Audi ends BMW string of victories in the DTM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audi Sport Team Phoenix eager to take the DTM title

By Tarek Ramchani

For the eighth straight season Phoenix Racing will be partnering with Audi as a works entry in the DTM. In 2011 they had a magical season by winning the driver's title with Martin Tomczyk, who was driving an older specification Audi A4 DTM R14. This season the Ernst Moser managed squad is aiming high and wants to take the DTM title.

Audi Sport Team Phoenix is fielding two Audi RS 5 DTM cars this year, and they will again count on their 2012 drivers, Mike Rockenfeller and Miguel Molina.

Mike Rockenfeller has been a regular at Phoenix for many years now, both in the DTM and long distance races with the Audi R8 LMS. Last season "Rocky" finished fourth overall in the points standings, the best ranked Audi driver in a very hard season for the Four Rings. A big change for Rockenfeller this year, as he will not race with the Audi LMP1 squad in WEC and at Le Mans. He will focus solely on the DTM and try to fight for the title. Rocknefeller is driving the #19 Schaeffler supported Audi RS 5 DTM.

Miguel Molina from Spain is in his second season with team Phoenix, the fourth with Audi in the DTM, after two years at Abt Sportsline. Last year was a very hard year for him, he finished in a very disappointing eighteenth overall. The Spanish driver wants to bounce back and prove he is still fast and capable of challenging the big names in the demanding German touring car series. Molina is driving the #20 all red Audi RS 5 DTM.

Audi Sport Team Phoenix will aim to improve their position in the team's standing as well, last season they finished seventh overall.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Audi Sport Team Rosberg no longer the third team

By Tarek Ramchani

Team Rosberg has been racing with Audi as a factory team in the DTM since 2006. The team always used older specification Audi A4 DTM cars, with disappointing results most of the time.

Things have changes since 2011. Team Rosberg welcomed two young and fast drivers, who adapted quickly and really well to the demanding DTM. Portuguese driver Filipe Albuquerque who came from Audi Sport Italia and Italian Edoardo Mortara who came from the F3 single seater formula. Both drivers had a great debut in the German series during 2011. Mortara was on the podium twice and even better he won the non-championship event at Munich Olympic Stadium.

In 2012 Team Rosberg finally had the chance to use a brand new DTM racer, when Audi debuted the A5 DTM R17, an equal start for all three Audi factory teams. Overall the season was very difficult for Audi as a brand, but not for Team Rosberg. Edoardo Mortara won his first ever DTM victory at the Red Bull Ring, the first ever for Team Rosberg with Audi. Later in the year Edo won again at Zandvoort. He finished fifth in the championship. Filipe Albuquerque had a harder year but was always capable of taking points and fighting hard on track, Filipe ended the season in eleventh overall. Audi Sport Team Rosberg was classified fourth in the teams standings, and the best Audi team.

For 2013 both drivers will continue with Audi Sport Team Rosberg. The team is aiming very high for this year's competition in the DTM overall, but also within the Audi squad, to again be the top Audi team alongside Phoenix Racing and Abt Sportsline. The season opener is set for this weekend, at the Hockenheimring. Team Rosberg and their pair of Audi RS 5 DTM cars will try to prove again that they are no longer the third team at Audi.

Photo credit: Audi Media

Audi RS 5 DTM ready to race at Hockenheim

Audi Press Release

•          Newcomer Jamie Green celebrates his Audi debut at season opener
•          DRS, option tires and tight schedule: new rules add thrill
•          Iron Man 3: spectacular graphics on the RS 5 DTM of Adrien Tambay

Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, April 26, 2013 – With a seasoned driver squad whose combined tally reflects a total of 478 races, 34 victories and four titles plus an Audi RS 5 DTM that has been optimized in many details, Audi is entering the 2013 DTM season on May 5. Technical innovations such as the use of option tires and a rear wing that can be adjusted by the driver on track make for an additional thrill this year. 

The DTM has rarely ever before entered a new season with so many unknown quantities. Accordingly, there is a high level of suspense in the Audi Sport squad and Audi Sport Teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg. After a winter of intensive work and positive track tests in the past few weeks, the mechanics, engineers and drivers are all looking forward to the first real comparison of strengths with BMW and Mercedes-Benz this year.

Three innovations are awaiting the teams and drivers:
- The Drag Reduction System (DRS) that makes it possible to flatten the rear wing angle by depressing a button on the steering wheel is designed to make overtaking on the race track easier. The system can deliver a speed advantage of five to ten km/h – with respect to how it will perform in the direct duel with the competition there is still a question mark before the opening race.
- The option tire developed by tire partner Hankook allows faster times to be driven on a specified number of laps and provides the strategists with an additional tactical tool.
- The more compact schedule of the race weekend severely limits the working time that is available to the mechanics. With only one 90-minute free practice session before qualifying the experience of the teams and drivers is more crucial than ever before: a fact that could be playing into Audi’s hands because, with a total of 478 races, 34 victories and four titles, the driver squad of the four rings holds all the top marks in the series. Furthermore, the three Audi Sport teams combine the know-how gained in more than 450 DTM races.

A rookie again, despite his 83 DTM races, is Jamie Green, who will be competing at his first race weekend as an Audi factory driver at Hockenheim. The Briton, who has previously won eight rounds – including four events at the Norisring – is the only newcomer to the driver squad of the brand based in Ingolstadt. In addition to Green, Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich and Dieter Gass, Head of DTM, rely on drivers from last year: a mix of seasoned campaigners and ambitious youngsters with an average of 28 years.

The youngest of them will be featured in a unique way at Hockenheim: Adrien Tambay, on his race suit and on his Audi RS 5 DTM, will be advertising the movie “Iron Man 3.” His pit crew will be sporting the theme of the hero as well. In the new Marvel action film featuring Robert Downey Jr.and Gwyneth Paltrow, the Audi R8 e-tron is one of the protagonists. The movie will arrive at German theaters on Wednesday, May 1, before the DTM weekend at Hockenheim.

In line with the compact schedule, the timing of the two most important events of the weekend has slightly changed as well: Qualifying starts at 14:30 on Saturday, May 4 and the race on Sunday at 13:30. As always, ARD will air live coverage on both days on “Das Erste.” 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): “I’m looking forward to working even more closely with the drivers and the teams in the DTM. The first run at Hockenheim is new territory for me but I know that I’ve got a strong squad backing me that, like me, is tackling the job highly motivated. The season opener will be interesting because even after the track tests in the past few weeks we can’t assess exactly where we stand. In the few areas permitted by the regulations, we worked extremely hard at Audi Sport in the winter. Now, we’re jointly going to do everything within our means to ensure that the work we’ve invested will pay off and that we’ll be able to battle with our competitors on an equal footing again.”

Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): “It’s great that we’re finally getting started again. We used the winter to again perfectly prepare ourselves as a team for the new challenges of this season. With the new tactical options and shorter practice opportunities, team work is more important than ever. Our newcomer, Jamie Green, immediately gelled really well with us and brought a fresh breeze to the squad. After a difficult year in 2012, the motivation of the whole team is at an all-time high. We’re going to try and pick up a lot of momentum for the season right away by clinching a good result at Hockenheim.”

Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): “After six months without DTM races, the whole squad is just dying for things to start again in earnest. We had eight test days and particularly the findings from Hockenheim give me a positive feeling. Now we’re eager to find out where we really stand in qualifying and the race compared with the competition.”

Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): “We’re happy that the season is finally starting again. The entire squad is highly motivated – not least because Hockenheim is our team’s home round. Last year, we achieved the aims we’d set for the season, finished as the best Audi team and scored the brand’s two victories as well. We want to continue like this.”

Facts and quotes by the Audi drivers

Filipe Albuquerque (27/P), Audi Financial Services RS 5 DTM #6 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
- Before the season, was honored for his achievements by his home town Coimbra
- Starts into his third season with the same team and team-mate
“I’m eager to see how significantly the cars of all the brands have continued to develop in the winter despite the tight regulations. DRS, option tires, less time on track on a weekend – let’s see how the drivers will cope with that. I’m hoping to manage well.”

Mattias Ekström (34/S), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #11 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
- Is the most senior and – with 17 victories – most successful Audi DTM driver
- Has won the Hockenheim season opener twice before
“Hockenheim will be one of the most thrilling races in my DTM career. I can’t remember ever having been so excited. The further development of the cars, DRS, option tires – there are many unknown factors. Last year, the season, with a pole position at Hockenheim, started very well for me. Of course it would be great to make such a start again.”

Jamie Green (30/GB), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #12 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
- Contests his first DTM race for Audi at Hockenheim
- Was on podium at Hockenheim seven times before and celebrated two victories
“For me, the race at Hockenheim not only is a great challenge but the beginning of a new chapter in my life. A red-silver race suit, a car in Red Bull colors and plenty of rings – everything has been very exciting for me since I switched to Audi. The first race will be the pinnacle of this stage so far. I’m very much looking forward to it and am eager to see where we stand.”

Miguel Molina (24/E), Audi RS 5 DTM #20 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
- Achieved his only podium result in the DTM to date at Hockenheim
- Set up a second residence in Adenau to spend more time with his team
“I’m incredibly excited about Hockenheim because the winter seemed to be longer than usual for me this time. It’ll be a different experience going out on track for the first time on Saturdays. And with respect to the new rules there are still some question marks too. But I’m optimistic because we were able to sort a lot of things during the track tests and are traveling to the race well prepared.”

Edoardo Mortara (26/F/I), Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM #5 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
- At Spielberg and Zandvoort, scored the only two DTM wins for Audi in 2012
- After the 2012 season, again won the GT Cup in the Audi R8 LMS ultra in Macau
“The nice thing before the first race is that nobody really knows where they stand compared with the competition. I wouldn’t venture any predictions either. I hope that our hard work over the past few months pays off and that in the 2013 season we’ll be more competitive than last year.”

Mike Rockenfeller (29/D), Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #19 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
- Was the best Audi driver in the DTM in the 2012 season
- In 2013, is exclusively concentrating on the DTM events
“For me, the season opener at Hockenheim is one of the pinnacles of the season: a great track, a large crowd at the Motodrom and plenty of suspense. And with the new possibilities that make overtaking on the track easier, the race will be even more thrilling for the spectators – as well as for us drivers, by the way.”

Timo Scheider (34/D), AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM #23 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
- Is the only driver in the field who was on the grid at the DTM’s comeback in 2000
- In his black car, clinched his two DTM titles in 2008 and 2009
“I can already clearly feel the butterflies in my stomach. My excitement about the first race coming up is huge. Personally, I had a great winter with a lot of nice experiences and moments. I’d like to take this positive mindset with me into the cockpit. Plus, after a couple of years, I’m sitting in a black car again. I’ve clinched two titles before with this color and thinking about that gives me an extra motivation boost.”


Adrien Tambay (F/22), Audi ultra RS 5 DTM #24 (Audi Sport Team Abt) 
- At 22 years of age, is the youngest driver in Audi’s DTM driver squad
- Advertises the movie “Iron Man 3” on his race suit and car at Hockenheim
“I remember last year well when I contested my first ever DTM race at Hockenheim. Now a lot of things are different: I’ve got more experience, have been on the podium once, we’ve got new rules and new rivals. I’m looking forward to Hockenheim and am eager to see what memories I’ll be taking home from the first race this time.”

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: 20; pole positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 0; points: 35; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Hockenheim: 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: 124; pole positions: 19; victories: 17; fastest laps: 12; points: 615; DTM titles: 2 (2004, 2007); best result DTM Hockenheim: 1

Jamie Green (GB): * June 14, 1982 in Leicester (GB); residence: Monaco (MC); married to Ginny, two sons (Zachary James and William); height: 1.78 m; weight: 70 kg; Audi driver since 2013; DTM races: 83; pole positions: 6; victories: 8; fastest laps: 13; points: 361.5; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Hockenheim: 1

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: 31; pole positions: 2; victories: 0 (best result: 3rd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 34; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Hockenheim: 3

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: 20; pole positions: 1; victories: 2; fastest laps: 0; points: 103; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Hockenheim: 6

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: 61; pole positions: 1; victories: 1; fastest laps: 2; points: 159; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Hockenheim: 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: 129; pole positions: 10; victories: 6; fastest laps: 9; points: 373; DTM titles: 2 (2008, 2009); best result DTM Hockenheim: 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: 10; pole positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 0; points: 28; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Hockenheim: –

Audi DTM statistics (since 1990)

Champion’s titles: 8 (in 16 years)
Victories: 63 (in 198 races)
Pole positions: 67 (in 162 qualifying sessions)
Fastest laps: 54 (in 198 races)
Podium finishes: 200 (in 198 races)

All Hockenheim winners (opening round)

2000 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz), Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2001 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2002 Laurent Aiello (Abt-Audi)
2003 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2004 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)
2005 Jean Alesi (Mercedes-Benz)
2006 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2007 Mattias Ekström (Audi)
2008 Mattias Ekström (Audi)
2009 Tom Kristensen (Audi)
2010 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)
2011 Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz)
2012 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)

2012 flashback: Audi A5 DTM takes podium on debut

Following eight successful years with the Audi A4 DTM, the Audi A5 DTM celebrated its racing debut at the season opener last year. Mattias Ekström started from the pole position and immediately took the lead at the start, which he maintained up to the fifth lap before making a braking mistake in turn 2, which caused him to drop behind Jamie Green and shortly afterward behind the subsequent winner Gary Paffett as well. The Swede then concentrated on securing third place. His brand colleagues Mike Rockenfeller (5), Miguel Molina (9) and Filipe Albuquerque (10) scored points as well.

Track info

Track length: 4.574 km
Race distance: 42 laps = 192.108 km
DTM qualifying record on this track: Mattias Ekström (Audi), Oct 25, 2008, 1m 32.244s = 178.509 km/h
DTM race record on this track: Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz), Oct 26, 2008, 1m 33.576s = 175.968 km/h
Pole position season opener 2012: Mattias Ekström (Audi), Apr 28, 2012, 1m 34.680s (173.900 km/h)
Fastest lap season opener 2012: Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz), Apr 29, 2012, 1m 34.901s (173.511 km/h)
Turnout season opener 2012: 142,000
TV live rating 2012: 1.28 million / 10.7 % market share (source: ARD)

Mattias Ekström about the Hockenheimring: “I’ve got so many memories of Hockenheim – good ones and bad ones. In 2007, I became Champion there, have had one of the best weekends in my entire DTM career there, as well as retirements and weird incidents. Hockenheim has been and will remain my absolutely favorite track. I love the layout. You can overtake and fight tough duels. Technically, the first sector with turns 1 and 2 is particularly challenging. The best opportunity for overtaking is at the end of the Parabolica on the way to the hairpin turn. Another very important place is the last section with the Sachs corner and the Opel corners. Hockenheim has simply got everything you wish for as a racer – for me, it’s the highlight of the year that is always attended by many fans as well.”

Timetable

Saturday, May 4
09:05–10:35 Free practice
14:40–15:50 Qualifying

Sunday, May 5
13:30 Race

TV schedule (“Das Erste” live)

Saturday, May 4
14:30–16:00 Qualifying

Sunday, May 5
13:15–15:00 Race 

Photo credit: Audi Sport Media

Dieter Gass Head of DTM at Audi

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

Successful dress rehearsal for Audi RS 5 DTM

Audi Press Release

• More than 7,500 test kilometers on four days at Hockenheim
• Important experiences gathered despite changeable conditions
• Excitement of the drivers about the season opener on May 5 is rising

Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, April 12, 2013 – Audi has successfully completed the ‘dress rehearsal’ for the DTM season opener on May 5. At Hockenheim, the eight Audi drivers primarily gathered experiences in changeable conditions and were able to continue to familiarize themselves with the new technical elements that will make for an additional thrill in the DTM in 2013.

Eight drivers, four cars, 7,500 kilometers: Although the track conditions during the four test days at the Hockenheimring constantly changed between wet, drying and dry the teams and drivers took important findings with them into their final sprint of preparing for the season. Audi Sport and the Audi Sport Teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg are now going to prepare the Audi RS 5 DTM cars for their first racing commitment this year based on the gathered data and information provided by their drivers.

Following the confirmation of the final details of the regulations, one of the obvious aspects the drivers focused on was further testing with the Drag Reduction System (DRS), which makes it possible to adjust the rear wing flap by depressing a button on the steering wheel. Together with the option tires, this gives the teams and drivers two tactical components which make overtaking on the track easier and provide the strategists at the pit wall with additional possibilities.



The quickest Audi driver at Hockenheim was Miguel Molina, who achieved a time of 1m 33.242s on a dry track on Wednesday afternoon. The Spaniard, who completed 237 laps on the 4.572-kilometer circuit, was the busiest Audi racer as well. In total, the eight drivers reeled off 1,642 laps. The only minor setback was an excursion by Edoardo Mortara, who slid off the partially wet track on Thursday afternoon. The RS 5 DTM could not be repaired on location, so Mike Rockenfeller and Filipe Albuquerque shared a car on Friday. The three DTM brands will meet again at Hockenheim the next time: for the first real comparison of strengths in the season’s first free practice on Saturday, May 4.


Quotes by the Audi drivers

Filipe Albuquerque (170 laps/1m 33.897s): “Unfortunately, the weather didn’t always cooperate here at the final test at Hockenheim. I was able to drive just a few laps on a dry track but that was enough to tell me that we’ve made progress with the detailed work on the Audi RS 5 DTM compared with last year’s model. The car has better balance and is more pleasant to drive. Now I’m dying to switch from the test car to my real race car and am eager to see how fast we’ll actually be at the Hockenheim season opener compared with the competition.”

Mattias Ekström (223 laps/1m 34.922s): “The tests are over now. The next time we’re on track with the guys from BMW and Mercedes the first real race weekend will have started and nobody can play poker or use tactics any more. The week here at Hockenheim was a nice conclusion of a long winter with lots of work. The cooperation within the team and with Audi is a lot of fun. My new race engineer, the option tires and DRS make for additional excitement and variety. Now I’m looking forward to the first weekend in May and hope that spring will have finally arrived in Germany by that time.”

Jamie Green (207 laps/1m 34.829s): “Aside from the weather, which of course we had no control over, we had a successful test. The collaboration with my race engineer Alex (Stehlig) is already working out really well, we had interesting days together. I feel absolutely comfortable in the Audi RS 5 DTM. As far as the relative strengths in comparison with the other guys are concerned, we’re still going to travel to Hockenheim with a few question marks because we were rarely running in the same conditions. DRS and the option tire are two good ideas that will make for even more thrilling races. I particularly like the fact that both the flat rear wing and the option tires will be easy to recognize by the spectators.”

Miguel Molina (237 laps/1m 33.242s): “These were two good days for me. Unfortunately, due to the changeable conditions, we weren’t able to do all the things we’d been planning. But it was enough to give me assurance for the season opener. That I’m the quickest Audi driver this week is a pleasant feeling – but, honestly speaking, doesn’t mean that much to me. The thing that’ll count is qualifying at Hockenheim. I tried out the option tire twice and really enjoyed it. I’m already eager to find out what strategies we’ll be seeing with the new possibilities in the races.”

Edoardo Mortara (202 laps/1m 33.678s): “A good test despite the changeable conditions – unfortunately without a happy ending for me. At the end of my test time on Thursday, I was running on a drying track, hit a wet spot and lost control of the car. Sorry about that! But before the incident, we finished a major portion of our planned workload and the car left a good impression. Now I’m looking forward to the season opener.”

Mike Rockenfeller (199 laps/1m 33.630s): “For me personally and for the cooperation with the team it’s been a very good week at Hockenheim. Due to the constantly changing conditions we were able to go through almost all the scenarios – from a drying track to pouring rain. The experiences with the option tire were very positive. You almost don’t want to drive the normal compound any more once you’ve tried it. I was able to test the DRS a bit as well. I’m eager to see how it’ll feel in actual use in the race.”

Timo Scheider (188 laps/1m 34.135s): “My test week started with a bit of misfortune because I was only able to drive for half a day on Wednesday due to a few technical issues. We did what a test is intended for: we tried out a lot of things, swapped cars now and then and gathered experiences. It’s nice that the final sprint before the first race is coming up now, because tests are good and well but the real fun only starts at Hockenheim with a full Motodrom.”

Adrien Tambay (216 laps/1m 33.846s): “I’m very pleased with the two days. It was a lot of fun working together with my new race engineer Franco (Chiocchetti). We gelled well and managed to finish a lot of our tasks. Obviously, it’s hard to assess where we stand compared to the competition. But I definitely feel ready for the first race. DRS is exactly the right thing for a racer and will cause a lot of action. The option tires were good fun too.”

Photo credit: Audi Media