Crash.net caught up with rising star Gary Paffett at the
Autosport International show, and the young Briton discussed his introduction to the DTM in 2003 with Mercedes, and his hopes for 2004 in the final section of this extensive two-part Q&A.
Q:
Gary... I get the impression that the Mercedes and the DTM are a car and championship you are really enjoying?
Gary Paffett:
The Mercedes is a great car to race. It is very advanced, very quick, and the racing is good fun. At places like the Norisring and Hockenheim, you are doing something like 160mph down the straights, and to be braking at the hundred metres board for a hairpin in something that big is awesome.
The people you are racing against are very experienced drivers, and they don’t do stupid things - I think I was maybe the only one who did do something stupid in one race! Other than that you have very good racing, and I think it is the best Touring Car package around.
Q:
So what does 2004 and hold in store for you?
GP:
We have a contract to race in the DTM with Mercedes again, and I’m really hoping that will be in one of the new cars - hopefully a full works car with HWA. I saw last year that you are always going to be just off the pace in an old car - it can be as much as a second or a second and a half, and that is just too much of a deficit to make up.
I’ve done a lot of development testing recently in one of the new cars, so it looks really promising. I’m just waiting for Mercedes to confirm it publicly, but we are pretty confident that we are going to be in one of four new cars alongside Schneider, Alesi and Albers.
Q:
So what are going to be your goals for the season?
GP:
First of to start trying to win races - and at least get on the podium. Christijan Albers showed last year what you can do. My performances in the old car were equivalent to what he had done in an old car, and he finished second in the championship last year.
