Why the dimensions of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 are becoming a challenge for David Schumacher at the stops and how the ex-Formula 3 driver is adjusting to the DTM

After his first three days of DTM testing with the Winward team last week in Portimao, David Schumacher’s intensive programme continues on Tuesday and Wednesday in Imola: at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, the DTM rookie will complete a private test with his Winward teammates Lucas Auer and Maximilian Götz, as well as the AMG teams HRT, GruppeM and Mücke.

“It’s important for David to adjust to the new situation,” Winward team boss Christian Hohenadel told about the 20-year-old, who is moving from Formula 3 to the GT3 car.

But what has been the biggest challenge so far for the son of ex-Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who had no experience of cars with roofs before making the switch? “I think it was the girth of the car at the pit stop for him,” Hohenadel digs out.

“At the pit stops everything is specially marked out with pylons “

“He explained to me: In a formula car, you sit in the middle, whereas here you sit on the left. If he drives in now and the guys from the pit crew are already outside by the tyres, then it’s difficult for him to assess the dimensions of the car. Because you can’t see the tyres either.”

In addition, the characteristics of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with its long bonnet do not make the task any easier. Hohenadel doesn’t believe that Schumacher’s perspective from the cockpit also causes him difficulties on the track, “but especially at the stop it was a challenge for him at the beginning. He was afraid that he would run someone over. That’s why we improved step by step. “

Therefore, the team intensively rehearsed pit stops in Portimao and offered Schumacher, who is generally not used to changing tyres in Formula 3, special assistance. “We marked everything out with pylons at the pit stops so that he wouldn’t go in too early,” says the Winward team boss. On the three days of testing in Portugal, he says, they made a total of “20 to 25 active pit stops where he pulled in. “

“You just have to turn in slower “

What challenges does he still see? “The first goal is to get him used to the car,” says Hohenadel, who used to be a racing driver himself. “He is changing from a formula car to a car that is almost twice as heavy. That is already a big difference. He also doesn’t know ABS, but he’s managed that quite well. “

In addition, he says it is important not to “overdrive” the car, which is a common phenomenon when formula drivers switch to GT racing because they are used to more downforce. “Also, a formula car like this has a damper travel rate of only three, four millimetres,” Hohenadel refers to the hard set-up of a formula car.

“A GT3 car, on the other hand, is relatively soft. You simply have to turn in more slowly until the car has gone into the springs. But by then it has adapted well. “

Praise from the team boss: “David is 100 per cent professional “

Schumacher doesn’t need to be taught how to race, the team boss emphasises. “He can definitely do that. He had an excellent education – and you could also see right away that it fits.” And he also praises the attitude. “David is 100 per cent professional. He prepares himself with videos that we have made available to him and on the simulator, even though of course nothing is better than sitting in the real car.”

But that’s why they work on details like the perfect approach to qualifying, which is why they did a lot of qualifying simulations in Portimao.

“How do I heat up the tyres? How many prep laps do I need so that the rear axle and the front axle are there at the same time?”, Hohenadel names the crucial questions. “To build up a feeling there – you can only succeed by training, training and training. “

“As if I had talked to Luggi”: Auer case gives hope

Hohenadel is quite familiar with the kind of conversations he had with Schumacher: “It was nice for me to see that it felt like I had talked to Luggi a year ago,” the team boss refers to Schumacher’s teammate Auer, who was fresh to the team at the time and still used to the Class 1 cars, which have more downforce than the GT3 cars.

“It was about exactly the same issues. It doesn’t matter whether the guys come from Class 1, Formula 3 or GP3 – you have to explain to them that they have to get used to it. That’s what we told Luggi at the time,” says Hohenadel. With success, because at the end of the season, Auer really did hit top form, was one of the fastest GT3 drivers in the field and celebrated two victories.