On Wednesday, DTM made a surprising announcement when it confirmed that the championship would host a round of the revamped 2020 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It marks the return of the championship to the Belgian track for the first time in 15 years.
When the series last raced at Spa, on 15 May 2005, a familiar face was at the forefront. Double Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen, out of F1 since 2001, was in his first year of DTM with HWA Team. At the same track where he won the Belgian Grand Prix in 2000, the Flying Finn found the top step once again when he took his first of three DTM victories.
Hakkinen was by no means the only big hitter in the 2005 DTM season. His team-mates at HWA included Bernd Schneider, who had already won four DTM titles and would add a fifth the following year, as well as eventual 2005 champion Gary Paffett and fellow F1 veteran Jean Alesi. Other Mercedes drivers included Bruno Spengler and Jamie Green.
Audi’s eight-car line-up was nothing short of an all-star squad in 2005. The Team Abt Sportsline team featured 2004 champion Mattias Ekström, Martin Tomczyk, Mr. Le Mans Tom Kristensen and Allan McNish, while Christian Abt, Pierre Kaffer, Rinaldo Capello and Frank Stippler drove for Team Joest.
Opel, meanwhile, employed Heinz-Harald Frentzen, future Le Mans winner Marcel Fässler and 2002 champion and Le Mans winner Laurent Aiëllo. It would also be Opel’s final season in the championship, leaving after 2005.
Hakkinen’s #8 AMG-Mercedes C-Class DTM leaves the pits for Friday practice (Image: XPB) 
Hakkinen makes his way through Eau Rouge-Raidillon (Image: XPB) 
Saturday was a wet affair (Image: XPB) 
Hakkinen celebrates his maiden DTM pole position (Image: XPB) 
Hakkinen defending his second place from Marcel Fässler, having lost the lead at the start (Image: XPB) 
Eventual 2005 champion Gary Paffett turns his Mercedes into a very expensive lawnmower (Image: XPB) 
Mercedes would beat Audi to the manufacturers crown by the end of the season (Image: XPB) 
Bernd Schneider suffered a scary and heavy crash at Eau Rouge in the closing stages (Image: XPB) 
A leading Hakkinen holds Ekström at bay (Image: XPB) 
The Flying Finn celebrates his first win since the 2001 United States Grand Prix (Image: XPB) 
Champagne showers… (Image: XPB) 
Hakkinen with second-place Ekström and ‘Mr. Le Mans’ Tom Kristensen, who took third.
