The third round of the 2007 DTM season is held next weekend at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz (Sunday from 1:45 p.m. live on German TV "Das Erste”). Audi factory driver Mike Rockenfeller, who turned heads last time out at Oschersleben by claiming third place in a year-old car, talks about the 3.478 kilometre long EuroSpeedway Lausitz, at which Audi have won two of the last four DTM race (Mattias Ekström in both 2004 and 2005).
 
What impression does the EuroSpeedway Lausitz give a racing driver?
"The circuit version of the EuroSpeedway used by the DTM cars is a combination of several parts of the oval and the infield track section lying within the boundary of the oval. You don’t really notice much of the classic fast banked curves of an oval. Other sections of the track are much more interesting.”
 
Where exactly are the greatest challenges?
"The long 180 degree right-handed corner in the infield is particularly demanding. It is long and very fast. Here you need an exceptionally stable car, whose limit is very easy to feel in this corner. The rest of the corners in the infield section are slow and technical. They require a very smooth driving style.”
 
Exciting slip-streaming battles can develop on the long straights. What’s the best way to approach this section?
"The corner before the start-finish is tricky. You have to exit the infield onto the oval extremely smoothly to be able to accelerate early enough. A relatively fast s-bend used to follow at the end of the straight. Since the circuit has been modified we now have to deal with a very tight left-hand corner, which actually resembles a hairpin. Hard braking and out-braking manoeuvres will therefore be the norm.”
 
The facility is a flagship for high standards. To what extent do the drivers benefit?
"The EuroSpeedway Lausitz is a state-of-the-art facility that reminds me of the circuits in the USA. The high-standards of such circuits are impressive. It starts with the buildings, on to the spacious pit facilities and the safety precautions. This facility is very comfortable for drivers, teams and spectators alike.”