Motorsport.[5]

Heinz-Harald Frentzen switched from Opel to Audi to replace Allan McNish who left the series to focus on Endurance racing.[6]

Laurent Aïello and Manuel Reuter retired from motorsport after Opel left the series.

Marcel Fässler left the DTM to join Swiss Spirit in the Le Mans Series.

Rinaldo Capello left the DTM to focus on Endurance racing.

Alexandros Margaritis moved from Mücke Motorsport to Persson Motorsport.[5]

GP2 driver Mathias Lauda joined the DTM with Persson Motorsport.[5]

Daniel la Rosa and Susie Stoddart joined the DTM with Mücke Motorsport after spending the previous year in Formula Renault 3.5 Series and British Formula 3 respectively.[5]

Vanina Ickx and Olivier Tielemans joined the DTM with Futurecom TME after spending the previous year in BELCAR and 3000 Pro Series respectively.

Mid season changes

Olivier Tielemans was replaced by Jeroen Bleekemolen after the second round of the season.

Jeroen Bleekemolen was replaced by Nicolas Kiesa after sponsorship troubles after the fifth round.

Nicolas Kiesa was replaced by Thed Björk for the final two races after Kiesa was injured in a motocross accident.

Race calendar and winners

Round Circuit Date Pole position Fastest Lap Winning driver Winning team Winning manufacturer TV
Präsentation Düsseldorf 26 March
1 Hockenheimring 9 April Jamie Green Bruno Spengler Bernd Schneider Vodafone AMG Mercedes Mercedes ARD
2 EuroSpeedway 30 April Jamie Green Bruno Spengler Bernd Schneider Vodafone AMG Mercedes Mercedes ARD
3 Oschersleben 21 May Tom Kristensen Tom Kristensen Tom Kristensen Audi Sport Team Abt Audi ARD
4 Brands Hatch 2 July Tom Kristensen Bernd Schneider Mattias Ekström Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi ARD
5 Norisring 23 July Jamie Green Bruno Spengler Bruno Spengler DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes Mercedes ARD
6 Nürburgring 20 August Bruno Spengler Bruno Spengler Bruno Spengler DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes Mercedes ARD
7 Zandvoort 3 September Jamie Green Mika Häkkinen Tom Kristensen Audi Sport Team Abt Audi ARD
8 Barcelona 24 September Martin Tomczyk Bernd Schneider Martin Tomczyk Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi ARD
9 Le Mans 15 October Bruno Spengler Mika Häkkinen Bruno Spengler DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes Mercedes ARD
10 Hockenheimring 29 October Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jamie Green Bruno Spengler DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes Mercedes ARD
Source:[7]

Championship standings

Scoring system

Points are awarded to the top 8 classified finishers.[8]

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

Drivers' championship

Pos Driver HOC
 LAU
 OSC
 BRH
 NOR
 NÜR
 ZAN
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Pts
1 Bernd Schneider 1 1 5 3 2 2 2 2 5 4 71
2 Bruno Spengler 9 5 2 7 1 1 4 5 1 1 63
3 Tom Kristensen 2 2 1 18† 5 5 1 9 3 3 56
4 Martin Tomczyk 7 8 6 4 16† 3 3 1 4 5 42
5 Jamie Green Ret 4 3 2 Ret 9 8 Ret 6 2 31
6 Mika Häkkinen 4 3 9 11 3 12 11 11 2 Ret 25
7 Heinz-Harald Frentzen 3 13 4 17† 11 6 5 3 10 14† 24
8 Mattias Ekström Ret DSQ 7 1 6 8 13 4 Ret 12† 21
9 Jean Alesi 6 7 8 6 Ret 4 Ret 14 11 8 15
10 Timo Scheider 8 9 14 10 7 7 6 Ret 8 6 12
11 Alexandros Margaritis 5 6 20† 8 Ret 15 Ret 8 7 13† 11
12 Stefan Mücke Ret 12 12 13 4 11 7 12 15 Ret 7
13 Christian Abt Ret Ret 17 5 10 10 Ret 10 9 7 6
14 Frank Stippler 12 11 13 Ret 9 Ret 14 6 Ret Ret 3
15 Daniel la Rosa 14 Ret 11 12 15† 16 10 7 Ret Ret 2
16 Pierre Kaffer Ret 10 10 9 8 14 9 Ret 12 NC 1
17 Susie Stoddart 10 15 15 16 14† Ret 12 15 13 9 0
18 Mathias Lauda 11 14 16 15 Ret 13 15 13 Ret 10 0
19 Vanina Ickx 15 16 18 Ret 13 18 Ret Ret 16 11 0
20 Jeroen Bleekemolen 14 12 0
21 Olivier Tielemans 13 17 19 0
22 Thed Björk 14 15† 0
23 Nicolas Kiesa 17 16 Ret 0
Pos Driver HOC
 LAU
 OSC
 BRH
 NOR
 NÜR
 ZAN
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Pts
Sources:[9][10]
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points classification
Blue Non-points classification
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired, not classified (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)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

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

Teams' championship

Pos. Team No. HOC
 LAU
 OSC
 BRH
 NOR
 NÜR
 ZAN
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Points
1 Vodafone / Salzgitter AMG Mercedes 2 1 1 5 3 2 2 2 2 5 4 102
3 Ret 4 3 2 Ret 9 8 Ret 6 2
2 DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes 8 4 3 9 11 3 12 11 11 2 Ret 88
9 9 5 2 7 1 1 4 5 1 1
3 Audi Sport Team Abt 6 3 13 4 17† 11 6 5 3 10 14† 80
7 2 2 1 18† 5 5 1 9 3 3
4 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 4 7 8 6 4 16† 3 3 1 4 5 63
5 Ret DSQ 7 1 6 8 13 4 Ret 12†
5 stern / Easy Rent AMG Mercedes 10 6 7 8 6 Ret 4 Ret 14 11 8 26
11 5 6 20† 8 Ret 15 Ret 8 7 13†
6 Audi Sport Team Rosberg 15 8 9 14 10 7 7 6 Ret 8 6 15
16 12 11 13 Ret 9 Ret 14 6 Ret Ret
7 TV-Spielfilm / TrekStor AMG Mercedes 17 Ret 12 12 13 4 11 7 12 15 Ret 9
18 14 Ret 11 12 15† 16 10 7 Ret Ret
8 Audi Sport Team Phoenix 12 Ret Ret 17 5 10 10 Ret 10 9 7 7
14 Ret 10 10 9 8 14 9 Ret 12 NC
9 AutoScout24 / Junge Gebrauchte AMG Mercedes 21 11 14 16 15 Ret 13 15 13 Ret 10 0
22 10 15 15 16 14† Ret 12 15 13 9
10 Futurecom TME 19 13 17 19 14 12 17 16 Ret 14 15† 0
20 15 16 18 Ret 13 18 Ret Ret 16 11
Pos. Team No. HOC
 LAU
 OSC
 BRH
 NOR
 NÜR
 ZAN
 CAT
 BUG
 HOC
 Points
Sources:[8][9]

References

  1. ^ "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Summary". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  2. ^ "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) – 2006: Entrylist". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Opel to be withdrawn after 2005".
  4. ^ a b "Audi confirm 2006 teams line-up".
  5. ^ a b c d e "Mercedes confirm 2006 driver line-up".
  6. ^ "Audi confirms Frentzen switch".
  7. ^ "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Results 2006". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  8. ^ a b "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) – 2006: Point standings". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Standings 2006". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  10. ^ "2006 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Standings". TouringCars.net. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
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