Season review 2015
Heinemann is the champion of the first virtual DTM Championship
RaceRoom and the DTM take a look back on 18 exciting time attacks and thrilling multiplayer races. As in the real season, the races were held on the 8 original race tracks of the DTM calendar 2015. A total of nearly 6,000 drivers from more than 100 countries started in the first virtual DTM Championship.
Participation in the 2015 DTM Championship was free for all participants. In addition, all drivers were allowed to get their hands on the new DTM 2015 even before the official release of the DTM Experience 2015 free of charge.
Another peculiarity was that only the top nine of a total of up to 18 possible outcomes were included in the final result of a personal driver. Thus, a later entry into the championship was possible. Each week a new opportunity arose for the participants to go on the hunt for the best lap time and qualify for one of the subsequent multiplayer races. With a weekly change of racetracks variety was guaranteed.
Due to strong competition and commentated live streams from LSRTV, the multiplayer races quickly became a fixed highlight of the week. Only those who had made it into the multiplayer race could fight for the championship. After a short training and qualifying the crème de la crème of the participants had to prove who has the makings of a first virtual DTM Champion in a 30-minute race.
Tim Heinemann won this fight for several weeks. With 225 points in the multiplayer overall ranking he was crowned DTM Champion virtual 2015th. The Briton Jack Keithley snatched the runner-up title reaching 166 points which is only one point more than the Italian driver Davide Toccaceli in third place reached. Despite his three outstanding victories during the season Toccaceli failed to catch up with the British.
Very early in the season, an exciting competition between the counterparties Heinemann, Keithley and Toccaceli developed, which Tim Heinemann could win in the first two races before Jack Keithely showed him a trick and won the third race of the season at the Lausitzring. But there was no cure for Tim Heinema in the following races at Zandvoort, Moscow, at the Nürburgring and the Red Bull Ring. Only then Davide Toccaceli managed two sensational successive wins and thus prevented a premature decision in the championship. And it should not have been his last victory, as he also could finish race 11 as the winner, making him the driver with the most season victories on the account behind Heinemann. It the end Tim Heinemann won 9 races throughout this season and could already seal already 3 races before the end of the season at Zandvoort because his 9 wins and therefore 225 points on the account represent the absolute maximum score possible with 9 evaluated results. Even Willy Windschatten, who was starting under a pseudonym, was able to secure two victories, achieving the ungrateful 4th place with 138 points.
Over the entire season, the spectators were able to see thrilling racing action. As tire and fuel stops were disabled during the multiplayer races on Monday nights at 8 clock, there was only one motto: full throttle! The duesl were fought hard but fair offering great motorsport action to the viewers of the live streams, which was hardly distinguishable from the real role model on TV.
A special highlight was the participation of BMW driver Bruno Spengler in the 11th race in Moscow. The Canadian surprisingly took part and delivered an outstanding performance until his retirement due to a technical defect. Although he went into the race from last place, he was able to temporarily work his way through up into the middle of the field.
Congratulations to all participants for your performance!