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Audi ends BMW string of victories in the DTM

Posted by just sharing Sunday, May 19, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

Commanding triumph by Mike Rockenfeller at Brands Hatch
Audi driver new overall leader after two races
Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider in the points too

Ingolstadt/Brands Hatch, May 19, 2013 – Two races, two pole positions – and now the first victory of the season plus the lead of the standings: The Audi RS 5 DTM was unbeatable at the second race of the 2013 DTM at Brands Hatch (Great Britain). Audi thus put an end to a four-race string of victories by BMW.

From the pole position, Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Phoenix celebrated a commanding victory in perfect external conditions. For 98 laps, the 2010 Le Mans winner controlled the pace and in the end crossed the finish line with a 7.641-second advantage as the clear winner. On clinching his second success at a DTM race after Zandvoort in 2011 ‘Rocky,’ with a one-point lead over title defender Bruno Spengler, took the top spot in the overall standings as well.

“That was a race of the kind you wish for as a race driver,” said Mike Rockenfeller after his triumph. “I won the start and was subsequently able to determine the pace. The option tires degraded a bit faster than at Hockenheim, which came as a surprise. But the others had the same problem and we responded correctly. My car functioned superbly and Team Phoenix performed two brilliant stops. Thank you for that! After Hockenheim, we put our heads together in the team – the result was seen today.”

“Not only the victory is a great confirmation of the hard work over the winter, but so is the commanding way in which Mike (Rockenfeller) achieved this success,” commented Dieter Gass, who has been Head of DTM at Audi Sport since April. “He was able to control the race for 98 laps and didn’t make any mistakes. His team did all the right things strategically and delivered two perfect pit stops. Well done! We already saw at Hockenheim that the performance of the Audi RS 5 DTM is right. It’s nice that we were able to convert that into a win today and managed to end the BMW string of victories.”

The spectators at Brands Hatch experienced a similarly thrilling DTM race as the crowd at the Hockenheim season opener. DRS and option tires again made for fierce duels and spectacular overtaking maneuvers. With Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM) and Timo Scheider (AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM) in seventh and ninth place, two other Audi drivers (both Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) scored points.

Following a less than optimal qualifying session, Ekström started on standard tires and in the race switched to the softer option tires right on lap four. With the help of this strategy, the Swede battled to make up ground from position twelve on the grid to seventh place.

Miguel Molina missed a point-finish by only 0.563 seconds. The Spaniard lost tenth place to Pascal Wehrlein just shortly before the end. Jamie Green finished his home round in 15th place. Filipe Albuquerque, after two time penalties, had to settle for position 17 as the best driver of Audi Sport Team Rosberg. Adrien Tambay finished the race, following a drive-through penalty due to a collision with Andy Priaulx, in 18th place. Edoardo Mortara was running in seventh place almost up until the end of the race before the Italian received a drive-through penalty as well and was forced to retire nine laps before the race ended.

The third race of the 2013 DTM will be held only two weeks from now at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg (Austria). There, Edoardo Mortara (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) won last year.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Communication / Media

Mike Rockenfeller inherits pole position

Posted by just sharing 0 comments

Audi Press Releases

Updated Audi Press Release:

Mike Rockenfeller inherits pole position

Ingolstadt/Brands Hatch, 18 May 2013 - Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Phoenix will start the second race of the 2013 DTM season from pole position at Brands Hatch (Great Britain).

The fastest in qualifying, Martin Tomczyk (BMW), was moved to the last position on the grid after qualifying due to insufficient weight. “Of course I prefer beating my rivals on track but it’s nice to start from the pole position,” said Mike Rockenfeller, who is starting a race at Brands Hatch from the top spot on the grid for the second time after 2011. “After we had a very good race performance at Hockenheim I’m confident for tomorrow.”

Original Audi Press Release:

Audi RS 5 DTM on front row again

Mike Rockenfeller takes grid position two at Brands Hatch
Four Audi RS 5 DTM cars on the first five rows
Jamie Green with misfortune in qualifying at home round

Ingolstadt/Brands Hatch, May 18, 2013 – Just like in the season opener at Hockenheim, an Audi RS 5 DTM will again be starting from the front row at the second race of the 2013 DTM season at Brands Hatch (Great Britain).

Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Phoenix missed the pole position on the short, 1.929-kilometer race track on the outskirts of London by only 0.035 seconds. After his pole position in the 2011 season and grid position four last year, the 2010 Le Mans winner is thus entering the British DTM round as the best Audi driver for the third time in succession.

“In view of the narrow time gaps, this morning I was still saying that anything’s possible: the front or the last row on the grid,” commented Mike Rockenfeller. “Fortunately, it turned out to be the front row – that’s good. Naturally, I’d have liked to be on pole but I’m going to try and turn this around tomorrow, to win the start and to finish the race in first place as well.”

In the morning’s free practice, in which the entire field had been running within less than six tenths of a second, the German had been the second-quickest. In each of the four qualifying segments, he posted fastest times right in the beginning and was one of the few drivers to make it into Q2 on just one set of tires. In the crucial fourth section, ‘Rocky’ was only bumped to position two by BMW driver Martin Tomczyk at the very end.

In total, four Audi RS 5 DTM cars will be on the first five rows on Sunday. Timo Scheider (AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) missed the leap into Q4 in sixth place by a razor-thin margin of 15 thousandths of a second. Edoardo Mortara (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Rosberg) in Q3, after two strong first sectors, made a mistake in the finish turn and had to settle for grid position nine. On his favorite track, Miguel Molina, in Q2, set the day’s best time of 41.085 seconds, which he subsequently did not achieve again himself though. On Sunday, the Spaniard will be starting the race alongside Mortara from the fifth row of the grid.

Mattias Ekström took 13th place after having lost valuable time in the pits during the morning’s free practice session on account of damage to the front splitter of his Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM and was no longer able to find a clean lap in Q2. Adrien Tambay damaged his Audi RS 5 DTM, which had been completely rebuilt after the fire at Hockenheim, by slipping in Q1. The Frenchman will start from position 16.

Extreme misfortune was suffered by Jamie Green (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM). At his home race, the Briton was eliminated in 18th place right in Q1, after having been obstructed twice by rivals and being able to tackle his last lap, that would have moved him forward to sixth place, only a tenth of a second after the checkered flag was dropped. Filipe Albuquerque in the Audi Financial Services RS 5 DTM will start from position 19.

“That was a typical Brands Hatch qualifying session with extremely narrow time gaps,” said Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “Mike (Rockenfeller) was very strong today right from the beginning and only missed the pole position by 35 thousandths. Obviously, we’d be happier if we’d have taken pole as we did at Hockenheim. But on the whole, we’re not unhappy with four of our cars being on the five front rows of the grid. Tomorrow, we’ll be in for a long race with 98 laps in which anything’s possible.”

The race at Brands Hatch starts at 12:30 local time (13:30 CEST). ARD starts to broadast live on “Das Erste” at 13:15.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Communication / Media

DTM: Second and third for Audi in Brands Hatch free practice session

Posted by just sharing Saturday, May 18, 2013 0 comments

By Tarek Ramchani

A very positive free practice session for Audi at Brands Hatch this morning. Second and third places for the Audi RS 5 DTM in a very close session with narrow gaps between the drivers.

Mike Rockenfeller set the second quickest time, driving the #19 Audi RS 5 DTM. The Audi Sport Team Phoenix driver set a time of 41.472, and was only 0.094 behind BMW's Marco Wittmann. Rocky completed 56 laps in this single free practice session of the day.

Timo Scheider from Audi Sport Team Abt was third fastest with his #23 Audi RS 5 DTM. The two-time DTM champion with a best time of 41.498.

Two other Audi drivers entered the top ten. Miguel Molina from Audi Sport Team Phoenix was fifth, whilst Mattias Ekström from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline was tenth. The free practice session results can be seen HERE.

Qualifying is next at Brands Hatch. Fingers crossed for all three factory Audi teams and the eight drivers.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Audi R13 enters GT Championship in Norway

Posted by just sharing Wednesday, May 15, 2013 0 comments

By Johan Laubscher

The Norwegian NBF GT Championship got underway at Våler this past weekend. This series has seen a number of very interesting Audi cars in recent years, all of which were privately entered. This season opener had another new and very special Audi car competing.

Three Audis were present at the event. The first two Audis also competed in the series last year. An Audi 80 driven by Eivind Nernes and the Audi A5 3.0 TDI driven by Per Støldal. The Audi A5 has also previously been test driven by Tom Kristensen at a Shell promotional event.

The third Audi at the event was an Audi R13. Jan Hroar Bjørklund drove the R13 and it is a great addition to the Norwegian series. This is the second Audi R13 to appear in competition this year, following the R13 which was acquired by Jose Antonio Lopez-Fombona for the Spanish Hillclimb Championship. More can be read about the Spanish R13 HERE.

The Norwegian season opener saw good results from Per Støldal in the Audi A5. He achieved second place (GT4 class) in race one followed by two more top five results. Jan Hroar Bjørklund, driving the R13, retired from the first race after sustaining damage and finished eighth in races two and three. The Audi 80 was not classified as a finisher in any of the three races on the day. The results can be seen HERE.

It is great to see these older and retired Audi race cars still competing outside of the DTM. The Audi R13 is the 2007 Audi A4 DTM (B7) car, the same version which took Mattias Ekström to the 2007 DTM driver’s title. These cars were seen in the DTM from 2007 until 2009, when they were last officially run by the Kolles DTM team. In recent years a number of older Audi A4 DTM cars have been run by private teams in many European series. These included the R11, R12 and R12 plus models, but the R13 was only seen again in 2012, when the Czech BRT team competed with a R13 in the Czech MMČR series. The two cars in Spain and Norway now add to the list of private R13 appearances. The Audi R14 and R14 plus (2008 & 2009 A4 DTM cars) are now the only modern Audi DTM cars which have not yet been acquired and raced privately.

More information:

GT Racing - NBF GT Championship wesbite
GT Racing - NBF GT Championship Facebook page

Photo credit: RaceFoto.se / GT Racing - NBF GT Championship wesbite [Images linked]

Video: Audi R13 in the Spanish Hillclimb Championship

Posted by just sharing Saturday, May 11, 2013 0 comments

By Johan Laubscher

The Spanish Hillcimb Championship has been the scene for many Audi race cars in the last decade. The Audi A4 STW (Super Touring) has been a very popular choice of car amongst the competitors. For 2013 a very special Audi race car has been added to the series.

One of the long-time drivers, who has been competing with Audis in this series, is Jose Antonio Lopez-Fombona, competing with his Audi A4 STW since 2002. He is a multiple hillclimb champion and has been loyal to Audi A4 Touring cars for over a decade. For 2013 Fombona has decided to retire his older A4 STW, having sold it to another competitor. This decision does not mean the end for Fombona and his hillclimb racing with Audis. He has acquired an Audi R13, and will be competing with the car in Spain this year.

The Audi R13 is the 2007 Audi A4 DTM (B7) car, the same version which took Mattias Ekström to the 2007 DTM driver’s title. Fombona debuted his A4 DTM at the end of April and will continue to compete in the Spanish Hillclimb Championship this year. The car has a beautiful white, grey and orange livery. It is wonderful to see these older race cars still competing.

A number of YouTube videos featuring Fombona’s Audi A4 DTM, including an onboard video, have been embedded below.

Photo credit: Screenshots from this video

Home round for Audi newcomer Jamie Green

Posted by just sharing Friday, May 10, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

Second DTM race of the season at Brands Hatch (GB) on May 19
Audi squad is dying to make up for Hockenheim
Miguel Molina advertises the 2013 Audi Cup on his Audi RS 5 DTM

Ingolstadt/Brands Hatch, May 10, 2013 – A week before the Champions League final, London will be under the banner of motorsport. On its European tour, the DTM will stop on the outskirts of the British capital on May 18 and 19. Following the disappointing season opener, the Audi squad is dying for rectification and in pursuit of this aim is also banking on newcomer Jamie Green, who will be contesting his first ‘home round’ for Audi at Brands Hatch.

The first race of the new season showed that the fans are experiencing even more action, overtaking maneuvers and moments of surprise this year due to option tires and a rear wing flap (DRS) that can be adjusted by the driver on the track. Now the fans and the drivers are equally eager to see what effect the innovations will have on the 1.929-kilometer, and thus shortest, circuit on the DTM calendar, and how the relative strengths will pan out on this race track with its unique characteristics.

Audi Sport and the Audi Sport Teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg are tackling the event at Brands Hatch with high motivation. Although Timo Scheider, on clinching the pole position at Hockenheim, set an initial exclamation mark the eight drivers clearly stayed below their potential in the race with position six as the best Audi result and only one more position in the points. This is to change in Great Britain.

The omens are positive, as on three previous occasions Audi drivers, including the two double Champions, Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider, entered their names on the winners’ list of this race. Most recently, Martin Tomczyk, on his way toward the title win in the 2011 season, was successful at Brands Hatch. In 2012, Mike Rockenfeller started the race from grid position four and finished in third place.

At Brands Hatch, the DTM is again racing on the short configuration of the circuit. The so-called ‘Indy Circuit’ has clearly more right- and left-hand turns and, unlike the long ‘Parabolica’ at Hockenheim, offers only few sections in which the drivers can truly use the DRS for overtaking. The 98 laps on Sunday demand extreme concentration of the drivers. This applies to the crews in the pits and at the command posts as well. There is no other track on which strategy and the right timing of the mandatory pit stops are as important as at Brands Hatch.

For the first time since Oliver Jarvis raced in 2011, Audi is competing again with a Briton in the DTM this year. Newcomer Jamie Green will contest his first ‘home round’ for the brand with the four rings at Brands Hatch. A large number of fans and friends will accompany the 30-year-old Audi factory driver, who on his 2006 debut at Brands Hatch only missed a triumph by an extremely narrow margin. The winner back then was Mattias Ekström, who now is his team-mate.

The number 20 Audi RS 5 will feature new graphics at Brands Hatch, as soccer fan Miguel Molina on his car advertises the Audi Cup to be held in Munich on July 31 and August 1. At Audi’s invitation, FC Bayern München, Manchester City, AC Milan and the top Brazilian club FC São Paulo are meeting at the Allianz Arena for a brief tournament.

ARD will broadcast the DTM qualifying session on Saturday (May 18) from 14:30 CEST live on “Das Erste” and the race on Sunday (May 19) at the usual time, starting at 13:15 CEST. Due to the TV broadcast in Germany the race will start at 12:30, local time (13:30 CEST). Tickets for all DTM races of the 2013 season are available at www.audi-motorsport.com/dtm

Quotes by the officials

Dieter Gass (Head of DTM): “We’re traveling to Brands Hatch with optimism. At Hockenheim, particularly on Saturday, we saw that the performance of our RS 5 DTM is basically good. That was important. Now it’s up to us to exploit this potential. I’m sure that at Brands Hatch we’ll be experiencing a very close race. The innovations like DRS won’t be playing such a role there because the straight isn’t long enough. But I’m convinced that the fans can still look forward to a lot of interesting duels.”

Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): “The time between the season opener with its many innovations in the regulations and the next race at Brands Hatch isn’t very long. That’s why it’s crucial for us to jointly assess, analyze and, of course optimize, all the experiences and data we gathered at Hockenheim. And then we’ll arrive in England perfectly prepared.”

Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): “Knowing the basic performance of our car, we’re looking forward to Brands Hatch. With the option tires on this short track we’ll probably be seeing many different strategies. The fans can look forward to a thrilling race.”

Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): “I’ve got good and bad memories of Brands Hatch. A good one is that Filipe (Albuquerque) was among the front runners for a long time last year before losing ground due to a slow pit stop. We’re going to do better in that respect this time.”

Facts and quotes by the Audi drivers

Filipe Albuquerque (27/P), Audi Financial Services RS 5 DTM #6 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
• Finished in the top ten at Brands Hatch in 2012
• Received a drive-through penalty at Hockenheim for speeding in the pit lane
“I’m looking forward to the race at Brands Hatch. Until then, we’re going to continue to analyze all the experiences from Hockenheim. The DRS won’t help us a lot on this track but the option tires are huge fun even over a distance of barely two kilometers.”

Mattias Ekström (34/S), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #11 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
• Won the DTM’s first race at Brands Hatch in 2006
• Was on the podium at Brands Hatch on four previous occasions
“I’ve got several fond memories of Brands Hatch, for instance of my victory at our first round there. Qualifying will be very important because overtaking, despite DRS and option tires, will be more difficult than at the last race at Hockenheim. That’s why I’ll be investing even more energy than usual to start as far at the front as possible.”

Jamie Green (30/GB), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #12 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
• Will have his first ‘home round’ at Brands Hatch for Audi
• In 2006, took second place on the tradition-steeped English track
“It’s always very special for me to race in front of a crowd of my fellow countrymen – after all, this doesn’t happen very often. It’s a bit unfortunate that we’re traveling to the UK right for our second race of the season because I’m still in the process of gelling with Audi and my team. But I’ve personally had to experience the fact that Audi was always strong at Brands Hatch in the past – so I’m optimistic that we’ll be in contention for a good result.”

Miguel Molina (24/E), Audi RS 5 DTM #20 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
• Just barely missed the podium at Brands Hatch in 2010
• Is advertising the “Audi Cup” soccer tournament in Munich on his RS 5 DTM
“The layout of the track is really different, but I like it. I’ve always managed well at Brands Hatch and am hoping that we’ll be able to show our potential even more clearly. Obviously, 98 laps are rough for us drivers – but that’s DTM. As a soccer fan, I’m happy about the new graphics of my race car. I just met Javier Martínez at an Audi event in Munich, so at the Audi Cup I’m of course going to keep my fingers crossed for FC Bayern.”

Edoardo Mortara (26/F/I), Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM #5 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
• Was on the podium at Brands Hatch in 2011
• Damaged his front splitter at Hockenheim and was forced to retire
“At Hockenheim, we got a first impression of how competitive we are with our RS 5 DTM this year. Now we’re going to make use of this and aim to achieve a better result at Brands Hatch than at the season opener.”

Mike Rockenfeller (29/D), Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #19 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
• Was on the podium at Brands Hatch last year
• After the race in England, will travel directly to the Nürburgring 24 Hours
“Hockenheim wasn’t very successful for me, so I’m happy that we’re moving on to the next race right away. I was running really well at Brands Hatch last year and want to battle for victory again this time. With all the traffic on this small track, strategy will play an important role.”

Timo Scheider (34/D), AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM #23 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
• Started the season at Hockenheim with the pole position
• Won at Brands Hatch in his Championship-winning year of 2008
“Pole position, race victory, setbacks – I’ve practically experienced everything at Brands Hatch in the past few years. I’m hoping to add some more good moments this time. We’re taking the things that went well at Hockenheim with us as positive energy. And all the things that went wrong we’re going to do better at Brands Hatch.”

Adrien Tambay (22/F), Audi ultra RS 5 DTM #24 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
• Is again advertising the “Iron Man 3” movie on his car at Brands Hatch
• At the season opener, had to retire after just four laps due to a fire on his car
“I’m looking forward to an exciting weekend in England. A short track, a lot of traffic, pit stops, option tires – it’ll be a tricky event. Hopefully, after my early retirement at Hockenheim, this will be my first real race in the 2013 season.”

The Audi drivers in the 2013 DTM

Filipe Albuquerque (P): * June 13, 1985 in Coimbra (P); residence: Coimbra (P); single (partner Joana); height: 1.74 m; weight: 65 kg; Audi driver since 2011; DTM races: 21; pole positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 0; points: 35; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Brands Hatch: 10

Mattias Ekström (S): * July 14, 1978 in Falun (S); residence: Salenstein (CH); single (partner Heidi), one son (Mats); one daughter (Hanna); height: 1.83 m; weight: 79 kg; Audi driver since 1999; DTM races: 125; pole positions: 19; victories: 17; fastest laps: 12; points: 615; DTM titles: 2 (2004, 2007); best result DTM Brands Hatch: 1

Jamie Green (GB): * June 14, 1982 in Leicester (GB); residence: Monaco (MC); married to Ginny, two sons (Zachary and William); height: 1.78 m; weight: 70 kg; Audi driver since 2013; DTM races: 84; pole positions: 6; victories: 8; fastest laps: 13; points: 361.5; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Brands Hatch: 2

Miguel Molina (E): * February 17, 1989 in Barcelona (E); residence: Lloret de Mar (E); single; height: 1.75 m; weight: 64 kg; Audi driver since 2010; DTM races: 32; pole positions: 2; victories: 0 (best result: 3rd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 34; DTM titles: 0; best result, DTM Brands Hatch: 4

Edoardo Mortara (F/I): * Jan 12, 1987 in Geneva (CH); residence: Geneva (CH); engaged; height: 1.82 m; weight: 75 kg; Audi driver since 2011; DTM races: 21; pole positions: 1; victories: 2; fastest laps: 0; points: 103; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Brands Hatch: 3

Mike Rockenfeller (D): * Oct 31, 1983 in Neuwied (D); residence: Landschlacht (CH); single (partner Susanne); height: 1.75 m; weight: 68 kg; Audi driver since 2007; DTM races: 62; pole positions: 1; victories: 1; fastest laps: 2; points: 163; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Brands Hatch: 3

Timo Scheider (D): * Nov 10, 1978 in Lahnstein (D); residence: Lochau (A); single (partner Jessica), one son (Loris-Romeo); height: 1.78 m; weight: 72 kg; Audi driver since 2006; DTM races: 130; pole positions: 11; victories: 6; fastest laps: 9; points: 381; DTM titles: 2 (2008, 2009); best result DTM Brands Hatch: 1

Adrien Tambay (F): * Feb 25, 1991 in Paris (F); residence: Lochau (A); single; height: 1.81 m; weight: 69 kg; Audi driver since 2012; DTM races: 11; pole positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 0; points: 28; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Brands Hatch: 12

DTM drivers’ standings after 1 of 10 rounds
1 Augusto Farfus (BMW), 25 points
2 Dirk Werner (BMW), 18 points
3 Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz), 15 points
4 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz), 12 points
5 Bruno Spengler (BMW), 10 points
6 Timo Scheider (Audi), 8 points
7 Joey Hand (BMW), 6 points
8 Mike Rockenfeller (Audi), 4 points
9 Marco Wittmann (BMW), 2 points
10 Roberto Merhi (Mercedes-Benz), 1 point

DTM manufacturers’ standings
1 BMW, 61 points
2 Mercedes-Benz, 28 points
3 Audi, 12 points

DTM team standings
1 BMW Team RBM, 31 points
2 BMW Team Schnitzer, 28 points
3 STIHL/AMG Mercedes, 15 points
4 EURONICS/THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG, 13 points
5 Audi Sport Team Abt, 8 points
6 Audi Sport Team Phoenix, 4 points
7 BMW Team MTEK, 2 points

Audi DTM statistics (since 1990)

Champion’s titles: 8 (in 16 years)
Victories: 63 (in 199 races)
Pole positions: 68 (in 163 qualifying sessions)
Fastest laps: 54 (in 199 races)
Podium positions: 200 (in 199 races)

All Brands Hatch winners since 2006

2006 Mattias Ekström (Audi)
2007 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2008 Timo Scheider (Audi)
2009 Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz)
2010 Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz)
2011 Martin Tomczyk (Audi)
2012 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)

2012 flashback: ‘Rocky’ takes podium for Audi

Mike Rockenfeller laid the foundation for the podium result right at the start. In his Schaeffler Audi A5 DTM, he overtook Christian Vietoris’ Mercedes-Benz that had started from the front row and thus advanced to third place behind the subsequent winner Gary Paffett and Bruno Spengler. In the final phase of the 98-lap race, ‘Rocky’ closed the gap to the second-placed BMW but was no longer able to overtake. Mattias Ekström in the Red Bull Audi A5 DTM recovered from position eight on the grid to fifth place. In total, five Audi A5 DTM cars finished in the points.

Track info

Track length: 1.929 km
Race distance: 98 laps = 189.042 km
DTM qualifying record on this track: Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz), 41.003s = 169.363 km/h (Sep 04, 2010)
DTM race record on this track: Miguel Molina (Audi), 41.896s = 165.753 km/h (Sep 05, 2010)
Pole position 2012: Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz), 41.266s = 168.284 km/h
Fastest lap 2012: Martin Tomczyk (BMW), 42.138s = 164.801 km/h
Turnout 2012: 27,000
TV live rating 2012: 1.02 million/9.5 % market share (source: ARD)

Miguel Molina about Brands Hatch: “The Indy Circuit isn’t very long but tricky nonetheless – also because of the small run-off areas. There’s little room for mistakes, you’ve always got to be fully concentrated. Turn 1 is really special. You can feel how steep you go downhill after this pretty fast turn and how much the car and your body are compressed down in the dip. And then the best and almost only place for overtaking follows. A specialty of Brands Hatch is the large number of laps we drive there. I always tell my mechanics not to start counting down on the pit board before the last 20 laps.”

Timetable (local times, CEST –1 hour)

Saturday, May 18
09:10–10:40 Free practice
13:40–14:50 Qualifying

Sunday, May 19
12:30 Race

TV Schedule (“Das Erste” live, CEST)

Saturday, May 18
14:30–16:00 Qualifying

Sunday, May 19
13:15–15:00 Race

Photos credit: Audi Media

Disappointing DTM opener for Audi

Posted by just sharing Sunday, May 5, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

Timo Scheider in sixth place best Audi driver at Hockenheim
Two Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the points
87,000 spectators experience turbulent start into the season

Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, May 5, 2013 – With an Audi RS 5 DTM at the front of the field, the new DTM season started at Hockenheim with 87,000 spectators (throughout the weekend) in attendance. After 42 spectacular laps with plenty of on-track action and gripping overtaking maneuvers the opening round ended in a disappointment for Audi. With Timo Scheider and Mike Rockenfeller in positions six and eight, only two Audi drivers scored points.

After having started from the pole position, Timo Scheider in the AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline made an optimal start and immediately took the lead. Up to a safety car period on lap six he was engaged in a duel with the subsequent winner Augusto Farfus. While most of the drivers, including Farfus, immediately made their first mandatory pit stop Scheider was only called into the pits by his team a lap later, which caused him to drop to the end of the field.

Scheider managed to advance again from 18th place to position six. During his recovery he managed posting the third-fastest race lap. Shortly before the finish, the Audi driver still caught up with Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) and Bruno Spengler (BMW) but was no longer able to attack the two DTM Champions.

“Unfortunately, this wasn’t our day,” Timo Scheider said after the race. “During the safety car period we didn’t optimally respond. As a result, we threw away a better place. But the important thing is that we had the speed in the race – we’re going to fully attack again at Brands Hatch.”

Another driver to advance into the points was Mike Rockenfeller, who had started in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Phoenix from position 14. Despite losing some time due to a slow second pit stop and a few tussles, the 2010 Le Mans winner finished the season opener in eighth place.

Jamie Green (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM) tried to make up ground by a long last stint on option tires. For failure to comply with the track limit, the Briton initially received a lap penalty and subsequently a drive-through. As a result, Green had to settle for 14th place.

Miguel Molina suffered a puncture in his Audi RS 5 DTM right on the starting lap. Filipe Albuquerque (Audi Financial Services RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Rosberg) received a drive-through penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the pit lane. Molina and Albuquerque finished the race in positions 15 and 16.

Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM), Edoardo Mortara (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM) and Adrien Tambay (Audi ultra RS 5 DTM) did not finish the race. Mattias Ekström damaged the front end of his RS 5 DTM in the commotion of the starting lap, subsequently lost the hood and ultimately had to give up because of damage to the driveline. The front splitter of Edoardo Mortara’s car was so heavily damaged on the starting lap that continuing to drive made no sense. “Iron Man” Adrien Tambay had to park his RS 5 DTM after only four laps due to a fire in the engine compartment.

“That was a disappointing season opener for Audi,” said Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “None of our cars made it without any incidents. Particularly frustrating was the fact that we didn’t call Timo (Scheider) into the pits right on the first lap of the safety car, which deprived him of a possible podium finish. That he was able to advance from 18th all the way to sixth place by achieving strong lap times shows that more would have been possible today.”

The next DTM race is on the calendar at Brands Hatch on the outskirts of London (Great Britain) only two weeks from now.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Media

Pole position for the Audi RS 5 DTM

Posted by just sharing Saturday, May 4, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

Audi begins new DTM season at Hockenheim in position one
Timo Scheider decides thrilling qualifying session in his favor
Mattias Ekström in difficult conditions in fifth place

Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, May 4, 2013 – Audi is tackling the new DTM season at the Hockenheimring (Sunday from 13:15 live on “Das Erste”) from position one on the grid. In the first qualifying session of the year, Timo Scheider in the AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline secured the pole position in extremely difficult track conditions.

Pouring rain in the morning, a track that became increasingly drier in the afternoon: In the battle for the best grid positions, the teams were confronted with continually changing conditions in the DTM opening round at Hockenheim – a case right up the alley of the most successful Audi DTM team and the two-time DTM Champion. In the third qualifying section (Q3), Timo Scheider switched from rain tires to un-treaded rubber at the right moment and on the crucial lap in Q4 was a tenth of a second quicker than BMW driver Augusto Farfus.

“Today you had to make the right decisions, and that’s what we did,” said an overjoyed Timo Scheider after posting his eleventh fasted qualifying time in total in the DTM. “Tomorrow, it’ll be about carefully handling the tires and making the best of this pole position. In any event, starting from the very front with the RS 5 DTM at the DTM season opener at Hockenheim is fantastic – particularly since, before the qualifying session, we really didn’t know where we stood after it was raining in free practice.”

Scheider’s team-mate Mattias Ekström, in fifth place in the Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM, barely missed the shoot-out of the top four. But the Swede showed a strong performance in each of the first three qualifying segments and with his place on the third row of the grid also has a good starting base for the race on Sunday, in which option tires and an adjustable rear wing (DRS) will be used for the first time in the DTM. Furthermore, changes to the set-up of the cars after qualifying are no longer permitted.

The other Audi drivers were less fortunate. Newcomer Jamie Green in his Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM was one of the quickest on a wet track but at the crucial moment had to settle for twelfth place. Adrien Tambay whose Audi ultra RS 5 DTM is starting from the Hockenheim grid featuring the colors of the new “Iron Man 3” movie and Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Phoenix will be sharing the seventh row.

Filipe Albuquerque in the Audi Financial Services RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Rosberg made it into Q2, but in the second segment complained about oversteer and will start from position 16 on Sunday. Miguel Molina (Audi RS 5 DTM) and Edoardo Mortara (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM) were eliminated in Q1 in 18th and 19th place.

Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport: “Well done to Timo Scheider, his engineer and Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline: They did everything right today in these extremely difficult conditions and deserve clinching the pole position. But I think that qualifying was just a foretaste of the race tomorrow, which not least due to the conditions today will be a journey into the unknown. Of course it’s our aim to make it into the top ten with more than two cars.”

For the race, sunshine has been predicted. ARD will start airing live coverage from Hockenheim on “Das Erste” on Sunday at 13:15. The new DTM format no longer provides for a warm-up session. Instead, the fans on location will experience a pit stop practice of the DTM teams for the first time as part of the “Pit Walk” starting at 8:55.

Photo credit: Audi Sport Media

DTM: 1-2 Audi in the free practice session at Hockenheim

Posted by just sharing 0 comments

By Tarek Ramchani

The 2013 DTM season has started at Hockenheim with a single and very wet 90-minute free practice session. Audi is already on top with their Audi RS 5 DTM cars, a perfect 1-2.

Mike Rockenfeller with his #19 RS 5 DTM from Audi Sport Team Phoenix was the fastest, with a time of 1:50.334. In second was Mattias Ekström from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, 0.153s behind Rocky. Third was BMW's Augusto Farfus, and then another Audi, that of Timo Scheider in fourth. The new comer at Audi, Jamie Green, was sixth fastest. All the other Audi drivers were outside of the top 10.

There are many new rules in the German Touring Car Masters this year, including only one free practice session. The qualifying session will be the next session on track, scheduled for 14:40 local time.

Free practice session top 10:
1- Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) 1:50.334
2- Mattias Ekström (Audi) 1:50.487
3- Augusto Farfus (BMW) 1:50.542
4- Timo Scheider (Audi) 1:50.887
5- Martin Tomczyk (BMW) 1:51.018
6- Jamie Green (Audi) 1:51.055
7- Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz) 1:51.157
8- Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) 1:51.281
9- Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes-Benz) 1:51.293
10- Roberto Merhi (Mercedes-Benz) 1:51.446

Photo credit: DTM

Latest X15 Magazine issue - including Audi victory at Silverstone

Posted by just sharing Tuesday, April 23, 2013 0 comments

By Johan Laubscher

The latest issue of the X15 Magazine has just been released. It features a diverse spectrum of motorsport coverage, including this month: Audi's victory at Silverstone, Super GT, Rallycross, F1, V8 Supercars and much more.

This issue of X15 contains a number of Audi related features including news of the FIA WEC at Silverstone, the new DTM DRS system, BTCC and more.

As has been the case in recent months, the Audi Motorsport Blog has once again contributed to a small amount of content in the latest X15 issue.

We thank the X15 editorial staff for publishing this content and providing another excellent online magazine issue.

The magazine is well worth the read as it is filled with great content, from cover to cover.

See the X15 Magazine HERE.

More information:

X15 Mag website
X15 Mag FB page

Photo credit: Audi Sport Media

Dieter Gass Head of DTM at Audi

Posted by just sharing Thursday, April 18, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

Audi Sport optimizes its organizational structure
DTM and Le Mans Prototype areas reinforced
Head of Development Wolfgang Dürheimer: “Reaction to the increasing demands”

Ingolstadt, April 18, 2013 – Audi tackles the 2013 DTM season with an optimized organizational structure. Dieter Gass is responsible with immediate effect as ‘Head of DTM’ for the commitment of the eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the popular touring car race series. Christopher Reinke assumes the corresponding role for the Le Mans Prototypes (LMP). Both report directly to Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich.

“With the new structure at Audi Sport, we react to the growing demands and the increasingly tough competition in the DTM and in the FIA World Endurance Championship,” explains Wolfgang Dürheimer, Board Member for Technical Development at AUDI AG. “Both programs are of great importance for our company and this forward-looking arrangement will be the base for future motorsport projects.”

Within the new structure, Dieter Gass (50) takes responsibility for the company’s DTM program and will represent the brand with the four rings in the DTM. The engineer, born in Gießen, was previously active at Audi Sport as a technician between November 1994 and March 2001. He subsequently worked in leading positions for Formula 1 teams before rejoining Audi Sport last year in January. As ‘Head of Racing Commitments’ he got to know the brand’s two motorsport projects in great detail.

“Dieter Gass was a logical choice for the new position owing to the extent of his experience,” says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich, who in addition to his overall responsibility for all ‘factory’ programs, will put his focus on the WEC events. He will support Christopher Reinke (41), who as ‘Project Leader LMP’, is set to assume a similar function in the WEC as Gass has in the DTM.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Audi starts into DTM with strong partners

Posted by just sharing Monday, April 8, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

Mattias Ekström and new signing Jamie Green form Red Bull double
Audi Financial Services advertises on Filipe Albuquerque’s RS 5 DTM
Exhaust expert Akrapovič extends its commitment to Audi Sport

Ingolstadt, April 8, 2013 – In the 2013 DTM season, Audi Sport can rely on strong partners. Numerous renowned companies with worldwide operations have commitments alongside the brand with the four rings, including global players such as Red Bull, Schaeffler or Audi Financial Services. At the Hockenheim tests starting on April 9, four other RS 5 DTM cars will be sporting their final graphics on the race track for the first time.

In 2013, the fans of the most popular international touring car series will again be seeing two cars of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline in the colors of Red Bull. Alongside Mattias Ekström, new signing Jamie Green now belongs to the energy drink producer’s driver family. Clearly visible red (Ekström) and yellow (Green) markings make it possible for fans to quickly tell the two drivers apart who will be sharing a garage in the pit lane.

Audi Financial Services has extended its commitment. The financial services provider will be featured on Filipe Albuquerque’s Audi RS 5 DTM. “We’re supporting Audi in the DTM because we’re firmly convinced of this strong squad’s success,” says Managing Director Anthony Bandmann. “For us, a commitment in this multi-faceted sport together with this superb Audi team is a natural choice.” Albuquerque’s team-mate in Audi Sport Team Rosberg, Edoardo Mortara, will be on the grid sporting the colors of quattro GmbH and Playboy magazine like last year.

Audi Sport Team Phoenix is adding even more color to the DTM in 2013. While Mike Rockenfeller again drives the race car featuring the yellow-green graphics of the Schaeffler Group with its INA, FAG and LUK brands, Miguel Molina in a fiery-red car advertises the production counterpart of his race car: the Audi RS 5. “I find my Audi RS 5 DTM in this color simply great,” says the pleased Spaniard. “This way, I’ll always be easy to spot in the DTM field.”

Timo Scheider’s large fan community will also have to get used to a change. Although the special-interest magazine AUTO TEST continues to partner with the two-time DTM Champion the basic color of his RS 5 DTM now is black. The color change was a personal wish expressed by Scheider: “I clinched both of my titles in a black car – maybe that’s a good omen for the new season.” Together with Scheider, Adrien Tambay competes for Audi Sport Team Abt. Like last year, his RS 5 DTM displays the Audi ultra logo as a reference to AUDI AG’s lightweight design technology.

Akrapovič as a long-standing partner of Audi Sport has further extended its commitment this year. Since 2009, the company has been supplying the exhaust systems for Audi’s sports prototypes. Six of the RS 5 DTM cars will be competing with the Akrapovič logo. “After our successful cooperation in the sports car area, it was actually just a question of time when we’d be working together in the DTM as well,” says Managing Director Uroš Rosa.

Alpinestars, the leading company for high-performance motorsport wear, Audi Top Service, watch manufacturer TAG Heuer, the sports magazine Kicker, the Würth Group plus spring manufacturer Eibach and wheel expert O.Z. together with the Gerolsteiner and Hofmühl beverage brands as co-sponsors complete the list of partners.

“I’m proud of the diversity of our sponsors and would like to thank all our partners for supporting our DTM commitment,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “Without the backing of these strong partners we wouldn’t be able to be active in motorsport on this level. I’m particularly pleased to see that the companies truly ‘live’ the DTM topic and are involved with passion – this provides our teams and drivers with a big dose of additional motivation to reciprocate this enormous trust by delivering good results.”

The Audi teams in the 2013 DTM

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM)
Jamie Green (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM)

Audi Sport Team Abt
Timo Scheider (AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM)
Adrien Tambay (Audi ultra RS 5 DTM)

Audi Sport Team Phoenix
Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM)
Miguel Molina (Audi RS 5 DTM)

Audi Sport Team Rosberg
Edoardo Mortara (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM)
Filipe Albuquerque (Audi Financial Services RS 5 DTM)

Photo credit: Audi Sport Media

Important test for the Audi RS 5 DTM

Posted by just sharing Friday, March 29, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

More than 7,000 test kilometers in four days at Barcelona
All eight Audi DTM drivers in action
Timo Scheider: “I was impressed by the option tire”

Ingolstadt/Barcelona, March 29, 2013 – Only five weeks to go before the new DTM season starts at the Hockenheimring. During testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona/Spain, the Audi DTM drivers spooled off over 7,000 kilometers in the Easter week with the Audi RS 5 DTM and made important findings in the process.

At the first of two official DTM tests before the season opener, the four Audi RS 5 DTM were partially equipped with additional data acquisition equipment in order to log as much data as possible, which will now be analyzed by Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and the three Audi Sport teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg. During the course of the test, all eight Audi drivers tested the so-called option tires, which should make faster lap times possible for a few laps in the race, and the ‘Drag Reduction System’ (DRS), with which the rear wing can be adjusted by pressing a button on the steering wheel. Both might be used in 2013 in the DTM.

Each of the eight Audi drivers tested for two days at Barcelona. Busiest of all was double DTM Champion Timo Scheider who clocked up 346 laps around the 2.977-kilometer track, and recorded the fastest time (1m 06.844s) for an Audi RS 5 DTM on the last of the four test days.

Mattias Ekström, Jamie Green and Adrien Tambay worked together with their new race engineers at Barcelona. The four Audi RS 5 DTM cars ran in the designs they will sport when driven in the 2013 season by Jamie Green (Red Bull), Miguel Molina (Audi RS 5), Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler) and Adrien Tambay (Audi ultra). The designs of the other four Audi RS 5 DTM cars will be revealed during the DTM tests at Hockenheim between April 9 and 12, where a grandstand is opened for spectators on the first day.

Comments from the Audi drivers

Filipe Albuquerque (303 laps/1m 07.257s): “It was great to finally sit in a car again and to see in which direction Audi Sport had developed the RS 5 DTM over the winter. I’m happy with the results. On the first of the two test days, we had a few difficulties with car, which we understood and solved – from the third day onwards we were at the same level as the others. The track conditions were generally a little tricky at Barcelona. The option tire and DRS are definitely a step in the right direction. The ITR is doing something to improve action on the race track. This deserves recognition. DRS will allow us to get closer to the car in front and fight side by side.”

Mattias Ekström (300 laps/1m 07.354s): “I have a new race engineer for the first time since 2001, which is why it was important for me at this test to gel and to be on the same wavelength as the team. This was a success. We had some productive days and completed 300 laps during which we learnt a great deal. The eager anticipation increases when you finally get out track with our competitors cars. I think that the fans can look forward to an exciting year. We’ll only really know exactly where we stand in the opening race at Hockenheim. However, my impression is that it’ll be incredibly close. The option tire and correct use of the DRS can play an important role.”

Jamie Green (268 laps/1m 07.171s): “After a difficult start on the first test day at Barcelona, my second was much better. We managed to work through our plan and tick all the boxes, which we had on the list. It’s a good feeling. The track was dry; there were no interruptions and not a single technical problem. We clocked up a lot of kilometers. It’s of great importance to me right now. There’s only one thing that helps me to get a feeling for the Audi RS 5 DTM: lots of laps. The same goes for working together with my race engineer and my data engineer – the test at Barcelona was a great opportunity for this. The DRS rear wing also made a positive impression. The effect won’t be as big as in Formula 1 and overtaking not easy. However, the DRS will help with overtaking. We also learnt a lot about the option tires, which are much quicker than the standard tires.

Miguel Molina (327 laps /1m 07.112s): “It was a fantastic feeling to finally sit in a racecar after such a long and hard winter. From my point of view the test was a success. It was less about setting fast lap times, but actually more about completing our busy test program. We’ve improved our understanding considerably and collected a lot of data, which will move us a step forward in preparation for the season – also with regard to the option tire and DRS. Both will make the races even more interesting. Every outing at Barcelona is special for me: I started my motorsport career here in a single-seater at that time, and am proud every time to return as professional racing driver. Especially with this car: my Audi RS 5 DTM is just fantastic.”

Edoardo Mortara (228 laps /1m 07.439s): “Of course it’s great to get out on track again with the car after such a long break. However, I would like to have stayed here a little longer after the test. I’m not entirely satisfied with the basic set-up of the car. We have a lot of work to do during the next test at Hockenheim. Anyway, it wasn’t possible to judge the real performance within the DTM field here. I really like the DRS. I really hope that we can run with the system this year. In my eyes this is the right way to get more overtaking and in doing so to make the races more interesting. After all, it also works in Formula 1. The same applies to the option tires.”

Mike Rockenfeller (290 laps /1m 07.070s): “We tried a lot over the course of the two days I was in the car Barcelona, and learnt a lot in the process. In general, I’m really satisfied. However, it’s very difficult to assess the lap times with all these new things like DRS rear wing and option tires. You just don’t know whose using what. DRS has functioned perfectly so far and brings a lot – more speed on the straights and faster lap times. The aim is to provide more overtaking opportunities – this is fantastic for us drivers and at the end of the day for the spectators as well. I was able to try the option tires on the second day. This was very important. It’s difficult to make a genuine assessment because the track conditions changed frequently and a lot. As a whole, Barcelona was very informative. I’m already looking forward to the next test at Hockenheim in 10 days.”

Timo Scheider (346 laps /1m 06.844s): “It was great to sit in the cockpit of a racing car after such a long break. At first, I had to get used to the DTM car again, but I was soon up to speed. It may well sound as if you’ve heard it all before, but we got through up to 90 per cent of our test program – although it’s extremely difficult to draw any conclusions: sometimes it was very sunny and warm, then cloudy and cooler again. This is why the track conditions were very different. I tested the option tire for the first time on Friday afternoon – and I was very impressed: these tires make a DTM car even more fun to drive! After you’ve tested them once, you don’t actually want to change back to the standard tire. The DRS rear wing is noticeable. I think the time has come to change something. The fans want to see overtaking. DRS and option tires will help this.”

Adrien Tambay (310 laps/1m 07.274s): “It was important for me to get back into the cockpit of my car after the long winter break, and especially because I have to gel with my new race engineer. This worked very well at Barcelona. Franco (Chiocchetti) and I completed a lot of work, but we still have a huge amount ahead of us. This is why I’m already looking forward to the next test at Hockenheim and obviously the first race. We don’t have many opportunities to test the option tires. They should be good for the show and the fane. The DRS is also a good idea when it works. You really feel it in the car.”

Photo credit: Audi Sport Media

Audi welcomes US DTM initiative

Posted by just sharing Tuesday, March 26, 2013 0 comments

Audi Press Release

Plans for new US race series with DTM racecars
Possible new fields of competition for the Audi RS 5 DTM
Development Boss Wolfgang Dürheimer: “Of interest to Audi”

Ingolstadt/New York, March 26, 2013 – a new and promising opportunity in motorsport opens up for Audi: as announced at a press conference today in New York, the organizers of NASCAR and GRAND-AM plan a US based race series for DTM racecars like the Audi RS 5 DTM.

To this end, a dedicated platform for the spectacular DTM cars should be in place in the USA by 2016. The responsible parties of the ITR have concluded a corresponding cooperation with their partners in America. It complements a previously existing and similar agreement with the Japanese Super GT Championship organizers.

“As a consequence, the opportunity arises in the future to race the Audi RS 5 DTM not only in Europe, but also in Asia and North America in premium championships,” says Wolfgang Dürheimer, Member of the Board for Technical Development at AUDI AG. “As a globally active company, this is exciting and interesting for Audi.”

Scott Keogh, President of Audi of America: “Audi has a strong and spectacular history in US motorsport. We are currently looking for options that will allow the four rings to be more visible again on the race tracks throughout the USA. It’s fantastic news that there could soon be a US DTM. The Audi RS models are very popular in America. I’m convinced that our customers will be delighted to see the Audi RS 5 DTM in action.”

Audi has been active for more than 30 years in motorsport and was frequently successful in the USA during this period. In the 1980s, the brand with the four rings triumphed three times in succession at the Pikes Peak hill climb in Colorado. In 1988, Audi won the Trans-Am Series, in 1989 the Audi 90 quattro was the dominant car in the IMSA GTO series. Audi won the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) championship title nine times in succession between 2000 and 2008. In January, the Audi R8 GRAND-AM celebrated a GT victory in the 24-hour race at Daytona (Florida). With the R18 e-tron quattro, Audi clinched the brand’s eleventh victory in the 12-hour race at Sebring (Florida) 10 days ago.

Audi teams have won the DTM title in Europe eight times to date: 1990 and 1991 with the Audi V8 quattro, 2002 with a Coupé based on the Audi TT plus 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011 with the Audi A4 DTM. For the new DTM regulations introduced last year, Audi Sport developed the Audi RS 5 DTM, with which three teams join the grid with eight drivers in 2013. The new DTM season begins on May 5 around the Grand Prix circuit at Hockenheim.

Photo credit: Audi Media

The new DRS system for DTM evaluation

Posted by just sharing 0 comments

By Johan Laubscher

The DTM is hosting official test days at Catalunya in Spain this week. All three manufactures: Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz are at the test. The headliner this week is the testing of the first DTM Drag Reduction System (DRS).

The DRS had been rumoured for months and news emerged that the system would be evaluated this week. All the teams will test the system to see how effective it is. The DRS rear wing unit is a standard unit supplied by the series organisers, and will be identical on all the cars. If the decision is made to use DRS then it could be seen at the first round of the championship.

The Official Audi Sport Facebook page has released an image and video depicting the new DRS system today. These have been included in this Blog post.

Drag Reduction Systems (DRS), aim to improve overtaking opportunities. The system has proven its worth in Formula One, however it remains to be seen as to how effective it will be in the DTM. The Formula One cars have an amazing power to weight ratio and thus the benefits of reduced drag is immediately apparent in the performance with DRS. The opposite is true in the DTM. The cars naturally have a more bulky shape, thanks to the road car derived body size, and a much lower power to weight ratio. This combination of size and weight may hamper the effect of the DRS in DTM, however the proof will be seen on track, hopefully with more passing opportunities.

It remains to be seen if DRS will ultimately be used in the DTM.

Photo and video credit: Audi Sport Media

Audi RS 5 DTM on front row again

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