by Russell Atkins
Susie Stoddart was one of only two female racers in the DTM last season, but she gave the boys more than enough food for thought to suggest she will be an even greater threat in 2007.
The Scot jumped across to the DTM from British F3, and made steady and consistent progress throughout her maiden campaign in what is inarguably one of the world’s foremost tin-top series. Here she explains how she intends putting everything she learnt to good use as she heads into her sophomore season in the championship…
Q:
Susie, how are your plans looking for the year ahead?
Susie Stoddart:
Everything has come together well. I’ve been re-signed by Mercedes to continue in the DTM, and now I’m really looking forward to the season.
Q:
And looking to put all you learnt in your debut campaign last year into practice second time around..?
SS:
Yeah. Last year was a positive year but for sure there’s a lot I need to improve on, and I do aim to do that this year.
Q:
How tough was your first season in the series overall?
SS:
There was a lot to learn. Obviously there are pit-stops, the races are much longer and there’s all the strategies to take into account. I feel like I learnt a lot but I still have a lot left to learn too.
Q:
How much of a transition was it from single-seaters across to tin-tops?
SS:
It is a big difference, but it’s fine once you get used to it. The car is actually very similar to an F3 car to drive.
Q:
What would you say was the hardest thing you had to adjust to during the year?
