Paffett says early 2015 Mercedes deal helps erase 2014 DTM misery

Gary Paffett says early confirmation that he will be a Mercedes DTM driver in 2015 will help him turn his fortunes around after a trying 2014 season.

It was revealed that the Briton would stay on as a Mercedes DTM driver back in October, which at the time made him the first driver from any of the three manufacturers to be officially confirmed for next year.

According to Paffett, the early confirmation will help him work toward enjoying an improved 2015 season, after he finished a career worst 23rd in the standings, scoring just five points, in what was overall a difficult campaign for Mercedes.

"It's been a hard year for everybody in the team, and every driver," he said. "We've been working hard all year to rebuild not just the car, but the team, and it's nice to know that I'm part of the team.

"We can really work hard together over the winter to make sure we're even stronger coming back next year. It's good news. We can start getting things together as early as possible."

Paffett remains the only Mercedes driver officially confirmed for the 2015 season, although it is unlikely there will be many changes from the 2014 lineup. The brand will, however, need to sign at least one new driver, thanks to the re-expansion to eight cars and ART Grand Prix joining as a third team.

Since Paffett's confirmation, Audi has revealed that it will field an identical eight-driver line-up next season, while BMW has re-signed seven of its drivers, and is looking for a replacement for Joey Hand. The American is returning home next year to take part in the TUDOR Championship with Chip Ganassi Racing and Ford.