Two Saxons, two stories: Paul celebrates his DTM comeback, Primm his debut

A home race with a special atmosphere: at the DTM weekend at the Sachsenring (11 to 13 September), the spotlight will be on two local heroes with very different stories. Maximilian Paul from Dresden is returning to the DTM cockpit just over two months after his crash at the Norisring. For Simon Connor Primm from Großschirma, on the other hand, a new chapter is beginning. The 21-year-old is making his DTM debut in front of a home crowd – and in doing so is bringing Audi back into the DTM as the ninth manufacturer with the R8 LMS GT3 Evo2.

Paul fights his way back in record time

Following his crash at the Norisring in early July, which left him with fractures to his tibia, fibula and first lumbar vertebra, Paul has been working intensively on his comeback. Following a successful operation and numerous rehabilitation sessions, the 26-year-old got back behind the wheel of a racing car for the first time at the DTM test at the Sachsenring at the end of August, thereby taking the decisive step towards his comeback.

“My body has recovered extremely quickly. I feel I’ve spent 80 per cent of the past two months with my physio. We’ve worked intensively every day and, amongst other things, done a lot of training in the water,” reveals Paul. “At the DTM test at the Sachsenring, my biggest concern at first was my back, but it held up brilliantly. My leg was still hurting a bit, but I was still able to drive. Now I’m just absolutely delighted to be back in the car and competing in the DTM without feeling restricted.”

Just 50 days after the accident, the Dresden native was back in the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 at the official DTM test at the Sachsenring and completed 98 laps. In doing so, Paul not only exceeded his own expectations. “There was even a bet within the team that I wouldn’t manage 15 laps – I won that one,” he says with a laugh, adding: “Of course, after two months, it still twinges here and there. But if I didn’t feel comfortable, I wouldn’t be driving. My motivation and enthusiasm for racing are much greater than the minor aches and pains.”

From the ADAC GT Masters to the big DTM stage

Simon Connor Primm debütiert in der DTM

Foto: ADAC//Gruppe C Photography

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Whilst Paul is returning to familiar territory, Primm is in for a first. The youngster from Großschirma has been competing in the ADAC GT Masters for three years, racing for HGL Racing. At the Sachsenring, the team – competing under the name Seyffarth Motorsport – will field an Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2. This marks Audi’s first appearance in the DTM this year. The starting grid expands to nine brands for the penultimate round of the season.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For me, the DTM is one of the best series in the world. It’s always been my dream to race there one day. A few years ago, when I was following drivers like Marco Wittmann and Lucas Auer in the DTM, I was still racing karts myself,” says Primm. “The fact that we’re competing with Audi and bringing the brand back to the DTM this season makes the whole thing even more special.”

Primm isn’t going into his home race completely unprepared. Over the past two weeks, the debutant has been able to test twice in a GT4 car at the Sachsenring. Nevertheless, Primm remains realistic ahead of his first DTM weekend: “For all of us, this is a leap into the deep end. That’s why the most important thing is to do a clean, mistake-free job and gain as much experience as possible. I want to measure myself against the best. It’s precisely this challenge that appeals to me.”