Esmee Hawkey geared up for DTM debut at Monza

Ignition backed driver Esmee Hawkey is excited to make her DTM debut at Monza this weekend, as she joins the elite German racing series with ROKiT and T3 Motorsport.

As the 2021 DTM season gets underway, the 23-year-old will take charge of the ROKiT-liveried #26 T3 Motorsport Lamborghini Huracan GT3 in her first taste of DTM competition.

Dominating the Porsche Carrera Cup Pro-Am Championship in 2020, Esmee will take the next step in her career at the Italian circuit this weekend.

With plenty of change sweeping through the series this year following the introduction of GT3-spec cars, Esmee looks forward to getting out on track for the very first time.

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The 5.793km Monza circuit is one of the fastest in the world with three long straights and a plethora of medium and high-speed corners for drivers to contend with, such as the famous Ascari chicane. Weather conditions are also expected to be scorching, with temperatures expected to rise to over 30ºC throughout the weekend.

The action begins on Friday with two Free Practice sessions at 13:00 local time (12:00 BST) and 16:10 (15:10). Qualifying for the opening race of the season then follows at 10:30 (09:30) on Saturday morning, with the race itself set to begin at 13:30 (12:30). Sunday then follows a similar timetable with qualifying for race two at 10:10 (09:10) and the second and final race at 13:30 (12:30)

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“I’m so excited to get the weekend started,” Esmee said. “I’ve been working hard on my preparations for the past few weeks so just want to get in the car and get out on track. The DTM will be a whole new experience for me but one I’m really looking forward to. The team have welcomed me with open arms and I feel right at home. I’m looking forward to returning to Monza, I scored a podium here in Carrera Cup so I’ll be looking to put that experience to good use and have a successful first weekend!”

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Viewers in the UK can catch Saturday's action live on BT Sport ESPN with qualifying from 09:30 and the opening race at 12:15. Sunday's qualifying will be live on BT Sport 1 at 09:00 with the race on BT Sport 3 at 12:15.