2018 was the final season for Mercedes-AMG in DTM and the automaker made the most of it by winning both titles.
Gary Paffett won the drivers’ championship while Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Petronas got the team and manufacturers’ championship. Interestingly, second place went to Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Remus, another Daimler-backed team.
Not even Audi’s wins in both races of the 2018 Hockenheim Final on October 13-14 weren’t enough to take any of the titles away from Mercedes-AMG.
Was Audi bitter about its failure? Not at all. The automaker showed some real sportsmanship by dedicating a farewell video to Mercedes-AMG. Titled “See You! Mercedes Benz,” the clip recounts heated moments from the two brand’s DTM rivalry over the years. It also features some awkward and funny things that happened on the track.
The beautiful commentary adding to the spectacular footage proves Audi knows how to appreciate a rival. “We’ve loved, we’ve hated, but we’ve always respected one another,” the voice-over says. If only that were true about relationships between ordinary human beings as well. Our world would probably be a much better place.
Remarkably, the video first aired before a packed Hockenheim Autodrome ahead of the start of the DTM Final. Needless to say, the emotional film bidding farewell to Mercedes-Benz from the DTM triggered standing ovations in the grandstands.
To add to the emotion, all six Audi RS5 DTM cars ran with the inscription “See You!” on the rear wings, in which the letter “O” was replaced by the three-pointed star. Well done, Audi. Here’s hoping Aston Martin will make a great Mercedes-AMG successor in the DTM next season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jmovp-BsXg