VAG Division – Volkswagen Group Car Club

• 54,000 spectators experience DTM show event in Munich
• Edoardo Mortara was Saturday’s winner and Sunday’s runner-up 
• Controversial time penalty imposed on Mattias Ekström

Ingolstadt/Munich, July 17, 2011 – Edoardo Mortara has confirmed that his victory at the DTM’s debut in Munich’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday did not happen by chance. The Italian Audi racer in the Playboy Audi A4 DTM of Audi Sport Team Rosberg reached the finale on Sunday as well. 
 
54,000 spectators (throughout the weekend) saw a successful DTM show event on the 1.190-kilometre track. On both public days the finale, despite different race formats, pitted Edoardo Mortara in the Audi against Bruno Spengler in the Mercedes-Benz. After the 24-year-old Audi driver had prevailed against the DTM leader of the standings on Saturday with an advantage of 0.366 seconds “Edo” again fought a close duel for the day’s victory with the Canadian on Sunday. The decision was made when Mortara touched the track barrier shortly before the finish and was forced to retire. 
 
On the way to the finale on Sunday Mortara had clearly prevailed against the Mercedes drivers Susie Stoddart, David Coulthard and Renger van der Zande in the respective heats. The Audi driver was on a par with Bruno Spengler up to the third of five laps and only lost some ground after the pit stop. “I tried everything to win again today,” said Mortara. “My Audi A4 was again super-fast. But a very small mistake on this track is all it takes to end up in the wall. It’s really difficult here.”
 
Mattias Ekström (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) and Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Phoenix) made it into the quarter-final on Sunday. Ekström clearly won the race against Renger van der Zande. However, a controversial time penalty meant an early end of the competition for the three-time winner of the “Race of Champions” and co-favorite for the day’s victory. On the way to the start the Swede had turned around his Red Bull Audi A4 DTM by intermittently hitting the gas pedal to please the crowd. “I just wanted to do something for the fans. After all, this was a show event. It’s too bad that I was punished for this,” said a disappointed Ekström. 
 
Filipe Albuquerque, Timo Scheider, Mike Rockenfeller, Oliver Jarvis and Miguel Molina, who had won the relegation against Rahel Frey in the morning, were eliminated in the eighth-final. 
 
“We’ve experienced a great event in every respect and have probably won many new enthusiasts for the DTM,” commented Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “This is exactly what we wanted to achieve through this show event. I’d like to thank everyone who made this event possible. We’ll be happy to return.”
 
The next championship race of the DTM is on the calendar for August 7 at the Nürburgring. Martin Tomczyk as the best Audi driver is the runner-up in the standings, just three points behind Bruno Spengler. The hero in Munich, Edoardo Mortara, is the best DTM rookie at the season’s midpoint.
 

Communications Motorsport

• Mike Rockenfeller sits out Lausitzring
• Complete recovery has priority for Audi
• Le Mans record winner as substitute

Ingolstadt, June 16, 2011 – Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen (43) will make a comeback in the DTM this coming weekend at the Lausitzring. The Dane replaces third in the standings Mike Rockenfeller (27) at the wheel of the E-POSTBRIEF Audi A4 DTM for Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline.
 

Mike Rockenfeller is recovering quickly but Audi wants to be completely sure that he has sufficient time to fully regenerate following his heavy accident at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. “Knowing well that Mike is fighting for the DTM title this year his full recovery has absolute priority,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “After prior consultation with our team doctor I have decided to rest him this coming weekend and also for the 24 hour race at the Nürburgring for this reason.”
 
With Tom Kristensen an old hand returns for one race to the Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline squad. The eight-time Le Mans winner competed between 2004 and 2009 for Audi in the DTM before concentrating solely on the sport prototype program. Although he considers the Lausitzring not to be one of his favorite circuits, the Dane has fond memories of the circuit: he mounted the podium as best Audi driver there in 2005 and 2006. “Tom K.” has won four DTM races in his career to date.
 
“First of all I’m sorry for ‘Rocky’ that he will miss this race. I wish him a speedy recovery. After being out of the DTM for two years it will certainly be very tough to come back. But when Dr. Ullrich called me it was self-evident for me to help Audi Sport in this situation,” says the Dane. “I’m looking forward to seeing all the old friends again and will try to substitute ‘Rocky’ as well as possible.”

• First “matchball” for Audi driver Timo Scheider
• Mattias Ekström and Martin Tomczyk still in title race too
• Eagerly awaited DTM debut at Dijon-Prenois

Ingolstadt/Dijon – The motorsport world will be focusing on France on October 11 with eager anticipation: For the first time, the DTM will visit the legendary French circuit of Dijon-Prenois at which one of the most spectacular Formula 1 races of all time took place exactly 30 years ago. And for the first time an automobile manufacturer could be securing a third consecutive DTM title – because Audi driver Timo Scheider will have the first “matchball” in France.

The reigning DTM champion will travel to the DTM’s debut at Dijon-Prenois with an advantage of 12 points over his team colleague Mattias Ekström, 14 over Mercedes driver Gary Paffett and 20 over Martin Tomczyk. Consequently, Scheider will also lead the standings after the ninth race of the season. If the 30-year-old German has a perfect race weekend, he will arrive at the DTM finale at Hockenheim 14 days later as the new and old champion.

Scheider can win the championship early at Dijon-Prenois on his own power – irrespective of the results of his closest rivals. To do so, he would have to win the race or finish as the runner-up. On the other hand, his three remaining rivals in the title fight have to hope for a poor result of the leader of the standings and score a lot of points themselves: Martin Tomczyk has to win in order to stay in the title race. Gary Paffett needs at least a fifth- and Mattias Ekström a sixth-place finish.

However, Timo Scheider & company are in for what may be their trickiest task of the year. The 3.801-kilometre circuit of Dijon-Prenois, with an average speed of almost 200 km/h, is by far the fastest track on the DTM calendar and the race, with a distance of 197.652 km, the longest of the season.

In addition, the extremely fast turns put a severe strain on the tires. Particularly the left front tire is considered highly vulnerable. Therefore, an optimum set-up, the right strategy and a sensible driving style are of paramount importance at Dijon-Prenois. Because the high-speed circuit hardly offers any overtaking opportunities, qualifying on Saturday will be even more important than at the previous seven races of the season.

That the circuit of Dijon-Prenois suits Timo Scheider as well as the Audi A4 DTM was obvious as early as during the official tests held prior to the start of the season at which the reigning champion posted the fastest time. In addition, the aerodynamically refined A4 handles fast turns particularly well. The start-finish straight covering a distance of more than one kilometre does not give Audi much reason to worry either: In most of the top speed measurements the A4 has been the front runner this year.

Although Audi travels to France with two racers heading the standings and three of the remaining four title candidates are Audi drivers, the squad at Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm is perfectly aware of the fact that the coveted title is not yet in its pocket. Too much can happen in the DTM – and the strong competition from Stuttgart will leave no stone unturned to postpone the decision to the finale at Hockenheim.

Still, should the champion be determined as early as at Dijon-Prenois, Audi would be the first automobile manufacturer in the history of the DTM that has been held since 1984 to win the title for the third consecutive time – and Timo Scheider the second DTM driver after Bernd Schneider (2000/2001) to manage a successful title defence.

So there are reasons galore to travel to the DTM race in Burgundy or to turn on the TV. ARD will broadcast live from Dijon-Prenois, qualifying on Saturday starting at 1:25 pm (German time) and the race on Sunday starting at 1:45 pm.