Just been browsing the web and have come across a German motorsport forum where the members have been coming up with what they think are going to be the driver and team line-ups for next season. It was interesting to read what some of the people have suggested for next season and a number of them are convinced that Lexus are going to form a four car squad next season, which should be good if this is the case. The link is below if you fancy a look, the only problem is that it is German but you can use a translator if you wish.

http://www.adrivo.com/node/&sid=365e7c0 ... 1725a41bc4

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Come On You Stones - Maidstone United FC
DTM @ Brands Hatch - 31st August 2008

Giedo van der Garde isn't joining Audi, that's for sure.

Panis is connected to Toyota, and he's hinted that he might want to try the DTM, so Toyota/Lexus would be a great addition to the field.

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22Lewis Hamilton
23Heikki Kovalainen
Pedro de la Rosa
Gary Paffett

Prediction (assuming that Lexus will have a team):

HWA GmbH (2007 Mercs)
Bernd Schneider
Jamie Green
Mika Hakkinen
Bruno Spengler

Persson Motorsport (2006 Mercs)
Alex Margaritis
Matias Lauda

Mücke Motorsport (2006 Mercs)
Susie Stoddart
Stefan Mücke

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (2007 Audis)
Martin Tomczyk
Mattias Ekström
Tom Kristensen
Timo Scheider

Audi Sport Team Rosberg (2006 Audis)
Frank Stippler
Thed Björk

Audi Sport Team Phoenix (2004 Audis )
Christian Abt
Pierre Kaffer

Lexus
Olivier Panis

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22Lewis Hamilton
23Heikki Kovalainen
Pedro de la Rosa
Gary Paffett

Here is my prediction assuming that Audi and Mercedes are going to run 12 cars each and Lexus field a four car team.

Mercedes Benz
2007 Cars
Bernd Schneider
Bruno Spengler
Jamie Green
Mika Hakkinen

2006 Cars
Susie Stoddart
Mathias Lauda
Alexandros Margaritis
Stefan Mucke

2005 Cars
Richard Westbrook
Paul Di Resta
Daniel La Rosa
James Thompson

Audi
2007 Cars
Tom Kristensen
Martin Tomczyk
Timo Scheider
Mattias Ekstrom (Possibly 06 Car)

2006 Cars
Christian Abt
Frank Stippler
Nicolas Kiesa
Pierre Kaffer

2005 Cars
Vanina Ickx
Thed Bjork
Jos Verstappen
Allan McNish

Lexus
Olivier Panis
Kazuki Nakajima
Alex Zanardi
Nicola Larini

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Come On You Stones - Maidstone United FC
DTM @ Brands Hatch - 31st August 2008

Assuming that Stoddard and Ickx are both racing in the DTM next season would it not make sense that they would be racing in cars of the same vintage. This would allow a proper comparrison and let their sponsors get there moneys worth.
Alan McNish definately won't be driving in the DTM next season. He is probably the best sportscar driver in the world at the moment and will definately be driving an R10. Remember that the only reason he drove DTM last season was because Audi were between sportscar projects (R8 - R10).
Richard Westbrook looks likely if he can get the considerable sponsorship behind him. If Paul Di Resta does do the DTM I would doubt very much whether he would except anything other than a current spec car. Maybe he could do what Jamie Green done last season. Personally I hope that he doesn't do DTm as it would be a waste of talent like Jamie Green, both should have done GP2 or WSR.
I would also doubt very strongly that James Thompson will be driving in the DTM next season, that one seems to have been pulled out of the air. He currently doesn't have a contract for next year but I imagine that he will be doing BTCC with SEAT or WTCC with other.
I am alomst certain that Zanardi has said that he will be driving his BMW in WTCC next season and also the Chevrolet drivers are on 3 year contracts so Larini will be in WTCC next year.
Panis no longer has connections to Toyota so the link to Lexus is very thin. There has been a rumour around for a while now connecting Panis with a drive at Peugeot int the LMS with the 908.

Seeing as his attempt to get into NASCAR has so far been unsuccessful, I wonder if Jaques Villeneuve might be tempted into DTM?

Sean

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Supporting McLaren and Force India in F1 and Ralf Schumacher in DTM

Well if anyone, then Bruno Spengler is wasting his time in the DTM.
If Gary Paffett gets the Spyker seat (which it doesn't look like he will), then McLaren should grab Spengler right away and give him a test seat.

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22Lewis Hamilton
23Heikki Kovalainen
Pedro de la Rosa
Gary Paffett

panis quit his role back in august sometime and he has been seen with pug ... he wants to have a go at le mans in the derv pug

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http://www.goldencrumb.co.uk/index.htm

Latest News on the 2007 Drivers from Autosport

It seems that Yelmer Buurman, who finished 4th in British F3 in 2006, is going to be driving for Mercedes in 2007 in a year-old car for Persson Motorsport, taking Alesi's seat. It seems that the line-up for the AMG squad will be Bernd Schneider, Bruno Spengler, Jamie Green and Mika Hakkinen.

On the Audi front, it seems likely that Timo Scheider will step to the 2007-spec cars in the Abt Audi works squad and that Frank Stippler and Pierre Kaffer will be dropped altogether for next season. There are also rumours that Verschuur Race Team will run a pair of Audi's next season, possibly with Jeroen Bleekemolen and Jaap van Lagen as possible drivers.

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Come On You Stones - Maidstone United FC
DTM @ Brands Hatch - 31st August 2008

Mercedes Benz
2007 Cars
Bernd Schneider
Bruno Spengler
Jamie Green
paffit

2006 Cars
Susie Stoddart
Mika Hakkinen
Alexandros Margaritis
jean alasi

2005 Cars
Richard Westbrook
Paul Di Resta
Dany watts
Mathias Lauda

Audi
2007 Cars
Tom Kristensen
Martin Tomczyk
Christian Abt
Mattias Ekstrom (Possibly 06 Car)

2006 Cars
Allan McNish
Frank Stippler
Timo Scheider
Nicolas Kiesa


2005 Cars
Vanina Ickx
Thed Bjork
Jos Verstappen
durk muller ( or is it the other muller thats been sacked buy bwm )

Lexus
Olivier Panis
Kazuki Nakajima
peter dumbreck
Nicola Larini

nissan
eric van de pool
peter phillips
maybe (jack the atack)

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http://www.goldencrumb.co.uk/index.htm

Nissan?!?!!? Where on earth did that come from and Van De Poole aswell.

Alan McNish definately WON'T be in the DTM next year. He is very much Audi's lead sportscar driver and will either lead their attack in either the ALMS or possibley even the LMS. Dirk Muller has been rumoured to be joining Audi's sportscar lineup but I think it is more likely that he would be in the DTM.

I have read that Richard Westbrook is under consideration for a Porsche factory drive in a 997 next as Porsche have been very impressed with him in their cars this last few years.

Norbert Haug said in an interview recently that Hakkinen will almost certainly be in an '07 car and should Paffett return they would run a 5 '07 car for him.

Chevrolet have already aanounced that their WTCC line up won't change next season, so Larini won't be driving in the DTM next season in any car let alone a Lexus/Toyota.

Paul Di Resta probably won't be in ither as his entry was likely to be with the ASM team but they have said that they won't be able to run in the series next year and Paul is looking to GP2. To be honest I really hope that he doesn't do the DTM. He really needs to be moving into GP2 if he wants his career to progress. I would hate for him to befall a similar fate to Jamie Green. Coming to the DTM after winning in Euro F3 really took the winds out of his sales.

I can't see Danny Watts being there either. He has struggled for funding his whole career so the DTM is way out of his league. It's much more likely that he will be doing more Carerra cup and GT racing next year.

I agree.
Jamie was dominant in the F3 Euroseries in 2004. He should have gone to GP2, as it seems he's good with open wheelers. He could be in the run for an F1 race seat if he would've gone to GP2.

Oh well... at least more talented people for Mercedes.

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22Lewis Hamilton
23Heikki Kovalainen
Pedro de la Rosa
Gary Paffett

New drivers for Audi.
The team Audi Sport has 2 new drivers for 2007. The former Porsche drivers Rockenfeller and Luhr will come to audi. But now there is the question: Who drives the 2007 cars? The candidatens are: Ekström, Tomczyk, Kristensen, Scheider, Luhr, Rockenfeller.

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Für alles über 8 Minuten auf der Nordschleife ziehe ich keinen Helm auf!

For anything over 8 minutes on the Nordschleife I don't put on a helmet!

Walter Röhrl

is that confirmed? it seems unlike porsche to let factory drivers go?? especially to such high profile drivers.

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motorstv

ummm not sure

Yes, that's confirm. Look at www.dtm.de

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Für alles über 8 Minuten auf der Nordschleife ziehe ich keinen Helm auf!

For anything over 8 minutes on the Nordschleife I don't put on a helmet!

Walter Röhrl