From the race contested this Sunday at the Norisring, DTM always will have a clear answer to the recently often asked question “Option tyres or not?” Since the race at Spielberg, a bigger written yellow brand name on the tyre sides supplied by DTM exclusive tyre partner Hankook made identifying the tyres easier for both the crowds on the grandstands and the TV audience. And now, the situation will be improved once again. With immediate effect, a new technical system makes sure that the currently used tyre will also be indicated in the TV graphics. This is made possible by the use of sensors mounted to the rims of the Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz DTM cars.
In addition to the tyre pressure, these sensors that already have been used since the beginning of the 2012 season now also transmit the information if a car is running on option tyres. This is made possible by an individual code of the sensor that is deposited by the representative of the German Motor Sport Association, DMSB, in the marshalling system prior to the distribution of the option tyres. Are the option tyres used by a DTM car, a receiver in the car automatically receives this information and transmits it including the number of the respective car to the TV graphics interface and the information system for the TV commentators.
“The use of individual codes that are automatically identified will make the use of the option tyres even more transparent, from the Norisring weekend,” says Hans Werner Aufrecht, Chairman of DTM rights holder and promoter ITR e. V. “As next step following the bigger yellow identification marks on the tyre sides that we have already been using since Spielberg, this system makes sure that the TV graphics also are up to date at any time. This provides the spectators and the TV audience a better overview of what is going on in the race.”
The option tyres have been used in DTM since the beginning of the 2013 season. Thanks to their softer compound, they enable the driver using them to set faster lap times – for a certain period of time. Afterwards, however, their performance decreases quickly. Every driver receives – solely for the race – one set of these tyres and must use them in the race. The option tyres allow the drivers to opt for different strategies, thus adding to the excitement.
The fifth round of the season at the Norisring, the only street circuit on the DTM calendar, will be started as usual on Sunday at 13:40hrs CEST (12:40hrs BST), with the coverage of the series’ German TV partner, ARD, beginning at 13:15hrs CEST. The qualifying session on Saturday will start at 14:40hrs CEST and ARD will begin its coverage at 14:30hrs.
