DTM Classic On ‘Rocky’s’ Home Track11 Aug 13 |
• Audi driver Rockenfeller at Nürburgring as DTM leader • DTM home round for Audi Sport Team Phoenix in the Eifel • Dieter Gass, Head of DTM: “Continue to work with concentration” Round seven at the Nürburgring (August 16 to 18) marks the beginning of the hot phase in the battle for the DTM title. 100 points are yet to be awarded and Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller is traveling to the Eifel with a 27-point advantage. ‘Rocky’ grew up in a place just half an hour away from the ‘Ring’ – accordingly, he and Audi Sport Team Phoenix, with its home base at the Nürburgring, are looking forward to the event with particularly eager anticipation.From the adventure in Moscow the DTM is now moving on to the Eifel. The race at the Nürburgring ranks among the classic events on the calendar. The DTM has seen numerous gripping races there, exotic premieres like a night-time qualifying session, plus six Audi victories in total since the comeback in 2000. The proximity to the famous Nordschleife and the enthusiasm of the fans make the round in the Eifel a highlight of the season ag ain and again. This is particularly true for the Audi drivers Mike Rockenfeller and Timo Scheider, who grew up near the circuit and for whom the Nürburgring is thus their home track. ‘Rocky’ has the chance of making another pinpoint landing in the battle for the title in front of many friends and fans. Following his second victory of the season in Moscow, the Audi driver is traveling to his home round with an advantage of 27 points over the reigning Champion Bruno Spengler. Audi Sport Team Phoenix, which fields the Audi RS 5 DTM cars of Rockenfeller and Miguel Molina, only has to cross a road to get from its base in Meuspath to the paddock. This year, the DTM is again using the 3.629-kilometre short configuration of the Grand Prix circuit on 49 laps. The circuit offers two sections – the start-finish straight in front of the first turn and the back -straight in front of the chicane – in which the Drag Reduction System (DRS) effectively supports overtaking manoeuvres. This promises a thrilling race Sunday. Tickets for all DTM races of the 2013 season are available at www.audi-motorsport.com/dtm. Fans in many countries of the world can watch qualifying and the race live on the DTM’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/dtmint live. A total of 39 TV channels air live DTM coverage in 141 countries. In Germany, ARD will broadcast live on “Das Erste:” Qualifying on Saturday (August 17) starting at 14:30, the race on Sunday (August 18) starting at 13:15. Quotes by the officials Dieter Gass (Head of DTM): “Despite leading the standings we’ve got no reason whatsoever to relax and lean back. We last saw at Moscow how quickly you can finish out of the points while the rival takes the full score. So, at the Nürburgring, we need to continue to work with concentration and by delivering our next strong team performance cause Mike (Rockenfeller) to score as many points as possible.” Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): “The success at Moscow, where all four of our drivers scored, was good for the whole squad. You can really feel how hot the guys are to up the ante at the Nürburgring. Our team has won an amazing six DTM races in the Eifel, including our first ever victory in the DTM. Now, scoring the seventh victory at the seventh round of the season would be a perfect fit.” Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): “Following the adventure at Moscow, we’re now competing at a venue that’s right on our doorstep. Naturally, this enormously helps us in our preparations. With the current tailwind I’d like to reward our many fans in the Eifel at bit because the results in recent years haven’t been the optimum yet.” Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): “The time between the return from Moscow and the race at the Nürburgring is short, so the whole squad will have a few rough days. For Team Rosberg, the Eifel race is to become the turning point of the season. We’d like to finally be in contention at the front of the field again.”
Filipe Albuquerque (28/P), Audi Financial Services RS 5 DTM #6 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) Mattias Ekström (35/S), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #11 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) Jamie Green (31/GB), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #12 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) Miguel Molina (24/E), Audi RS 5 DTM #20 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
Mike Rockenfeller (29/D), Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #19 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix) Timo Scheider (34/D), AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM #23 (Audi Sport Team Abt) Adrien Tambay (22/F), Audi ultra RS 5 DTM #24 (Audi Sport Team Abt) 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: 26; pole positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 0; points: 35; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Nürburgring: 8 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: 130; pole positions: 19; victories: 17; fastest laps: 12; points: 653; DTM titles: 2 (2004, 2007); best result DTM Nürburgring: 1 (2005, 2011) 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: 89; pole positions: 6; victories: 8; fastest laps: 13; points: 379,5; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Nürburgring: 3 Miguel Molina (E): * Feb 17, 1989 in Barcelona (E); residence: Lloret de Mar (E); single; height: 1.75 m; weight: 64 kg; Audi driver since 2010; DTM races: 37; pole positions: 2; victories: 0 (best result: 3rd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 34; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Nürburgring: 12 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: 26; pole positions: 1; victories: 2; fastest laps: 0; points: 105; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Nürburgring: 2 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: 67; pole positions: 3; victories: 3; fastest laps: 3; points: 253; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Nürburgring: 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: 135; pole positions: 11; victories: 6; fastest laps: 9; points: 385; DTM titles: 2 (2008, 2009); best result DTM Nürburgring: 2 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: 16; pole positions: 0; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 40; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Nürburgring: –
DTM manufacturers’ standings DTM team standings
Champion’s titles: 8 (in 16 years) All Nürburgring winners since 2000 2000 2 x Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz), 2 x Manuel Reuter (Opel) 2012 flashback: Edoardo Mortara claims podium for Audi 89,000 spectators (throughout the weekend) saw a flawless drive by Edoardo Mortara, who in his Playboy Audi A5 DTM started from position two and finished as the runner-up behind the winner Bruno Spengler. At 33 degrees centigrade in the shade and track temperatures of nearly 50 degrees, Mike Rockenfeller in his Schaeffler Audi A5 DTM took fifth place. Filipe Albuquerque and Timo Scheider finished in the points as well. To many, the secret star of the race was Rahel Frey. She was the fastest driver in the field some of the time, drove the fastest lap of all Audi drivers and the second-fastest race lap in total.
Track length: 3.629 km Filipe Albuquerque about the Nürburgring: “I like the Nürburgring – a track I’ve got fond memories of and that I’ve always been quick on. I’ve won races there before. The sprint track looks pretty easy at first glance but, like any track, the Nürburgring has its technical aspects and secrets you’ve got to decode first. The best place for overtaking is at the end of the start-finish straight. But the corner I like most by far is the right-hander that leads to the back-straight. For me, this is one of the world’s nicest corners. You exit the left-hand turn in front of it in third gear and stay in this gear. You’ve got to precisely position the car, which suits me particularly well. You go downhill and at the exit the car slides toward the curbs. You get the feeling of sliding off track but the curbs catch the car. A really cool corner.” Timetable Friday, August 16 Saturday, August 17 Sunday, August 18 Saturday, August 17 Sunday, August 18 |