Official: Mika Hakkinen to race DTM in 2005

[iGav]

Not that surprising really after his extensive test a few weeks ago, although after the silly season this year, anything was possible.

I've been watching some DTM this season, and it really is pukka racing, so hopefully with the arrival of Mika next season, it'll be even better!!

http://www.f1racing.net/en/news.php?newsID=68728
http://www.dtm.de/

I figure that this means that DC is the likely candidate for the last seat t Williams BMW for next season after his meeting with Williams last week!

 

[virividox]

i guess he still has the bug hehe

more power to him

 

[brap]

I've been watching some DTM this season, and it really is pukka racing, so hopefully with the arrival of Mika next season, it'll be even better!!

I only ever got to see it in Spain where we had some crazy-ass foreign cable channels. Agreed, though - like the BTCC on steroids.

I figure that this means that DC is the likely candidate for the last seat t Williams BMW for next season after his meeting with Williams last week!

DC rules. It's just a shame McLaren had so many technical issues over his last few seasons, hopefully he's not lost his resolve. Damnit next year I need a TV!

 

[iGav]

I only ever got to see it in Spain where we had some crazy-ass foreign cable channels. Agreed, though - like the BTCC on steroids.

I watch it on one of the Sky sports channels, Motors TV or something... really competitive racing, and the cars are just awesomely fast.

I used to love BTCC back in the day, think Rouse, Cleland etc... but I fell out of favour with it when they introduced success ballast... to me that totally ruins the whole notion of racing when teams and drivers are penalised for being successful.

It's the same as giving every team that plays Arsenal an automatic 1-0 headstart advantage before kickoff, or giving Tiger Woods heavier... errrr balls to play with it creates false levels of competitiveness.

 

[brap]

I used to love BTCC back in the day, think Rouse, Cleland etc... but I fell out of favour with it when they introduced success ballast... to me that totally ruins the whole notion of racing when teams and drivers are penalised for being successful.

Yeah... I quite vividly remember in my [much] younger days waiting of a Sunday to watch Steve Soper blast around the track in those awesome BMW 3 Series, and was totally blown away when the Alfa Romeos kicked everyone's ass! Last time I watched it, there were only like... Peugeot and Vauxhall competing. For shame...

 

[Counterfit]

Does Jean Alesi still drive DTM? I didn't get to see much of it this year.

 

[russed]

i agree with igav on how btcc has been ruined a bit. there are too few teams now. its used to be so good when there were bmw renault vauxhall nissan etc. now its just a bit boring.

dtm is great though. if only f1 could be a bit more like it!

though the mika news is good for dc thats for sure!

 

[iGav]

Does Jean Alesi still drive DTM? I didn't get to see much of it this year.

Yep... as does Frentzen

if only f1 could be a bit more like it!

F1 has never really had that level of competition, atleast in the modern era that is because of F1's unique history of the teams having to build their own cars (excluding engines) and being relatively free with regards to technical rules so differences in performance become more apparent, it's been like that for as long as I can remember.

Series like DTM, CART, IRL, NASCAR etc etc you can buy rolling chassis from the manufacturers (with similar or even identical specs) so the competition is always going to be so much closer.

Either way I think DTM is probably the most competitive closed wheel racing series, far more entertaining than WRC (they've yet to nail the TV coverage of that) and NASCAR isn't a patch on it...

Anyway with regards to Mika, I'd have liked to have seen him back, especially if he was as competitive as he was in 2000 but I'm not so sure he could've matched those levels of performance again, atleast within the 1 season he'd be back for. And the last thing F1 needs is one of the top seats in F1 going to someone that isn't fully competitive, can you imagine the excuses that would be coming out if (and probably likely) that Webber gave him a good thrashing atleast for the first half of the season.

After the most one sided World Championship in history, I'm thirsty for some competitive, wheel to wheel racing