For me, as a person working hard to become a motorsport journalist, as a career choice, it was a very proud moment for me, to be given the chance to meet and interview Timo Scheider in person earlier on this year, when the DTM made its annual visit to Brands Hatch in May.
I first started having an interest in the series just over 4 years ago in 2008, when I decided to treat myself for my birthday, and headed down on a day out to Brands Hatch to see what it was all about. The sounds of racing animals in the form of V8 German Touring Cars was music to my ears, and the exhaust fumes were intoxicating, and I was hooked from then on.
The only drawback, in my honest opinion, is that the DTM doesn’t get much exposure on the TV these days, that was until ITV4, which currently shows all the action from BTCC race weekends, started to show highlights as of this year. So it was great to go back this May, and enjoy some great racing from the most-internationally recognized Touring Car series in the world.
But this time, it was a very different experience for me personally, as I had requested to meet and interview Timo himself, as he actually won the race that very day in 2008, having kept current Sahara Force India driver Paul Di Resta in his rearview mirror for the duration. The build up was both exciting and nerve racking all at the same, as I had been contacted by Daniel Schuster who is one of the Audi Sport PR team and was kindly invited to the “Meet The Team” event on the Saturday evening.
It was firstly a bit nerve wracking that day, as I’d sorted out all the questions that were to be asked that evening, made sure that I had gotten there with plenty of time to spare, and caught up with a few friends I hadn’t seen in a while. So I got to the Audi Sport Hospitality suite, just off Clearways, slightly before the 7pm event start. I was nervous, but took a few deep breaths before walking in, and introducing myself in my best possible German.
Both ladies on the reception were impressed, and I was happy that it had all gotten off on the right foot. Sitting down in the main part of the reception itself, it finally dawned on me that this would be a new experience for me. Having had something to eat and drink, courtesy of Audi, helped to calm my nerves, and kept me focused at the task at hand.
But that evening, it was probably best to leave Timo to enjoy another passion of his, football. As Audi are Brand partners with Bayern Munich and Chelsea, with the teams being a part of the EUFA Champions’ league final, I spoke with Daniel himself, and decided on my better judgment that would be better to interview Herr Scheider at some point after the race.
So it was an exciting evening, and then it dawned on me on just who I was in the same room with. Adrien Tambay, son of former Scuderia Ferrari driver Patrick, was in the huddle just in front of the main screen, 2 time DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom and the Head of Audi Motorsport himself, Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. I felt a sense of pride being a part of a weekend that I wouldn’t soon forget. The evening came to a close, so meeting with some good friends for a couple of drinks and a good catch up was well earned.
Race day came along, and an early start was in order to meet up with an early breakfast before heading back to Audi for the remainder of the day. I had made an effort for the majority of the time to speak German for the majority of the time I was there, unless I was spoken to in English. I met Jerome d’Ambrosio’s former PR, Tabatha Valls, who is now representing Ma Qing Hua, and we had a lovely lunch, and watched the race together, as she was a guest of Miguel Molina, who drove for Audi this season.
It all went by so fast, and then I was introduced by Daniel to Timo himself about an hour after the race, and finally sat down the man himself, in person. I started speaking to him in German, and asked him how things went, and he was honest with me, and I can’t quite repeat what he said.
After some questions in German, I switched to English, and the answers were just as detailed as I had hoped to expect from such a charismatic individual. The most vivid point throughout the whole weekend was not the interview itself, but just after. I had in my possession, an Audi cap that was given to me in 2008, when I first went to Brands Hatch to see the race.
As I stated earlier, Timo won that race, from Pole Position to chequered flag, so as a fan foremost, I felt it was only right for him to sign it. So, as it is always true: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get…” I asked, and he did sign it, which meant a great deal to me, as it is one of those pieces of memorabilia that I won’t sell, especially as it is one of those moments in history, where a piece of motorsport team wear becomes a timeless piece, thanks to a simple signature.
As I now look forward to the next step in 2013, is to be a part of the DTM circus, to an extent, as I started covering it for a website since June of this season, so the next time I meet Timo, it’ll be in a professional capacity. A memory not to be forgotten...
Alex Goldschmidt
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Memory added on December 27, 2012
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