Gary Paffett is back on track this weekend as the DTM Championship returns following its mid-season break, and he will be looking to pick up where he left off, after his podium finish at Zandvoort last time out. 

Gary’s mid-season break was slightly shorter than many of his DTM counterparts as he filled his time by making his GT debut for the AMG-Team HTP Motorsport in the 24 Hours of Spa. The race provided an eventful, unique and ultimately successful experience for Gary as he helped the team recover from twelfth on the grid to cross the finish line in fifth-place overall.

This weekend sees Gary return to more familiar territories as he shifts from being the least experienced to the most experienced driver on the grid as the DTM Championship sparks back into action in the Russian capital. Back in 2015, Gary enjoyed a point-scoring weekend at the Moscow Raceway finishing in seventh and sixth place respectively and the 35-year-old will be looking to manoeuvre his way further up the pack this year.

The Mercedes-AMG DTM Team will be returning to action following the short summer break with a refreshed driver line-up as the team’s test and reserve driver, Felix Rosenqvist, is stepping up to make his DTM debut having been a part of the Mercedes-AMG family for many years. Felix is replacing the outgoing Esteban Ocon who has secured a Formula One seat for the latter half of the 2016 season as he moves to partner Pascal Wehrlein at Manor Racing.

Speaking ahead of the return to racing this weekend, Paffett said: “After the long summer break, we’re getting back into a racing frame of mind. Last year, the two races in Moscow went pretty well for me. I’m therefore hoping that we can build on the successful weekend at Zandvoort. If we manage to do that, we should be competitive on the Moscow Raceway. Then maybe we can finish on the podium again. “

“I’m getting a new team-mate for Moscow in the shape of Felix. But I already know him very well from his role as our test and reserve driver. After Lucas and Esteban, he’s the third rookie team-mate for me in succession. I hope that he quickly finds his feet in the DTM and has a good first race weekend. At the same time, of course, I wish Esteban all the best for his Formula 1 debut in Belgium.”