Roger Moore Official Site

He came, was impressed and caught all the attention. “My name is Bond. James Bond.” Legendary actor, Roger Moore, visited the DTM season highlight at the Norisring this weekend, 23/24 June 2007. After the 79 year old Briton watched qualifying in the afternoon together with his wife Kristina Tholstrup, he was the star guest at a huge DTM VIP party in the evening. “I love fast cars”, the former agent revealed. But he didn’t want to drive a DTM car himself. “I have been told that a driver has to be able to get out of the car within eight seconds at any time. For me, merely getting out of the bus already takes eight minutes”, Moore reported with a smile.

The Dutzendteich in Nuremberg was a scenic backdrop for the big DTM VIP party at the occasion of the DTM round in the “German Monaco”. Numerous VIPs followed the invitation from the board of the ITR and event organiser Manfred Schmidt. At the terrace, music manager Thomas Stein was seen talking to actor Claus-Theo Gärtner. “I have been racing myself for more than ten years, so I am still infected with the motorsport bug”, Gärtner said and revealed: “In the past, I always wanted to drive myself, I was a lousy passenger. Today, I have more confidence in my driver.“

Thomas Stein came together with his partner Cornelia Eckhardt. Both got the chance to sit in a DTM car as passengers and experience the speed at the Norisring from up-close. “I was riding along with Formula 1 Safety Car driver, Bernd Mayländer. A great experience, much too short according to me”, Stein’s better half said. MTV-anchorman Markus Kavka, finalist of the German version of “Idols”, Martin Stosch and entertainer Ingolf Lück rode along in the DTM race taxi. “To be honest, I haven’t got a clue about motorsport”, Lück admitted, “but my son is only one and a half years old and already can say two words: car and tractor. Here, I am taking pictures for him, so that he will know in the future whom his father has been socialising with.” Actor Ralf Richter wanted a ride in the Audi R8 and got it. “Wow, that was awesome”, Richter told about his experience and revealed his personal motto when driving: “Anyone who overtakes me is stupid, and anyone who lets me overtake is crazy”. SAT1-anchorman Jan Hahn has a very special passion: “I am collecting oldtimers, I have just bought a 1967 Mercedes 280 Pagode. Now,I am preparing for my first race. I have made a bet with prince Ferfried von Hohenzollern that I can beat him, no matter what the car. He doesn’t know yet that we will be driving a Trabant…”

The male guests were distracted from motorsport by looking at Miss Germany, Daniela Domröse, designer Sarah Kern, anchorwoman Andrea Kempter and top-model Franziska Knuppe. Together with his wife Kristina Tholstrup, Roger Moore sat down with actress Veronica Ferres, Martin Krug and daughter Lilly as well as DTM lady racer Susie Stoddart, talking excitedly. Other guests included the secretary general of Bavarian political party CSU, Markus Söder, the ambassador of the Russian Federation in Germany, Vladimir V. Kotenev, Estefania Küster, the ex-wife of German producer Dieter Bohlen, anchorwomen Britta von Lojewski and Margarete Schreinemakers, producer Leslie Mandoki, DTM drivers Vanina Ickx, Bernd Schneider and Tom Kristensen and former ski-jumper Dieter Thoma.

During a visit to the pit box area, Audi’s motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich explained the technical details of the Audi A4 DTM to Sir Roger. Afterwards Sir Roger signed numerous autographs for fans. After 74 laps at the Norisring street circuit in Nuremberg, the Canadian Mercedes-Benz driver was the first driver to take the chequered flag, waved by ... Sir Roger himself.

Link: DTM