20.8.2019. Anniversary in the DTM, and the first match ball for the Four rings: In the 500. DTM race for Audi on Sunday (25. August) at the lausitzring in advance, the brand championship secure.
710 points collected by Audi in the first of twelve races, tracker, BMW 426. The advantage this weekend to grow by a further 20 points, is the fire in front of the two remaining race weekends at the Nürburgring (14./15. September) and Hockenheim (5./6. October) are uncatchable at the top.
“Traditionally, the drivers’ title in the DTM has the highest priority,” says Audi Motorsport boss Dieter Gass. “But also the manufacturer title is very valuable. It is a strong indicator for the work of the entire team and also who has the best car. We are with the Performance of the Audi RS 5 DTM, and the new two-litre, four-cylinder turbo engine, so far very satisfied.“
At the lausitzring, Audi celebrated the DTM already seven victories last year in the Saturday, a zero-lap race, but once the corners have to. I never forget the television images of the spectacular Rollover of René Rast will. “The accident looked from the outside, worse than he was,” says the DTM-points leader. “But I was not able to start in the second race on Sunday, has cost me may be the title. Finally, have been wanting at the end of only four points.“
Currently grid with 206 points at the top of the drivers ‘ standings. His brand colleague Nico Müller has scored in this year as the only driver in all of the twelve races, is 37 points. Marco Wittmann as the best BMW driver 59 points behind.
The Lausitzring is not exactly his favorite, says Rast. “The track is very technical and driving skills and is not a particularly large challenge. Nevertheless, The Lausitzring is a beautiful facility and the track is everything you need as a racer is actually: slow curves, fast curves, and a long pass, the one with the DRS and Push-to-Pass corrugated. Therefore, the Lausitzring is usually very good racing. And of the main grandstand from which spectators can see almost the entire route.“
Content
- The Audi DTM drivers about their most formative DTM experience
- The DTM Highlights of the Audi team bosses
- The personal Top 10 of the Audi motor sport boss
The Audi DTM drivers about their most formative DTM experience
The 500. The DTM-race on Sunday is also for the leader of a milestone. “As a child, I was at the airfield race in Diepholz,” says the Audi driver. “That was the beginning of the 1990s, the time with Klaus Ludwig and Kurt Thiim and a defining Moment for me. Later, I went many years in the framework of the DTM, and I’ve always dreamed to become a DTM driver. As the dream say what literally overnight come true, I had given up hope.“ His staff DTM Highlights: “My first victory in 2017 in Budapest, and of course my title.”
The first DTM race, the chasing Nico Müller on the spot experienced, what is the Finale of the 2005 season on the Hockenheim ring. “On TV, I have followed the DTM before. My personal Highlight at the norisring in 2016 – my first victory that was hard fought for what definitely. To stand at the home race for Audi-in front of the many Fans up there on the Podium, was really something Unforgettable. That was the reward for much hard work and felt mega awesome and pretty cool.“
Mike Rockenfeller, is currently in the table, the fifth, saw his first DTM race as a child at the Nürburgring. “That was in the middle of the 1990s,” says “Rocky”. “Alfa Romeo raced against Mercedes. It has been raining and the cars had all the lights. This is something I previously only knew from my Carrera track, and it has fascinated me totally. Nevertheless, I could not imagine in the wildest of Dreams, to ride later once the DTM. My first DTM Test in 2007 was a very special Moment. I’m about almost only GT-cars and the change from Porsche to Audi was a big step for me. I didn ‘t expect it to be so long it would take to win in the DTM racing and to master. All the better, winning the title in 2013 in Zandvoort – and this was after I had done almost an early start.“
So Robin Frijns, in his second DTM season, currently in sixth place in the drivers ‘ championship, long dreamed of the DTM, as he was at the beginning of 2018 DTM-Pilot. “The series has such a long Tradition and stands for exciting Racing – just what I like. When I learned that I want to belong to the DTM squad of Audi, I was overjoyed and flabbergasted at the same time.“ His personal Highlight is the final race in Hockenheim 2018 have been had so far. “I started as the Last and at the end of the Fifth become. I’m late in the Box and was able to attack after that, and a lot of cars to overtake. This has been a lot of fun.“
Loïc Duval, who is contesting as a total, the seventh of his so far best DTM-season, which in 2004 and 2005 in the formula 3 in the framework programme of the DTM is active. “I remember, above all, is Zandvoort in 2005,” says the Frenchman. “Before I went home, I looked on Sunday for the DTM race. There was the massive accident of Peter Dumbreck in the Opel at the exit of the last curve. I want to forget never. The accident what is unbelievable, he was okay. That was the most Important. I am impressed by the close Racing with these type of cars always been and I am glad to be a part of the DTM.“
Jamie Green, currently in ninth, although he had to leave out because of an appendectomy, the two races in Misano, made in the DTM, especially with his four Victories at the norisring a name. From the street circuit in Nuremberg, his so far best DTM-memory. “That was clearly my Norisring victory in 2012,” says the Briton. “I have briefly overtaken before the end of the race the two BMW — including a decisive manoeuvre in the last corner.” So, at the lausitzring, Green has already won three times. His first DTM race, he saw in 2003 in Donington. “This is my home. It would be cool if the DTM would go before the end of my career there once again.“
The DTM Highlights of the Audi team bosses
Thomas Biermaier, team boss of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, announced a Norisring race as the defining DTM-Moment: “in 2002, when Laurent Aiello has overtaken in the last corner, Bernd Schneider. I slipped in front of this race in the Position of the team Manager and the pressure was very high. But with good pit stops and the victory has been worth the risk for me and the Start of what, for me, a little bit of my path in ABBOT. Unforgettable so what is the first championship title in 2002 in Zandvoort in what, among many other moments.“
Ernst Moser’s Audi Sport Team Phoenix describes Valencia in 2011 as a staff DTM-Highlight: “Martin Tomczyk car-with a year-on-year and the then-newly-dropped-Sponsor Schaeffler already in the penultimate race with a dream season, the title brought. Particularly impressive moment of the starting lineup in Hockenheim, and the norisring in a full house – the what and goose main is always pure, and makes you proud to be in the DTM for me.“
Arno Zensen, team boss of Audi Sport Team Rosberg, looks back even further: “I will Never forget my first race as DTM team boss in 1995, in Hockenheim. We had with Klaus Ludwig and Keke Rosberg a Dream Team, and I was afraid that we are quickly ridiculed as a Show Team. But in the first race we got third place a Podium. Incredibly what, of course, that we have come 2017 with 21 points behind in the final in Hockenheim, and with our Rookie René Rast in addition to the team title to the drivers ‘ brought title have. To experience it, after we had to line up in the DTM for many years, with year-on-year cars, which is indescribable.“
The personal Top 10 of the Audi motor sport boss
Audi Motorsport boss Dieter Gass had to be in a young age, self-ambitions, DTM-driver. “During the years of my participation in the Renault 5 Cup and Clio Cup race in the framework programme of the DTM is always the Highlight,” he says. In the end, Gass but then decided for a engineering career. As he followed the DTM practically since the first day, he has compiled a personal Top 10 of events, the him on the occasion of the 500. DTM race come to mind: “winning all three titles in 2017 in Hockenheim with René Rast as a Rookie Champion was a very special Moment. But also the first DTM title for Audi in 1990 Hans-Joachim Stuck or winning the title in 2013, with Mike Rockenfeller in my first year as a head of DTM at Audi Sport. And the first eight starting positions in Hungary to 2017 and, most recently, the repetition of this hitherto unique feat at Brands Hatch.“
“Of course, so critical things come to mind, such as, for example, ‘get out, Push him in the’ the accident of René Rast in the past year, has sold at the lausitzring, the crankshaft affair in 1992, the Audi for many years from the DTM, the water bottle at the norisring, Barcelona 2007, when all is still in the race, the remaining Audi are bent in the Box, and last but not least, Spielberg, 2016 and 2017: Since a gearbox problem Jamie Green has been destroyed by hail two years in a row in the lead lying in the same curve to the victory and potentially the championship.“
Audi 304 of 498 DTM has denied the race – if you count the launches of private drivers, prior to 1990, even 311. 108 victories, 330 podium, 99 Pole Positions 107 fastest laps, ten driver’s titles, six team titles and four manufacturers ‘ titles, go to the account of the brand with the Four rings.
Before the 500. The DTM-race on Sunday will be awarded at the lausitzring on Saturday championship points. Both races start at the usual time at 13: 30, SAT.1 transfers on Saturday and on Sunday from 13 clock live from Lausitz. The race track is situated around 120 kilometers South of Berlin. Tickets for the Event are available online at www.audi.com/dtm available.
DTM 2019, Test Lausitzring (photo: Audi Communications Motorsport / Michael Kunkel )
