Lucas Auer enters his third season of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters with Mercedes, and is looking to build on his first two seasons in the championship.

“If you analyse my first season in detail, you could already see positive signs – but unfortunately also some errors.” said Auer. “But that’s what it’s like as a rookie. However, if you go straight for pole position, you can’t be that bad.

“In my second season, I was able to bring out my potential much better. So in my third season, I have to take the next step. But in the DTM, you soon get blown out making predictions. What matters is that I take another step forward. Whether it’s enough for the podium or for the Top Eight, I can’t say yet.”

The 2017 season bring rule changes for DTM with new tyres and aerodynamic tweaks aimed to bring more excitement during the races, Auer recently headed out to Portimao to see how the new car was looking.

“During test weeks, we obviously discuss our impressions. After all, we’re aiming to find the best setup. The new tyres and the new aerodynamics are very interesting and pose a big challenge for the drivers. You therefore have to change your driving style a lot.

“The combination of driver and correct setup is a particularly big issue this year. Consequently, I’ll be going to Affalterbach this week to do some preparatory work with the team. I’ll be talking to the engineers and getting my seat adjusted.”

Asked if Auer would introduce any rule changes of his own he answered, “I would ban all parts that can easily break off the car. This would make the racing more robust. It would certainly be even more fun for us drivers than it already is.”

Aside from that, a new round outside of Germany is high on his wishlist, “If I could wish for a tenth fixture on the calendar, it would be a night race in Singapore. This would apply the finishing touch to the DTM.

“I’ve already been part of the Formula One program in Singapore when I was competing in Formula BMW. Consequently, I’ve experienced the unique atmosphere and the track there. It’s a street circuit on which overtaking is definitely possible, and I think it’s really cool there.