2003 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters

Bernd Schneider (left) won his third Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Championship while Christijan Albers (right) finished second in the championship.

The 2003 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters was the seventeenth season of premier German touring car championship and also fourth season under the moniker of Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters since the series' resumption in 2000. Unlike 2002 there were ten race weekends with only one race at each event.

Changes for 2003

• The races were increased in length to a total of one hour per race, as compared to the 40 minutes each race had lasted in 2002.
• The race at Zolder, Belgium, was replaced by Adria in Italy.
• The DTM did not return to Sachsenring. Instead, Nürburgring hosted two events.
• The qualifying for Round 7 at Nürburgring was held at nighttime.

Teams and drivers

The following manufacturers, teams and drivers competed in the 2003 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. All teams competed with tyres supplied by Dunlop.

Manufacturer	Car	Team	No.	Drivers	Rounds
Audi	Abt-Audi TT-R 2003	Abt Sportsline	1	Laurent Aïello	All
			2	Christian Abt	All
			5	Mattias Ekström	All
			6	Karl Wendlinger	All
	Abt-Audi TT-R 2002	Abt Sportsline Junior Team	14	Martin Tomczyk	All
			15	Peter Terting	All
Mercedes-Benz	AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTM 2003	HWA Team	3	Bernd Schneider	All
			4	Christijan Albers	All
			9	Marcel Fässler	All
			10	Jean Alesi	All
	AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTM 2002	Persson Motorsport	11	Thomas Jäger	All
			12	Bernd Mayländer	All
			20	Katsutomo Kaneishi	All
	AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTM 2002	Team Rosberg	24	Patrick Huisman	1–2
				Gary Paffett	3–10
			42	Stefan Mücke	All
Opel	Opel Astra V8 Coupé 2003	OPC Team Holzer	7	Manuel Reuter	All
			8	Alain Menu	All
	Opel Astra V8 Coupé 2002	OPC Euroteam	16	Joachim Winkelhock	All
			17	Jeroen Bleekemolen	All
	Opel Astra V8 Coupé 2003	OPC Team Phoenix	18	Timo Scheider	All
			19	Peter Dumbreck	All
Sources:[1][2]

Team changes

Abt Sportsline expanded from five to six cars with two cars run under the Abt Sportsline Junior Team banner, created to promote young drivers.^[3][4] Danish outfit First Choice Racing helped support the team during the 2003 season.^[5]

Persson Motorsport expanded to three cars.

Manthey Racing withdrew from the DTM after being part of the Mercedes squad since 2001.

Driver changes

Uwe Alzen had planned to continue with HWA Team in 2003 but decided to withdraw just days before the opening round of the season. In response, Mercedes promoted Christijan Albers from Team Rosberg to HWA Team, while Patrick Huisman took Albers vacant seat at Team Rosberg after driving for Manthey Racing.^[6]

Bernd Mayländer switched from Manthey Racing to Persson Motorsport.

Three time Japan Grand Touring car Championship winner Katsutomo Kaneishi joined the DTM with Persson Motorsport.^[7]

Martin Tomczyk moved to the Abt Sportsline Junior Team alongside debutant Peter Terting who had won the Volkswagen Lupo Cup in 2002.^[4]

Opel would shuffle around their drivers for 2003 with Manuel Reuter and Alain Menu moving to Team Holzer while Joachim Winkelhock went to Euroteam and Timo Scheider moved to Team Phoenix. Peter Dumbreck moved from Mercedes to Opel Team Phoenix while Jeroen Bleekemolen made his DTM debut with Opel Euroteam after finishing second in the Dutch Touring Car Championship.^[8]

Michael Bartels left the DTM to join the V8Star Series.

Mid season changes

Reigning German Formula Three Champion Gary Paffett replaced Patrick Huisman from the third round onwards.^[9]

Race calendar and winners

Round	Circuit	Date	Pole position	Fastest Lap	Winning driver	Winning team	Winning manufacturer	TV
1	Hockenheimring	27 April	Bernd Schneider	Bernd Schneider	Bernd Schneider	Vodafone AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ZDF
2	Adria	11 May	Marcel Fässler	Bernd Schneider	Christijan Albers	Express-Service AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ARD
3	Nürburgring	25 May	Marcel Fässler	Bernd Schneider	Christijan Albers	Express-Service AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ZDF
4	EuroSpeedway	8 June	Bernd Schneider	Alain Menu	Bernd Schneider	Vodafone AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ZDF
5	Norisring	22 June	Bernd Schneider	Bernd Schneider	Christijan Albers	Express-Service AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ARD
6	Donington Park	27 July	Bernd Schneider	Bernd Schneider	Jean Alesi	AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ZDF
7	Nürburgring	17 August	Mattias Ekström	Peter Dumbreck	Laurent Aïello	Hasseröder Abt-Audi	Audi	ARD
8	A1-Ring	7 September	Marcel Fässler	Bernd Schneider	Marcel Fässler	AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ARD
9	Zandvoort	21 September	Timo Scheider	Christijan Albers	Christijan Albers	Express-Service AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ZDF
10	Hockenheimring	5 October	Mattias Ekström	Alain Menu	Jean Alesi	AMG-Mercedes	Mercedes	ARD
Source:[10]

Championship standings

Scoring system

Points are awarded to the top 8 classified finishers.^[11]

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th
Points	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1

Drivers' championship

Pos Driver HOC ADR NÜR LAU NOR DON NÜR A1R ZAN HOC Points 1 Bernd Schneider 1 5 4 1 3 2 3 2 2 6 68 2 Christijan Albers 5 1 1 7 1 5 2 3 1 12 64 3 Marcel Fässler 2 4 2 10 2 4 5 1 6 3 57 4 Mattias Ekström 8 2 7 3 Ret 3 4 5 3 2 46 5 Jean Alesi 4 7 Ret 5 5 1 6 Ret 5 1 42 6 Laurent Aïello 3 3 3 8 6 Ret 1 4 9 5 41 7 Peter Dumbreck 6 6 5 2 4 6 10 Ret 10 4 31 8 Timo Scheider 7 15 13 4 16 8 7 Ret Ret 7 12 9 Alain Menu 18 8 6 6 10 Ret 9 7 Ret 10 9 10 Manuel Reuter 9 Ret 9 12 13 Ret 15† 10 4 19† 5 11 Gary Paffett Ret 15 Ret 9 8 6 12 18† 4 12 Christian Abt 20† DSQ 8 9 7 Ret Ret Ret 11 9 3 13 Thomas Jäger 10 Ret 12 14 9 7 Ret 9 13 11 2 14 Jeroen Bleekemolen 14 11 11 18† 14 13 17† 12 7 15 2 15 Joachim Winkelhock 16 9 10 11 8 10 13 14 15 Ret 1 16 Karl Wendlinger 15 12 16 13 11 15 11 16 8 17 1 17 Peter Terting Ret 13 14 DNS 12 14 18† 13 14 8 1 18 Martin Tomczyk 12 Ret 18 DNS Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret 13 1 19 Bernd Mayländer 11 10 17 16 Ret 12 14 15 16 20† 0 20 Stefan Mücke 17 Ret 15 DNS 15 11 12 11 17 14 0 21 Patrick Huisman 13 Ret 0 22 Katsutomo Kaneishi 19 14 19 17 17† Ret 16† 17 18 16 0 Pos Driver HOC ADR NÜR LAU NOR DON NÜR A1R ZAN HOC Points Sources:[12][13]

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX) Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

• † — Driver retired, but was classified as they completed 90% of the winner's race distance.

Teams' championship

Pos.	Team	No.	HOC	ADR	NÜR	LAU	NOR	DON	NÜR	A1R	ZAN	HOC	Points
1	Vodafone / Express-Service AMG-Mercedes	3	1	5	4	1	3	2	3	2	2	6	132
		4	5	1	1	7	1	5	2	3	1	12
2	AMG-Mercedes	9	2	4	2	10	2	4	5	1	6	3	99
		10	4	7	Ret	5	5	1	6	Ret	5	1
3	PlayStation 2 Red Bull Abt-Audi	5	8	2	7	3	Ret	3	4	5	3	2	47
		6	15	12	16	13	11	15	11	16	8	17
4	Hasseröder Abt-Audi	1	3	3	3	8	6	Ret	1	4	9	5	44
		2	20†	DSQ	8	9	7	Ret	Ret	Ret	11	9
5	OPC Team Phoenix	18	7	15	13	4	16	8	7	Ret	Ret	7	43
		19	6	6	5	2	4	6	10	Ret	10	4
6	OPC Team Holzer	7	9	Ret	9	12	13	Ret	15†	10	4	19†	14
		8	18	8	6	6	10	Ret	9	7	Ret	10
7	Service 24h AMG-Mercedes	24	13	Ret	Ret	15	Ret	9	8	6	12	18†	4
		42	17	Ret	15	DNS	15	11	12	11	17	14
8	OPC Euroteam	16	16	9	10	11	8	10	13	14	15	Ret	3
		17	14	11	11	18†	14	13	17†	12	7	15
9	Original-Teile AMG-Mercedes	11	10	Ret	12	14	9	7	Ret	9	13	11	2
		12	11	10	17	16	Ret	12	14	15	16	20†
10	S Line Audi Junior Team	14	12	Ret	18	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	8	Ret	13	2
		15	Ret	13	14	DNS	12	14	18†	13	14	8
11	ARTA AMG-Mercedes	21	19	14	19	17	17†	Ret	16†	17	18	16	0
Pos.	Team	No.	HOC	ADR	NÜR	LAU	NOR	DON	NÜR	A1R	ZAN	HOC	Points
Sources:[12][14]

Manufacturers' championship

Pos.	Manufacturer	HOC	ADR	NÜR	LAU	NOR	DON	NÜR	A1R	ZAN	HOC	Points
1	Mercedes	27	21	23	16	28	29	22	27	25	19	237
2	Audi	7	14	9	7	5	6	15	10	7	13	93
3	Opel	5	4	7	16	6	4	2	2	7	7	60
Pos.	Manufacturer	HOC	ADR	NÜR	LAU	NOR	DON	NÜR	A1R	ZAN	HOC	Points
Source:[12]

References

1. "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters 2003 Entry List". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
2. "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) - 2003: Entrylist". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
3. "Audi in the DTM - The challenger will be chased".
4. "Audi supports junior team in the DTM".
5. "Abt and First Choice form partnership".
6. "Alzen quits HWA Mercedes".
7. "Mercedes confirm Kaneishi for Persson".
8. "Opel finalises 2003 line-up".
9. "Paffett replaces Huisman at Mercedes".
10. "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Results 2003". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
11. "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) - 2003: Point standings". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
12. "Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Standings 2003". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
13. "2003 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Drivers' Standings". TouringCars.net. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
14. "DTM (German Touringcar Masters) - Season 2003: Results". Speedsport Magazine. Retrieved 31 December 2023.

External links

• Official DTM website