Audi comes to England as DTM leader

The Audi Sport team has had not much time to recover since the historical triumph with the Audi R10 TDI at the 24 Hours of Le Mans: On the first weekend in July, the next round of the DTM in Brands Hatch on the outskirts of London is on the agenda. The DTM and Sportscar projects run independently from one another within Audi Sport, however, many of the 150 employees are involved in both projects.

This also includes Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen, who travels to the British round of the most popular international touring car series as championship leader - and with the sweetest memories: At the official pre-season test, the Dane recorded the best time in Brands Hatch with a 41.587 second lap. The test doubled as a roll-out for his Siemens Audi A4 DTM, with which he has since gone on to claim a brace of second places and, more recently, the championship lead after taking victory at Oschersleben.

Just like his team mates, Kristensen is also looking forward to the short 1.973 kilometre "Indy Circuit”. The shortest track on the DTM calendar is considered to be one of the most spectacular and demanding of the year. The spectators can see almost the entire circuit, 82 laps around roller-coaster track will push man and machine to their limits. Strategy will play a major role, in qualifying hundredths and thousandths of a second will be decisive.

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline tested with all four drivers at Magny-Cours (France) immediately after the race at Oschersleben, collecting valuable information which the team wants to implement at Brands Hatch. Audi Sport Team Phoenix and Audi Sport Team Rosberg also expect to show well with their year-old cars. The customer team Futurecom TME arrives at a track for the first time at which it has already tested with the Audi A4 DTM from the 2004 season.

Qualifying at Brands Hatch starts on Saturday, 1 July at 12:37 p.m. local time (1:37 p.m. in Germany). The race will be started at noon owing to the Football World Cup and the Tour de France - two hours earlier than normal. ARD broadcasts qualifying live on Saturday from 2:03 p.m. and the race on Sunday from 12:50 p.m.

Quotes from the Audi drivers before the race in Brands Hatch

Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "Brands Hatch is a short but demanding circuit. There isn’t much time to relax when you are driving. I think that we’ll be good there - just how good is difficult to judge, since the test was held before the start of the season. Whatever the case I’m looking forward to the race and that things finally get rolling again after the five week break.”

Mattias Ekström (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "I’ll be racing for the first time at Brands Hatch. At the test there we had a good speed and the track was a lot of fun. With Tom winning at Oschersleben we have to drive with a few kilograms of ballast. On the other hand Tom leads the Championship. I think it’ll be a hard fight again with Mercedes. We’ll try to help Tom so that he can also leave Brands Hatch still leading the Championship.”

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "The race at Brands Hatch will be wild. The circuit is spectacular and is unforgiving. The set-up isn’t actually very difficult, but nevertheless very important. Brands Hatch only has four corners - and the car has to be perfect in each one. The track is short, so the lap times will be very tight. That means the cars will be separated by a few hundredths.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "We are all looking forward to Brands Hatch. It is our first race abroad this year. Brands Hatch is stepped in tradition. 82 laps around the Indy Circuit will be incredibly tough, concentration is important. There is hardly a straight, it goes up and down, and the corners are exciting. At Brands Hatch everything has to slip into place if you want to win.”

Christian Abt, Audi Sport Team Phoenix): "After things didn’t go quite as I’d planned during the first three races, I now look to Brands Hatch for an upturn in form - even though it isn’t necessarily my favourite circuit because it’s a little Mickey Mouse like. With 82 race laps I’m even expecting a safety car period. There could be quite a few surprises.”

Pierre Kaffer (Audi Sport Team Phoenix): "I’m really looking forward to Brands Hatch. We had a successful test. I think that it will be a fantastic event. It’s always a special good feeling to drive on a traditional English race track. My last race in England was in 2004 with the R8 at Silverstone - and I won there together with Allan McNish.”

Frank Stippler (Audi Sport Team Rosberg): "The Brands Hatch circuit is demanding. It goes up and down, it’s like a mini Nordschleife. I think it’ll separate the men from the boys since the circuit is really difficult. Things didn’t run too badly at the test. We’ll see how things are on the race weekend.”

Timo Scheider (Audi Sport Team Rosberg): "The fans will be treated to an exciting and interesting race weekend. I’m personally not a great friend of short tracks; the longer circuit is just more fun to drive for me. However, it’s obviously fantastic for the fans that we come by so often. As a driver we’ll probably get quite dizzy after 82 laps…”

Vanina Ickx (Futurecom TME): "We tested at Brands Hatch in March. It was quite cold at that time. This DTM race will also be tough and interesting. The circuit is short and tight, the run-off areas are small. Over the last couple of weeks the team and I have been trying to improve the pit-stop procedure and the car set-up. I hope it helps.”

Olivier Tielemans (Futurecom TME): "I drove for one-and-a-half days with the A4 DTM at the pre-season test at Brands Hatch, which should help me to find my feet a lot quicker than at the previous races.”

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "The DTM goes to Brands Hatch for the first time - to a circuit where Audi has already competed in many great touring car races, and was frequently successful. We know that it is a very special track. Normally the races there are very close and wild. I’m convinced: The DTM at Brands Hatch will be motorsport at its finest. To go there as championship leader is particularly good.” Schon gesehen?

Damon Hill tests DTM car at Brands Hatch

Damon Hill, the 1996 Formula 1 World Champion, tested the DTM AMG-Mercedes C-Class at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent County. Following his test at the 1.973-kilometre circuit located south-east to London - the venue of the fourth DTM round held on 2nd July - Hill was wowed by the high-tech touring car. “That was very exciting. Good that I knew Brands Hatch before, because to drive a DTM car is quite demanding. It is powerful, has a lot of downforce which makes it quick through the corners and it is really hot inside. I want to thank Mercedes-Benz for giving me the opportunity to sample a state of the art DTM car.” said the 45-year old Briton.
Back in March, Hill had already attended the three-day DTM tests at Brands Hatch. There, he met - inter alia - some of his former Formula 1 rivals such as Mika Häkkinen, Jean Alesi and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. On this occasion, Hill expressed his interest in driving a state-of-the-art DTM car and now, Mercedes-Benz offered him this chance. “It feels great to be back at the wheel of a racing car after such a long time,” Hill added. Yet, a motor racing comeback is not on the agenda of the 22-time Grand Prix winner who retired at the end of the 1999 season. “I now have got other tasks in the motor racing world,” he added. Some weeks ago, Hill was elected new President of the British Racing Drivers Club, BRDC.

During the Brands Hatch DTM weekend, on 2nd July, the Briton will again take the wheel of a DTM car: in the event’s support programme, the former F1 World Champion will drive a DTM taxi to take competition winners around the circuit, in the passenger seat. “I’m looking forward to the DTM race at Brands Hatch. It’s an event no motor racing enthusiast should miss. The fans really look forward to an exciting event”

Damon Hill to drive AMG-Mercedes C-Class

Damon Hill makes his motor racing comeback - for some hours, that is to say. One week prior to the fourth round of the DTM season, held on 2nd July at Brands Hatch, the former Formula 1 World Champion is going to take place behind the wheel of an AMG-Mercedes C-Class to complete some laps at the rich in tradition British circuit. “I’m truly impressed by DTM,” says Hill. “The cars are quick and it’s big fun to see them charging around a race track.”

The Englishman’s test has been scheduled for two hours and afterwards, he is going to describe his impressions in a press conference. Regarding the competition and the commitment it needs, DTM could be compared with Formula 1, says Hill. “The fans just shouldn’t miss the Brands Hatch round.” During the Brands Hatch DTM weekend, Hill will again go out on the track to take VIP guests around the circuit in the passenger seat of a DTM Race Taxi. Afterwards, his career as a racing driver will be definitely over, claims the Briton, adding that Mercedes offered him this chance of driving a DTM car and he just didn’t want to miss this chance. “I’m looking forward to it. It certainly will be big fun.”

In March, during the official DTM tests held at Brands Hatch, the 45-year old who lives just a few kilometres away, had visited the circuit and said: “It’s great that such a top-class series comes to England. There is no comparable race series all around the world. The grid is extremely varied and that’s what makes DTM that thrilling. Former F1 aces, two women, young guns and a lot of other top class motor racing professionals.” Despite all his enthusiasm, Hill makes clear that a comeback is not on his agenda: “I’m too old for this kind of things. Furthermore, I retired from DTM to have the chance of spending more time with my family.” Apart from that, Hill just was elected new President of the British Racing Driver Club, BRDC.

Most definitely, DTM’s comeback on English soil will be a major success. All the seats are already sold out, therefore, an additional stand with 1,300 seats will be erected at turn one. Because of the beginning of the ‘Tour de France’, the race - that will be covered live by the German TV station ARD - will be brought forward by an hour and will start at 12.00hrs local time (13.00hrs CEST).

Brazil to secure the World Cup...

Brazil to secure the World Cup...
The countdown is on, the entire world seems to have caught the football fever and there’s just one question millions of people will be focusing on in the coming weeks: who is going win the 2006 Football World Cup? It doesn’t take long to select the favourites and the reigning champion, Brazil, has got the biggest following on the DTM grid. 25 percent of the drivers thinks that reigning champion Brazil with its top stars such as Ronaldo and Ronaldinho has got what it needs to defend the title, with Christian Abt, Frank Stippler, Tom Kristensen, Mika Häkkinen and Olivier Tielemans regarding the Brazilian squad as favourite.
At the same time, there are four drivers each expecting Italy and host Germany respectively win the tournament. Jean Alesi, Bernd Schneider, Timo Scheider and Daniel La Rosa put their money on the ‘Squadra Azzurra’, while Stefan Mücke, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Bruno Spengler and Vanina Ickx think that Germany is going to repeat the successes of 1954, 1974 und 1990. And England? Jamie Green, Mathias Lauda and Susie Stoddart believe in the success of David Beckham & Co.

Pierre Kaffer and Mattias Ekström, however, think that an underdog will make it. While Croatia is the favourite of Pierre Kaffer, Sweden’s Ekström is convinced that his compatriots will secure the title. According to Martin Tomczyk, Luis Figo and Portugal are going to win the World Cup, while the Greek on the DTM grid, Alex Margaritis, is of another opinion: he thinks that the Argentineans, World Cup winners in 1978 and 1986, will make it again. By the way: Even Olivier Tielemans doesn’t believe that the Netherlands are going to win the Cup.

On 09th July, 2006, we will find out which DTM driver proved to be the best football expert.


The DTM aces’ World Cup tips:
Bernd Schneider: Italy
Jamie Green: England
Martin Tomczyk: Portugal
Mattias Ekström. Sweden
Heinz-Harald Frentzen: Germany
Tom Kristensen: Brazil
Mika Häkkinen: Brazil
Bruno Spengler: Germany
Jean Alesi: Italy
Alexandros Margaritis: Argentina
Christian Abt: Brazil
Pierre Kaffer: Croatia
Frank Stippler: Brazil
Timo Scheider: Italy
Stefan Mücke: Germany
Daniel La Rosa: Italy
Olivier Tielemans: Brazil
Vanina Ickx: Germany
Mathias Lauda: England
Susie Stoddart: England

Mika Hakkinen drives a CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet

Mika Häkkinen drives a CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet
Mika Häkkinen extends his fleet: The AMG-Mercedes DTM driver drives a brand new CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet. “After changing from the open Formula 1 racing car to the closed DTM saloon, the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet is exactly the right car for quick trips around my home town Monte Carlo, or along the winding roads in the surrounding Maritime Alps” said the Formula 1 World Champion of 1998 and 1999.

For enthusiasts: The 582 hp powerful AMG 5.5-litre V8 compressor engineHigh tech derived from motorsport, racetrack handling dynamics, eye-catching design and utmost exclusivity - the new Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet is not only the choice of prominent sportsmen, but also makes the hearts of other automobile enthusiasts beat faster. With its 428 kW/582 hp powerful AMG 5.5-litre V8 compressor engine, the newly developed AMG sports suspension, optionally available sports tyres and aerodynamics optimised in the wind tunnel the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet, which is in a limited edition of 100, delivers a superlative performance: The AMG high-performance sports car accelerates in only 4.0 seconds from zero to 100 km/h, the highest speed is 300 km/h (electronically limited). This means that the new AMG high-performance car is the fastest open-top four-seater in the world.

The high demand for the CLK DTM AMG Coupé, which was also in a limited edition of 100 and was rapidly sold out, was the initial inspiration during the planning of the high-performance AMG Cabriolet. During development another model was also the most successful car in the German Touring Car Masters, namely the racing version of the Mercedes-Benz CLK with which Bernd Schneider became champion in the 2003 season. The equipment of the CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet is also orientated on the racetrack: AMG sports bucket seats with leather/Alcantara upholstery ensure optimal lateral support: The oval AMG racing steering wheel with suede covering and the AMG instrument cluster with 360 km/h speedometer scale lend the interior an unmistakable motorsport touch.

Alone the exterior design of the new CLK DTM AMG Cabriolet indicates the highest performance at the level of thoroughbred racing cars and attests to the transfer of top-class technology from motorsport: the deep-drawn front apron with large air inlets, striking wheel arch flaring, 19 and 20-inch AMG light-alloy wheels and the rear end in diffusor-look are reminiscent of the successful CLK racing touring cars from the German Touring Masters. Numerous body components are made of the high-strength and particularly light carbon fibre composite material CRP, for example the bonnet, doors, front wings, rear wheel arches flaring, the front and rear aprons as well as the rear aerofoil.

Contact to the road surface is provided by optionally available sports tyres from DTM motorsport partner Dunlop; the dimensions are 255/35 R 19 (front) and 285/30 R 20 (rear). These tyres have a particularly good grip and are fitted on multi-piece AMG light-alloy wheels in double-spoke design in the sizes 8.5 by 19 or 10 by 20. With their filigree spokes they are not only strikingly attractive, but also ensure an effective brake ventilation. Perfect deceleration is also ensured by the newly developed AMG high-performance composite brake system with six-piston fixed-brake callipers at the front and four-piston fixed brake callipers at the rear.

Timo Scheider aims high

Timo Scheider aims high
He is just 27 years old, could easily be a student - still, it seems to you as if a very old acquaintance has returned to DTM. Timo Scheider was involved from the very first day when DTM was revitalised back in 2000. When the 2004 season was over, he had half a decade and 57 DTM races under his belt - including the Shanghai Invitational. In 2005, he moved on to the FIA GT Championship but now he’s back and contests the 2006 DTM season for Audi.
Together with Bernd Schneider and Christian Abt he’s one of only three drivers on the current DTM grid who also contested the 2000 season. “Is this really true,” he asks unbelievingly. “I truly wasn’t aware of this fact. Quite obviously I’m proud of again being a part of DTM. Particularly as I’m driving for Audi, now - a brand I always wanted to race for. Compared to other series, DTM is just second to none,” says the professional who finished runner-up behind Nick Heidfeld, in the 1997 German Formula 3 Championship season.

From 2000, Scheider opted for continuing his career in touring car racing, yet, he still keeps contact to the single-seater racing world. Willi Weber, Timo Scheider’s manager since May 1998, made him race this winter for the German team contesting the 2005/2006 season of the A1 GP Series. This means that Scheider has been active in three series from the beginning of 2005 until today.

Scheider and Stippler to contest the Eifel marathon together

Scheider and Stippler to contest the Eifel marathon together

Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s DTM drivers, Timo Scheider and Frank Stippler, are going to jointly contest the ADAC 24h-Hour Race at the Nürburgring at the wheel of the Land Motorsport entered Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, thus following their brand-mate Christian Abt. The latter is also going to compete in the endurance classic at the wheel of a Porsche, together with Klaus Ludwig as well as the Alzen brothers, Uwe and Jürgen.

Scheider and Stippler will start on Land PorscheScheider and Stippler will team up with the Nordschleife experienced drivers Marc Basseng and Patrick Simon. The squad around Team principal Wolfgang Land is regarded as one of the favourites as its regular driver pairing, Basseng/Simon, prevailed in the latest round of the Nürburgring Endurance Championship, with the car of the Westerwald based team proving to be one of the quickest on the packed grid.

Timo Scheider was one of the four Opel drivers who succeeded in clinching the win in the 2003 edition of the Nürburgring ADAC 24-Hour Race, while Frank Stippler, racing an Abt-Audi TT-R, took fourth place for Audi in 2004.

Quotes after the race

Quotes after the race

Tom Kristensen, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (1st place): „It was a tough race. I made a great start and pushed really hard during the opening laps to create a gap, which I managed, as I had a big lead before making my first pit-stop. I was able to control the race, but after I passed Lauda and Stoddart easily I caught two other Mercedes who appeared to be racing among themselves. They weren’t very quick in the corners and really did hold me up. It was a genius move from the team to bring me into the pits early when Spengler closed in. However, the last stint was very long and I had to look after the tyres. In my out-lap after the pit-stop I immediately pulled out a 1.5 second gap to Spengler. Afterwards I could pace myself and drive a little more conservatively; I only forced the pace again in the last five laps when I noticed that the tyres would last.”

Bruno Spengler, DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes (2nd place): „I made a very good start, but it was not enough to catch Tom Kristensen. At Oschersleben it is particularly important not to make any mistakes and today I didn’t. I’m very happy about my first DTM podium.”

Jamie Green, Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes (3rd place): „I’m quite satisfied with my third-place finish. Unfortunately I didn’t start so well, therefore Bruno was able to pass me. He didn’t make any mistakes and I wasn’t able to overtake him.”

Frentzen: "Fourth place is okay - it’s my second-best result this year."Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (4th place): „The start went well and the car felt well-balanced. On the second set of tyres the balance was no longer as good. The car was understeering and the braking balance could not be adjusted any more. I wasn’t able to attack properly any longer and concentrated on keeping Bernd Schneider from overtaking me. That worked out and he behaved fairly. Fourth place is okay - it’s my second-best result this year.”

Bernd Schneider, Vodafone AMG-Mercedes (5th place): „I lost three positions at the start, but then the race was OK. Our first pit stop was perfect, but during my second stop the engine stalled. Therefore I wasn’t able to pass Heinz-Harald Frentzen and this was it.”

Martin Tomczyk, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (6th place): „Unfortunately, this wasn’t a thrilling race for me. We drove our pace. If we hadn’t been held up for such a long time, we could have achieved a better finish yet. I’m glad to have come sixth. My thanks go to Audi and the Abt team because the strategy worked very well. Like this, racing and teamwork are fun.”

Mattias Ekström, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (7th place): „My start was very good but then I made a mistake and Häkkinen got past me. After that I was stuck behind him for a while. Perhaps the strategy wasn’t the very best but the car felt good. The Qualifying ruined the weekend for me.”

Jean Alesi, stern AMG-Mercedes (8th place): „A great race for me and the team. After the disappointing qualifying we had a good balance and strategy and consequently a good speed. I’m satisfied to have scored a point after starting 14th on the grid.”

Mika Häkkinen, AMG-Mercedes (9th place): „I am very disappointed. I didn’t find a good speed with my car and we don’t know the reason for this performance yet. I was not able to attack and to overtake. Leaving without points is always annoying.”

Pierre Kaffer, Audi Sport Team Phoenix (10th place): „My race was super, the start very good. I’m incredibly sorry about having brushed Timo Scheider - it was not intentional. I want to thank the team for two great pit stops. With a little bit of luck we, too, are able to finish in the points.”

Daniel la Rosa, TrekStor AMG-Mercedes (11th place): „Unfortunately I lost some positions at the start, but afterwards my race was quite OK. There was no way to overtake Stefan.”

Stefan Mücke, TV-Spielfilm AMG-Mercedes (12th place): „Starting 16th I was not able to achieve more, because overtaking is very difficult here. With my first two sets of tyres I didn’t have a good balance, but with my third set it was better. Then it was too late to improve my result.”

Frank Stippler, Audi Sport Team Rosberg (13th place): „After starting from eighth place on the grid, our result should have been better. We were troubled by lots of trivia and one major issue - the drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. A piece of head protection on the side of the seat got lost and was moving around between the pedals. After my contact with Christian Abt in the second corner, a wing at the right front flew away. I had clear understeer in left-handers.”

Timo Scheider, Audi Sport Team Rosberg (14th place): „That was a bad race - Oschersleben simply doesn’t bring me any luck. The start, already, was poor. Perhaps it was a mechanical problem, perhaps my mistake. Unfortunately, Pierre then hit me in the Hotel corner, a thing that shouldn’t happen among brand colleagues. The boys did a good job during both pit stops. Unfortunately, I caused the engine to stall during one of them. Later, I was given a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane.”

Susie Stoddart, AutoScout24 AMG-Mercedes (15th place): „It was a bad start but a good race. In the end the tyres faded, but still I have learned a lot and it was great to drive.”

Alesi claimed 8th position, Lauda was 18th at the end of the raceMathias Lauda, Second Hand AMG-Mercedes (16th place): „I lost time on the opening lap when Timo Scheider spun in front of me and I had to drive through the grass to avoid him. It’s a shame, because I started well and my lap times were OK.”

Christian Abt, Audi Sport Team Phoenix (17th place): „The start was good. In the second turn I spotted a gap to Bernd Schneider’s car. I got out of the way to be on the safe side. Then someone hit my wheel. My car was clearly damaged at the front. It’s a shame that a few people from our own ranks are a bit too motivated. They should be a little more careful, because we’re a family.”

Vanina Ickx, Futurecom TME (18th place): „My start was very good and I gained several places. I lost them again when I had to run through the grass in order to evade Timo Scheider, who was spinning. After that, I was only able to overtake my team-mate. My race was more consistent than the first two races and better than the warm-up had suggested. Unfortunately, the pit stops cost me a lot of time again. This is an area in which the team has got to improve before Brands Hatch, and I need to practice my starts a bit more.”

Olivier Tielemans, Futurecom TME (19th place): „My start was good and I overtook a few cars. Unfortunately, through, I flat-spotted my tyres. That’s why the car was vibrating heavily and I wasn’t able to keep the cars chasing me from overtaking. On the second set of tyres, things got better, and on the third, as well. My thanks to the team for two good pit stops. Towards the end I was touched by Daniel la Rosa, I spun and I received a drive-through penalty. Unfortunately, I don’t know why.”

Alexandros Margaritis, Easy Rent AMG-Mercedes (20th place): „This was the race of my life. My team did a perfect job all weekend and gave me perfect car. It’s a shame that I retired to a loose rear wheel stud.”

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): „That was a dominant performance from Tom, who really did drive a perfect race without a single mistake and who was extremely strong over the course of the entire weekend. The strategy was good, even when we had to adopt it once when Tom was held up slightly. We had to react quickly. The team performance was also very good. We can be happy. I think the flood gates have opened - from my side things can continue like this.”

Norbert Haug (Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport): „We had expected a difficult race; however, despite the weight handicap we performed well and ended up in the points with four cars. Congratulations to Tom Kristensen and Abt-Audi on a hard fought victory. After two wins in a row, Bernd Schneider had not an optimum race today. He lost positions at the start and during his second pit stop the engine stalled, therefore he got stuck behind Frentzen. It’s a shame for Alexandros Margaritis who drove a first-class race and posted the second fastest lap of the race. He retired from fourth place because the left rear wheel stud came loose after his second pit stop.”

Kristensen claims first season victory for Audi

Kristensen claims first season victory for Audi
For the first time this season, Tom Kristensen crossed the line as the winner with his Siemens Audi A4. Having started from pole-position, the Dane won the third DTM season round in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben from the two Mercedes-Benz-drivers Bruno Spengler (DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Jamie Green (Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class). With his first win of the season, Kristensen took over the lead in the drivers' standings with 26 points from Bernd Schneider (24 points), who finished fifth with his Vodafone AMG Mercedes C-Class. Fourth place went to Heinz-Harald Frentzen with the Veltins Audi A4.

The race at a glance
Air temperature: 17.0 °C
Track temperature: 20.5 °C
Spectators on race weekend: 64.000

Start Kristensen takes the lead from Spengler, Green and Frentzen
Lap 1 Stippler and Abt collide under braking before the Hasseröder corner, Abt through the grass. Scheider spins at McDonald's corner, continues
Lap 5 Order after five laps: Kristensen is leading from Spengler, Green, Fentzen, Häkkinen, Ekström, Tomczyk, Schneider and Margaritis. Abt spins at Hotelcorner
Lap 6 Pit stops for Kristensen, Tomczyk, Schneider, Abt
Lap 7 Pit stop for Frentzen
Lap 8 Stippler into the pits
Lap 9 Pit stop for Ekström
Lap 11 Tielemans into the pits
Lap 13 Bernd Schneider attacks Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Stoddart into the pits
Lap 14 Drive through penalty for Mathias Lauda because of crossing the white line at the pit lane exit. Spengler, Green and Scheider into the pits
Lap 15 Kaffer, Lauda into the pits
Lap 16 Häkkinen and Ickx into the pits. Kristensen tries to get past La Rosa, but can't. Drive through for Timo Scheider because of speeding in the pit lane
Lap 17 Bruno Spengler has closed up to Tom Kristensen, who is stuck behind La Rosa
Lap 18 Kristensen, Spengler into the pits. Kristensen just stays ahead of the Canadian. Scheider into the pits (drive-through)
Lap 19 Schneider, Ekström into the pits
Lap 20 Green, Tomczyk into the pits
Lap 21 Frentzen, Häkkinen, Abt into the pits
Lap 22 Margaritis, Mücke into the pits. Running order halfway through the race: Alesi is leading from La Rosa, Margaritis, Stippler, Kaffer, Kristensen, Spengler, Green, Mücke, Stoddart
Lap 23 Alesi into the pits
Lap 25 Stippler and Alesi into the pits
Lap 26 La Rosa, Kaffer into the pits
Lap 27 Drive through for Stippler because of pit lane speed infringement. Stoddart into the pits
Lap 28 Stippler into the pits (drive through)
Lap 29 Scheider into the pits
Lap 30 Margaritis, Tielemans into the pits
Lap 31 La Rosa into the pits
Lap 32 Kristensen is leading from Spengler, Green, Mücke, Margaritis, Frentzen, Schneider, Tomczyk, Ekström, Häkkinen. Lauda into the pits
Lap 33 Mücke into the pits
Lap 34 Ickx into the pits
Lap 35 Ekström overtakes Tomczyk for seventh under braking before the McDonald's corner
Lap 38 Ekström is closing up on sixth-placed Schneider
Lap 39 Frentzen, Schneider, Ekström, Tomczyk past Margaritis, who appears to have a problem. Alesi overtakes Häkkinen for eighth. Margaritis comes into the pits for a fresh set of tyres
Lap 40 La Rosa und Tielemans collide. Tielemans is being given a drive through for a dangerous manoeuvre
Lap 43 Margaritis into the pits again, retires. Lauda off the track, retires.
Lap 44 Final lap. Finish order: Kristensen wins from Spengler, Green, Frentzen, Schneider, Ekström, Tomczyk, Alesi, Häkkinen and Kaffer
Finish Tom Kristensen scores his second career win in the DTM and the first victory for Audi this year. He finishes ahead of Mercedes-Benz-pairing Bruno Spengler and Jamie Green and takes over the lead in the championship standings. Jean Alesi is the best-placed

Tom Kristensen also wide awake in warm-up

Tom Kristensen also wide awake in warm-up
His home track, as Tom Kristensen is jokingly calling the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, seems to suit the Dane: in warm-up on Sunday morning, the pole-sitter for the third season round also set the fastest lap. With the Siemens Audi A4, he lapped the 3.667 kilometres long track in 1.21.725 minutes. The second fastest lap on Sunday morning was set by Bernd Schneider with the Vodafone AMG Mercedes C-Class, 0.078 seconds down on Kristensen. The top three was completed by Jamie Green, the second-placed driver from qualifying.

Already in fourth place was the best-placed driver with year-old machinery: with the Easy Rent AMG Mercedes C-Class, Alexandros Margaritis was fourth fastest with a lap time of 1.21.898 minutes. Mattias Ekström, who had bad luck in qualifying and is ninth on the starting grid, ended the 30 minutes’ warm-up session in fifth place ahead of Mika Häkkinen. Timo Scheider, Martin Tomczyk, Pierre Kaffer and Christian Abt completed the top ten. Bruno Spengler was eleventh, while Heinz-Harald Frentzen occupied 15th position.

In dry conditions, Susie Stoddart became the best-placed driver with a car from 2004 in 17th place. With the AutoScout24 AMG Mercedes C-Class, the young lady racer from Scotland outpaced her direct opponents Mathias Lauda (Junge Gebrauchte AMG Mercedes C-Class), Vanina Ickx (Orig. Zubehör Audi A4) and Olivier Tielemans (Futurecom Audi A4). Stoddart was less than two tenths of a second down on Stefan Mücke, who ranked 16th with his 2005-spec TV-Spielfilm AMG Mercedes C-Class.

Even though warm-up is only a final check before the race, the close competition in the field makes us expect a highly exciting third round. Up to Frank Stippler in 13th place, all drivers were within one second. Stippler, born in Cologne and living in Bad Münstereifel, set a lap time of 1.22.560 minutes with his S line Audi A4, 0.835 seconds slower than his fellow Audi-driver Kristensen in front.

The ARD is broadcasting the race from the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben live from 13.45 h.

Quotes after qualifying

Quotes after qualifying
Tom Kristensen, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (1st place): "This was exactly the result I needed. Of course things would be quieter for me in the race if the other Audi cars were further at the front. But my team always has a good strategy and the long-runs yesterday weren’t bad either. My goal is to repeat my 2004 victory. Despite the threat of rain we completely concentrated on a dry set-up in Qualifying. The team did a perfect job with the tyre pressures and consistently responded correctly as the track kept getting quicker. In the end, we clinched pole with a very narrow gap to the previous ‘Mister Pole Position,’ Jamie Green. My team and I are very happy about this."

Jamie Green, Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes (2nd place): "The start tomorrow will be crucial, because overtaking here is extremely difficult. Starting from the front row I will be in a good position for the first corner. My last three consecutive pole positions didn’t bring me luck; however, I hope it will work better tomorrow."

Bruno Spengler, DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes (3rd place): "I am happy about my third place. It would have been possible to be faster, but in the end I unfortunately didn’t manage a perfect lap with new tyres. Third on the grid is a good basis and I expect an exciting race."

Mika Häkkinen, AMG-Mercedes (4th place): "With my first set of tyres the balance was not perfect. However, our team did a great job and I was able to improve to fourth in the closing minutes. Tomorrow I want to make another step forward."

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (5th place): "I’m pretty satisfied with my car. Compared with Friday, we made progress, both in Free Practice and Qualifying. Needless to say I would have preferred a position further at the front. We had the car to achieve this but, unfortunately, I got into a bit of traffic at the end."

Bernd Schneider, Vodafone AMG-Mercedes (6th place): "I was not happy with my first run, because my rear tyres didn’t have enough grip. Therefore I pitted for new tyres and unfortunately crossed the finish line one second too late and therefore was not able to improve. Tomorrow I will have a good speed."

Martin Tomczyk, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (7th place): "Looking at yesterday, we can be relatively satisfied with seventh place. But my goal for today had definitely been higher. In the final trial I would have liked to have been a bit quicker yet, but unfortunately I was slowed by another car."

Frank Stippler, Audi Sport Team Rosberg (8th place): "I’m absolutely elated about eighth place. Big compliments to my team for having achieved a very good balance of my car after the exchange of some parts towards the end of the Free Practice. After this feat of coming eighth a load has been taken off my chest."
Mattias Ekström, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (9th place): "Things started pretty well but in the end we simply weren’t quick enough. The car had just a little bit of understeer in the second session but still felt pretty good. So, subjectively, everything was running well but we just didn’t manage to clock better times. Of course things will be difficult, starting from position nine, but on Sunday there’s a long race awaiting us."

Christian Abt, Audi Sport Team Phoenix (10th place): "The Qualifying was okay even though I made a couple of slight mistakes. My last trial went well. Unfortunately, Heinz-Harald (Frentzen) returned to the pits in front of me a bit slowly. That cost me the crucial tenths, otherwise I‘d have been among the top eight. I wouldn’t have had fresh tyres for the final outing, though. That’s why better than eighth place wouldn’t have been possible anyway."

Alexandros Margaritis, Easy Rent AMG-Mercedes (11th place): "I missed the third part of qualifying by less than two tenths of a second, but I’m confident that we will be faster tomorrow and end up in the points."

Timo Scheider, Audi Sport Team Rosberg (12th place): "I was surprised that we were relatively far at the front straight away although I had lost a bit of time in Free Practice. That’s why we were no longer able to sort the front suspension. Before the Qualifying session we had made a change in the right direction but that wasn’t quite enough. It’s nice, though, that Frank claimed a place among the top eight - that shows the car can do it."

Pierre Kaffer, Audi Sport Team Phoenix (13th place): "The Qualifying is always very close in the DTM, and we’ve seen this today yet again. Everything simply has got to be a thousand percent right or it’s not enough. We’re giving our best and have come close, too. That bit of racing luck that’s still missing will follow, too, I’m sure ."

Jean Alesi, stern AMG-Mercedes (14th place): "Today I was just not fast enough. This can happen, but tomorrow I will push hard."

Daniel la Rosa, TrekStor AMG-Mercedes (15th place): "My first run was quite OK. When I was out again with new tyres Olivier Tielemans had an off just in front of me and came back on the track without looking back. I had to back off and lost time."

Stefan Mücke, TV-Spielfilm AMG-Mercedes (16th place): "This morning I was seventh and that was not bad. In qualifying I got stuck in traffic with my second set of tyres and was not able to improve."

Mathias Lauda, Second Hand AMG-Mercedes (17th place): "Unfortunately I missed the right gear during my fastest lap and lost time. However, being the best driver with a 2004 car I’m quite satisfied."

Susie Stoddart, AutoScout24 AMG-Mercedes (18th place): "I’m very disappointed. On my fastest lap I was blocked by Olivier Tielemans. Tomorrow I will give it my all to move up through the field."

Vanina Ickx, Futurecom TME (19th place): "Since the last race we’ve clearly improved. I’m able to concentrate better on the Qualifying and do a better job of getting everything on the dot to drive good lap times. Nevertheless I allowed myself a small mistake compared to the Free Practice. On Saturday things went a lot smoother, though, than on the previous weekends. Hopefully Sunday will be better yet."

Olivier Tielemans, Futurecom TME (20th place): "Unfortunately, the Qualifying did not go completely as planned. We should have been faster with the second set of new tyres. Unfortunately, towards the end the first rain drops started falling and my wheels locked when I was braking into the second corner, otherwise I would have finished a bit further towards the front."
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "That was a very thrilling Qualifying. Fortunately, we were able to break the knot in the end because Tom really drove a fantastic lap. We achieved our goal. We’ve got one car at the very front, four among the top eight and for the first time a 2005-spec car in the top eight. This makes us happy. As expected, the competition was very strong in Qualifying - but we’ve got a good base for race Sunday."

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "Jamie Green, Bruno Spengler, Mika Häkkinen and Bernd Schneider qualified our four AMG-Mercedes C-Class cars among the top-six and showed a great team performance. Due to our weight handicap I hadn’t expected this result. Jamie missed his third pole position of the year by nine thousandths of a second. However, starting second he is in a good position for the first corner. Bernd Schneider crossed the finish line one second too late, otherwise he would have been able to improve. Congratulations to Audi and Tom Kristensen on pole. Again the new qualifying format provided an extra value for the spectators here at the circuit and the TV viewers at home."

A stormy ride: Kristensen on pole, just ahead of Green

A stormy ride: Kristensen on pole, just ahead of Green

Heavy wind at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben made DTM qualifying a huge challenge for the 20 drivers. Like last year already, Audi-driver Tom Kristensen secured himself pole-position for tomorrow’s race at 14.00 h (ARD live from 13.45 h). With his Audi A4 DTM, the Dane crossed the 3.667 kilometres long track in the region of Magdeburg in 1.19.264 minutes and thus will be starting from the first position for a DTM race for the third time in his career. For Audi, it was the 30th pole-position in the DTM.

Missed the record of four consecutive wins: Jamie Green“After my pair of second places in the first two rounds, it is now time for victory”, the 38-year old said after qualifying. Kristensen scored his only DTM victory thus far two years ago, also at Oschersleben. Jamie Green will be starting from second place for the third DTM season round with his AMG-Mercedes C-Class. The 23-year old was only nine thousandths of a second down on the pole-sitter. Thus, Green only just missed out on his fourth pole-position in a row. Third in the new shoot-out qualifying was his fellow-Mercedes-driver Bruno Spengler.

For the spectators, qualifying could hardly have been more exciting. The fastest time changed by the second and the battle for the best grid positions for tomorrow’s start turned into a stormy head-to-head affair. Behind the three fastest drivers, Mika Häkkinen (AMG-Mercedes) will be starting fourth ahead of his former F1-colleague, Audi-driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen, whom he demoted to fifth position in the final second. The winner of the first two DTM rounds and points leader, Bernd Schneider, was sixth after the qualifying session in the afternoon.

Most prominent victim of the shoot-out: Mattias EkströmMost prominent victim of the new shoot-out qualifying was the 2004 DTM champion. In the second of the three sessions, Mattias Ekström failed to make it among the best eight. He was just 0.021 seconds down on fellow-Audi-driver Frank Stippler.

Before the third of ten season rounds, Mercedes-Benz-driver Bernd Schneider is leading the points’ standings with 20 points from his fiercest rival Tom Kristensen (16 points) and Mika Häkkinen (11). The race in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben will be starting at 14.00 h and has a total distance of 161.348 kilometres. Last year’s winner is current Formula 1-driver, Gary Paffett.

Tom Kristensen (1st place, Audi Sport Team Abt): “Pole-position was exactly what I needed. I am really happy. It would have been nice to have a few more Audis standing behind me, as it then would be a little more comfortable for me in tomorrow’s race. In the race on Sunday, we will be stronger over the entire distance than today.”

Jamie Green (2nd place, Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes): “Qualifying was fun. Too bad that I dropped back from pole to second place in the closing stages. Nevertheless, I am very happy with the result. Tomorrow, the start is particularly important in order to be in a good position for the race.”

Bruno Spengler (3rd place, DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes): “I am satisfied with third place. Moreover, I am on the clean line, which is not the worst thing for tomorrow. My goal is to be constant in the race and to make it onto the podium.”

Audi Motor sport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: “Of course, I am really happy with Tom Kristensen’s pole. He has been showing a strong performance throughout the weekend and also in previous years at the Oschersleben circuit. I am not so happy with the result of the other three. But that shows that you have to have everything spot-on in qualifying. This type of qualifying is merciless, that was motor sport at its best. For us, standing on the pit wall, this new format is really thrilling and that is getting across to the spectators as well.”

Mercedes-Benz motor sport director Norbert Haug: “Congratulations to Audi for being on pole. Tom Kristensen has been showing a great performance here. But I am also happy with the performance of the team as a whole. We have a good starting position for the first corner and that is a good basis to start from. In qualifying, it was a close and a tough battle, but that is what it should be like. In any case, it really has added value for the spectators and it is action-packed entertainment throughout. It was close in all three sessions. Firstly, Audi was in front, then Mercedes and at the end, it was all mixed-up again. We can be satisfied with that, we have seen great sport here.”

Tom Kristensen on pole-position at Oschersleben

Tom Kristensen on pole-position at Oschersleben
Tom Kristensen claimed pole-position in qualifying for the third season round of the DTM in the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben. With his Siemens Audi A4, the Dane claimed the most favourable grid position by 0.009 seconds. Second place was taken by Jamie Green with the Salzgitter AMG Mercedes C-Class. Starting from the second grid row on Sunday (live on the ARD from 13.45 onwards) will be Bruno Spengler (DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG Mercedes C-Class) and Mika Häkkinen (AMG Mercedes C-Class). Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Veltins Audi A4) is fifth alongside Bernd Schneider (Vodafone AMG Mercedes C-Class) in sixth position. Frank Stippler (S line Audi A4) caused a little surprise by qualifying eighth with his Audi A4 DTM from last year.

The qualifying at a glance
Air temperature: 15,6 °C
Track temperature: 18,2 °C

13.37 hrs Qualifying starts. Pierre Kaffer is the first driver out on the track
13.40 hrs Timo Scheider sets a fastest lap time of 1.20.792, but is then outpaced by Jamie Green with 1.20.393
13.41 hrs Bruno Spengler is fastest with 1.20.068 from Mika Häkkinen, Frank Stippler, Bernd Schneider, Jamie Green
13.45 hrs Ekström is fastest with 1.19.835 from Tomczyk, but then Kristensen sets the best time of 1.19.686
13.48 hrs Margaritis into seventh place with 1.20.333
13.49 hrs Tielemans off the track, but continues
13.51 hrs End of the session. La Rosa, Mücke, Lauda, Stoddart, Ickx and Tielemans failed to make it into the second session. Fastest is Kristensen from Ekström, Tomczyk, Spengler, Frentzen and Häkkinen
13.58 hrs Start of the second session, Timo Scheider is the first driver out
14.01 hrs Spengler sets the fastest time of 1.19.559, followed by Kristensen with 1.19.563
14.06 hrs Bernd Schneider into third place with 1.19.703, Häkkinen is fourth with 1.19.733
14.08 hrs Green is now fastest with 1.19.340 from Spengler, Kristensen, Schneider, Häkkinen and Frentzen. End of the session, Ekström, Abt, Margaritis, Scheider, Kaffer and Alesi do not make it through into the third and final heat
14.15 hrs Final session starts
14.16 hrs Jamie Green is fastest with 1.19.273 from Bruno Spengler with 1.19.513
14.20 hrs Kristensen sets the fastest lap time of 1.19.264
14.21 hrs Frentzen up into fourth place with 1.19.820
14.22 hrs End of the session. Kristensen is fastest from Green, Spengler, Häkkinen, Frentzen, Schneider, Tomczyk and Stippler.
14.23 hrs Tom Kristensen scored the third pole-position of his DTM career and the first pole of the season for Audi. He outpaced Mercedes-drivers Jamie Green, Bruno Spengler and Mika Häkkinen and Audi-drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Timo Scheider and Martin Tomczyk.

Mika Häkkinen inspires Metzingen

According to the motto ‘Shopping with Mika’, Mercedes-Benz works driver and two-time Formula One World champion Mika Häkkinen visited Baden-Württemberg’s city of Metzingen, this Sunday, thus following an invitation of the fashion label ‘Boss’. There, he was welcomed by some 1,000 DTM enthusiasts who also had travelled to the factory outlet and crowded around the Fin’s AMG-Mercedes C-Class parked at the courtyard.
“It was a really great day in Metzingen,” said Mika Häkkinen who also was busy fulfilling the crowds requests for autographs. “The weather was just perfect and I enjoyed the close contact to the numerous fans.” During the following 20-minute interview, the public’s idol answered all the questions he was asked by ARD presenter Claus Lufen

Audi boat race at the Norisring

There have been quite a few drivers who, after an exploit in the Nuremberg Norisring race, would end up taking a - voluntary or involuntary - dip in the "Dutzendteich”. This year the lake which immediately adjoins the city circuit and the paddock will be the scene of a race itself: During the DTM round in Nuremberg (21 to 23 July) the Audi DTM drivers will compete against each other in a boat race on the "Dutzendteich”.

DTM drivers to compete in paper boatsThe boats are pretty unusual, though: The race will be contested in "paper boats” made of cardboard. The boats sporting the liveries of the Audi DTM vehicles will be hand-made by the pit crews of the respective Audi drivers. The only materials they are allowed to use are paper, cardboard, adhesive film, tape and ropes. The boats will be "powered” by paddles and sails.

In the constructions of their mechanics the Audi DTM drivers will have to cover a distance on the lake in as short a time as possible without a shipwreck. The originality of the boats will be rated as well. The victorious crew, consisting of the mechanics and the driver, will be rewarded with valuable prizes.

"During our fitness camp we made sure that all our DTM drivers are able to swim,” said Audi Head of Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich with a twinkle in his eye. "I’m already eager to see which one of our teams will come up with the most creative idea.”

Stefan Mücke to comment Formula One Grand Prix

During the European Grand Prix weekend, held at the Nürburgring in the Eifel region, a handful of Mercedes-Benz DTM drivers also have to cope with an extensive programme, at the ‘Ring’. Taxi rides around the legendary Nordschleife, interviews, autographing sessions and - as highlight - Stefan Mücke as commentator.
Since Thursday, the activities around the Formula One event at the Nürburgring are running flat out. At the wheels of different AMG vehicles, Stefan Mücke and Bernd Schneider took media representatives around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, the ‘Green Hell’. On all the three days of the race weekend, the stage of the Mercedes-Benz Erlebniswelt is the venue of interviews and autographing sessions with Mücke, Schneider, Bruno Spengler, Susie Stoddart and Mathias Lauda.

And when they aren’t busy on the track or analysing their performances with the engineers, Formula One drivers Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya as well as test drivers Pedro de la Rosa and Gary Paffett will also be available for the motor racing enthusiasts. At the same time, the crowds at the ‘Mercedes-Tribüne’ will have the chance of enjoying a special highlight. Stefan Mücke is going to exclusively comment the race action via ‘Fanradio’, thus informing and entertaining the on-site audience with his expert knowledge and his motor racing experience. During the qualifying session on Saturday, this task was fulfilled by Bernd Schneider.

As an additional service for the fans, Mercedes-Benz offers all the grandstand-ticket owners the chance of enjoying a special driving experience at the wheel of different Mercedes-Benz models, at the ‘Fahrsicherheitszentrum’ (Driving Safety Centre) Nürburgring.

Shopping with Mika Häkkinen

On 7th May, 2006, the DTM supporters will have the unique opportunity to go shopping with Mercedes-Benz ace Mika Häkkinen. On this shopping Sunday, the two-time Formula One World Champion will visit the factory outlet of fashion label Hugo Boss, located in Metzingen. From 13.00 to 14.00hrs, he will hold an autographing session and in an interview, he is going to answer the questions of ARD presenter Claus Lufen.
Stylish Mika - here in a photo shooting with Susie StoddartInter alia, the Finn will talk about his eventful EuroSpeedway weekend. In the race held in the Lausitz region, problems during a pit stop made an end to his hopes of securing his second DTM win. Yet, with a little luck and a lot of fighting spirit, the public’s idol fought his way back up and succeeded in clinching a podium finish.

Metzingen is located 30 kilometres south to Stuttgart, in Baden-Württemberg’s Reutlingen administrative district. In recent years, the county town has mainly gained popularity by its factory outlets of major fashion manufacturers.

DTM EuroSpeedway Lausitz - Analysis part 2

For the second consecutive time, the young guns were outclassed by their experienced rivals. Just as it had been the case in the season opener, at Hockenheim, Bernd Schneider once again prevailed. Prior to his champagne shower, the crowds witnessed a thrilling race with the pit stops turning out to be a key factor. We took a close look at the performances of every single driver and summed them up, for you.

Frank Stippler (3rd / 10th / 13th / 14th / 11th / 11th): In the qualifying Frank already complained about the oversteer of his S line Audi A4. He made a careful start into the race - and had to find out that the problems experienced in the qualifying session weren’t gone. On Friday, in difficult conditions, ‘Stippi’ proved that he can do better. Grade: 3
Throughout the weekend, Stefan failed to meet the expectationsStefan Mücke (9th / 14th / 14th / 16th / 12th / 12th): A disappointing home event for the local hero. Throughout the weekend, Stefan failed to meet the expectations. In the qualifying he delivered in particularly moderate style and had to settle for 16th position, hence, points were virtually out of his reach. In the race, Stefan benefited from the retirements but 12th position was the best he could do. Grade: 4

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (10th / 11th / 11th / 10th / 16th / 13th): Heinz-Harald never really arrived at the EuroSpeedway. “Throughput the weekend I failed to get at racing speed.” No matter if it came to practice, qualifying or race: we expected Frentzen - third in the season opener - to do clearly better. Now, the team has to analyse what’s gone wrong as the former Formula One ace has clearly higher goals. Grade: 4

Mathias Lauda (16th / 17th / 15th / 15th / 14th / 14th): A consistent race weekend of Mathias. In nearly all the sessions, he prevailed against the other 2004-spec car drivers - particularly when it counted. There were no particular highlights, but Mathias stuck to his strategy: to improve step by step. Grade: 2

Susie Stoddart (18th / 20th / 18th / 18th / 18th / 15th): At the EuroSpeedway, Susie failed to repeat her remarkable Hockenheim performance. In difficult and changeable weather conditions, she never made the vital step forward. Following the qualifying session, the Scot announced that she would give her very best - but that wasn’t enough. In the race, she gained three positions as three of the drivers ahead of her had to retire. Grade: 4

Vanina Ickx was involved in a collision with Olivier TielemansVanina Ickx (19th / 16th / 17th / 20th / 20th / 16th): Although it all started in promising style, Vanina was just unlucky, this weekend. For the very first time, she had been quicker that Susie Stoddart, in the second test session on Friday. In the race however, a lot of things went wrong: she was involved in a collision with Olivier Tielemans, was penalised with a Drive-Thru Penalty and made a poor pit stop. Just a weekend to forget. Grade: 5

Olivier Tielemans (20th / 19th / 20th / 19th / 19th / 17th): There’s still a lot Olivier has got to learn regarding DTM - and he’s aware of this fact and doesn’t look for excuses. In the qualifying, he forgot to bring his brakes to working temperature, thus spoiling a fast lap. In the race, his start was anything but perfect and his collision with Vanina Ickx was followed by a misunderstanding with his conning bridge. Grade: 5

Daniel la Rosa (17th / 15th / 19th / 17th / 7th / -): Daniel made for a highlight in the warm-up on Sunday morning by setting the seventh fastest lap time. In the qualifying session, however, the rookie gambled and failed to set a fast lap, thus having to settle for 17th position. In the opening stages of the race, he delivered in reasonable style but on lap 32, a steering problem forced him into early retirement. Grade: 4

Christian Abt (15th / 18th / 9th / 9th / 17th / -): Throughout the weekend, Christian completed only a limited number of laps and made a lot of set-up changes on his Playboy Audi A 4 DTM. This seemed to pay off and in the second leg of the qualifying session, he finished ninth, thus just missing the third leg. In the opening stages of the race, Christian was involved in a collision with Margaritis, and when he wanted to leave the pits following his first pit stop, his race came to a sudden end. He drove off too early and lost his right front wheel before even having left the pit-lane. Grade. 4

Mattias Ekström (1st / 3rd / 6th / 3rd / 15th / disqualified): In the difficult Friday conditions, the amateur rally driver really enjoyed himself. Mattias secured the promising third grid position and together with his team, he had found a good strategy. For the major part of the race, the Swede was holding second position, but in the closing stages, he stranded due to an empty fuel tank. Truly annoying, as the second race with no points scored represented a major blow for his title ambitions. We may look forward to the brilliant chase ‘Eki’ is expected to begin at Oschersleben. Grade: 3

DTM EuroSpeedway Lausitz - Analysis part 1

For the second consecutive time, the young guns were outclassed by their experienced rivals. Just as it had been the case in the season opener, at Hockenheim, Bernd Schneider once again prevailed. Prior to his champagne shower, the crowds witnessed a thrilling race with the pit stops turning out to be a key factor. We took a close look at the performances of every single driver and summed them up, for you.
Bernd Schneider (5th / 2nd / 1st / 4th / 1st / 1st): Bernd’s winning run was continued: at the EuroSpeedway, the DTM Record Champion secured his third consecutive win. In the qualifying session, he didn’t succeed in bringing his tyres to the optimum grid level and had to settle for fourth grid position. In the race, however, he delivered and took the lead when Mika Häkkinen lost valuable time during a pit stop. Afterwards, he secured the win in superior style. Grade: 1

Tom Kristensen (8th / 9th / 3rd / 5th / 8th / 2nd): from his fifth grid position, Tom drove a somewhat conservative race as he had only one fresh of tyres available and had to save tyres, hence. But his strategy worked and he succeeded in defending his top-flight position. When he was just was planning to pressurise Ekström for second place, the Swede was forced into retirement. Grade: 1

Pit-stop problems cost Häkkinen his second DTM winMika Häkkinen (12th / 7th / 12th / 2nd / 5th / 3rd): Mika turned out to be the ‘unlucky hero’ of the 2006 season’s second DTM round, held at the EuroSpeedway. From his second grid position, the Finn took the lead right at the start and successfully defended it against fiercely pressurising Audi ace Ekström. During Mika’s second pit stop, however, a wheel nut jammed, costing Mika two crucial seconds. But with a little luck and a lot of fighting spirit, he secured a podium finish. At first, he benefited from Ekström’s retirement and then he passed Green with just metres to go to the finish line. Grade: 2

Jamie Green (11th / 5th / 16th / 1st / 3rd / 4th): When it comes to pole positions, Jamie’s record is flawless: two races, two poles. Now, the young Briton has to learn to make perfect use of these poles in the race. Once again, his start was worse than the ones of his opponents and at the end of turn one, he had dropped back to fourth position. Later in the race, he fought his way back to third, but on the final lap, he was passed by two-time F1 World Champion Mika Häkkinen. His strategy also wasn’t perfect, hence, he again had to settle for a non-podium finish. Grade: 3

Bruno Spengler (7th / 1st / 8th / 7th / 6th / 5th): The Canadian heart-throb finished fifth at the EuroSpeedway, thus securing his best DTM result so far. “I hope this was my breakthrough,” said Bruno after the race. There’s particular room for improvement when it comes to his qualifying performances. A better grid position than seventh would have been possible but he spun on his fastest lap. In the race, he delivered in fine style to gain two positions - a promising performance. Grade: 3

Alexandros Margaritis (13th / 4th / 5th / 8th / 9th / 6th): Another impressive performance of the young Greek. Following his great season opener, Alexandros finished sixth, thus again scoring points, at the wheel of his 2005-spec Mercedes C-Class. Even more, he now holds the great fourth position in the championship. The Bonn based driver once again defeated the other 2005-spec car drivers and in the race, he prevailed in a thrilling battle with Jean Alesi. Grade: 2

Jean Alesi (14th / 6th / 10th / 6th / 2nd / 7th): In the qualifying session, Jean finished sixth, thus being the quickest of the 2005-spec car drivers. According to his own words, the Frenchman experienced a rather unspectacular race. Jean failed to prevail against his young team-mate, Margaritis, took no unnecessary risks and at the end of the day, he scored two points. Grade: 3

Good race performance: Martin Tomczyk gains four positionsMartin Tomczyk (4th / 8th / 4th / 12th / 13th / 8th): In the practice sessions, Martin made clear that he wants to be a factor again, in 2006, following the set-backs he had to cope with in the 2005 season. In the race, however, and particularly in the qualifying session, he failed to make full use of his potential. Still, he gained some positions in the race to score the final point. Martin is determined to strike back in round three, at Oschersleben. Grade: 3

Timo Scheider (2nd / 12th / 11th / 13th / 4th / 9th): Timo made a good start into the race, thus compensating for his poor qualifying result. The DTM repatriate came very close to scoring a point, but at the end of the day he failed to prevail in the battle with Alesi - and lost crucial ground due to a problem during his pit stop. Grade: 3

Pierre Kaffer (6th / 13th / 7th / 11th / 10th / 10th): Pierre was a classic victim of the DTM field’s extreme competitiveness. When it came to the pace, the young gun from the Eifel region was able to match the front-runners at any time but his eleventh grid position was anything than optimal. And in the race, he failed to gain positions. Grade: 4

Title dream already over?

From now on, the season will be tough, for Mattias Ekström: two races, two retirements, no points. With just two rounds of the 2006 season being completed, the 2004 DTM Champion seems to already have lost his title chance. While his main rivals, Bernd Schneider and Tom Kristensen, have added a lot of points to their tallies, Ekström has got the pace but lacks the luck you need to score. In both rounds, Ekström held promising positions but in the season kick-off, a suspension failure made an early end to his race and at the EuroSpeedway, the quick Swede was stopped by an empty fuel tank.

“The race went rather well,” Ekström said after the race. “I wasn’t able to fully match the pace of Mika Häkkinen and Bernd Schneider, but we had opted for another strategy.” And this strategy probably would have worked fine. Up to his retirement, Ekström held the promising second position behind the winner to-be, Bernd Schneider. “We succeeded in passing Häkkinen during the pit stops while we lost a position to Schneider. I could have finished runner-up but then I had to retire due to an empty tank.”

‘Eki’ wasn’t able to hide his disappointment. Following his retirement, the Swede lay down on the grass and desperately hid his face in his hands while probably thinking about the further course of the season. “To have scored no points twice means that my position in the fight for the title is extremely difficult.” But in spite of the Swede’s bad luck, resulting in this difficult situation, his opponents should beware of writing Ekström off as there are still another eight races to be contested.

Quotes after the race

Bernd Schneider, Vodafone AMG-Mercedes C-Class (Winner): „A great race which was a lot of fun. I had to fight a lot to hold off Ekström. We had a very good strategy and executed our pit stops very fast. I thank everybody in my team. I dedicate this victory to my son Luca who became seven on his birthday on Friday.”
Tom Kristensen, Siemens Audi A4 DTM (2nd place): „That was a good race for me, the strategy and pit stops were perfect, which shows me that I can rely one-hundred per cent on my team. My A4 was very fast, and I was able to overtake several other drivers, which was great fun. Unfortunately, we only had a single set of new tyres with which we could play with in the race. We could have won today if we’d had a second set. Even so I was quicker at the end than the leaders and Mattias, who was directly in front of me. I didn’t try to overtake him, but then he suddenly slowed down, which was lucky for me and means more important points. A pair of second places isn’t such a bad start to the season.”

Mika hugs Bernd after the raceMika Häkkinen, AMG-Mercedes C-Class (3rd place): „This was a tough weekend. We had a very good set-up, but unfortunately I lost time during my second pit stop. However, I finished on the podium like one year ago at this track.”

Jamie Green, Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes C-Class (4th place): „It was a very exciting race for me. First I lost some places and I made an early pit stop that got me stuck in traffic. After that I was driving well and catching up. I’m very happy to score some points.”

Bruno Spengler, DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes C-Class (5th place): „I started well and it was a thrilling race. Fifth is my best DTM finish so far. I hope this was my breakthrough.“

Alexandros Margaritis, Easy Rent AMG-Mercedes C-Class (6th place): „A great race. I’m really happy to finish in the points again after Hockenheim. I thank everybody in the team for their efforts.”

Jean Alesi, stern AMG-Mercedes C-Class (7th place): „An uneventful race for me. I’m glad to finish in the points like I did at Hockenheim. A fair result for me and our team.”

Martin Tomczyk, Red Bull Audi A4 DTM (8th place): „The race, unfortunately, was not very thrilling for me. Now we need to analyse why my car was so difficult to drive. At least I did score one point even though that only happened because Mattias retired. I am sure that we will strike back at Oschersleben.”

9th and 11th place for Timo Scheider and Frank StipplerTimo Scheider, Gebrauchtwagen plus Audi A4 DTM (9th place): „I had a sensational start and immediately gained a few places. The race went well, and so did the first pit stop. The second set of tyres was good also, but I got caught behind Jean Alesi and ruined my tyres. We wanted to overtake him in the pits but he stopped on the same lap. Unfortunately, we had a problem during the second pit stop and dropped behind because of that. We lost a seventh place today that we almost had in our pocket.”

Pierre Kaffer, Castrol Audi A4 DTM (10th place): „I look back on my race with mixed emotions. We did a good job throughout the weekend and I feel very comfortable being part of Audi Sport Team Phoenix. My start and the pace in the race were good but, unfortunately, that little bit of racing luck was not on our side today. I feel that we’re very close and therefore look forward to the next race already.”

Frank Stippler, S line Audi A4 DTM (11th place): „The result could have clearly been better even though the drivability of my car wasn’t as convincing as usual today. We had the same turn-in-oversteer as we did in the qualifying practice. My start was good but in the midst of my Audi colleagues I wasn’t able to take any risk, of course. That’s why I lost a bit of ground in the first corner. I had a hard time overtaking and lapping from my position during the course of the race. With a better qualifying result, the situation would have been different.”

Stefan Mücke, TV-Spielfilm AMG-Mercedes C-Class (12th place): „I’m not satisfied with this result as we haven’t been quick enough all weekend. We had a problem with the balance and I was just not able to achieve more.”

Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Veltins Audi A4 DTM (13th place): „This wasn’t a good day for our team. I didn’t get up to the right speed the whole weekend. We carefully need to analyse the reasons.“

Mathias Lauda, Second Hand AMG-Mercedes C-Class (14th place): „I’m the best driver with a 2004 car which is not bad. My start was not so good, but afterwards I was able to keep up and my fastest lap took less than a second longer than the fastest lap of the race.“

Susie Stoddart, AutoScout24 AMG-Mercedes C-Class (15th place): „The race was fairly boring for me. I am a little disappointed and I know I have to work hard to be better at Oschersleben. Mathias was just better than me.“

Vanina Ickx, Original Zubehör Audi A4 DTM (16th place): „In the beginning of the race there was a misunderstanding with my team-mate. Then I received a drive-through penalty and lost another lap. Added to this was a poor pit stop. I do hope that I’ve finally put my misfortune behind me now.”

Olivier Tielemans, Futurecom Audi A4 DTM (17th place): „I’m disappointed because I had a bad start. Then Vanina and I had a collision, which was too bad of course. I apologised to her. When my team sent me a radio message later, I understood it to mean that I was supposed to pit, which I did of course. What they’d really meant, though, was for me to turn on the pit stop lamp in the side window - a misunderstanding.”

Mattias Ekström, Red Bull Audi A4 DTM (18th place): „My race was going well for a long time. At some stage I wasn’t quite as fast as Mika Häkkinen and Bernd Schneider, but we had opted for another strategy. It was very close. We were able to overtake Häkkinen in the pits but to Schneider we later lost a place. I could have finished as the runner-up but, unfortunately, retired due to lack of fuel. Scoring no points in two races now makes it very difficult for me in the Championship.”

Daniel la Rosa, TrekStor AMG-Mercedes C-Class (retired): „My car ran well and I made a good start. Unfortunately I had to come into the pits after 32 laps due to a steering problem. I was not able to resume.”

Christian Abt, Playboy Audi A4 DTM (retired): „I had a very good start and was already behind Tom Kristensen when Alex Margaritis hit me. After that I wasn’t able to drive any more good times. Unfortunately, the right front wheel wasn’t tightened properly during my pit stop. Nevertheless, I’m optimistic because we took a great step forwards during the qualifying. In the race you also need a bit of luck, and that was simply lacking in my case today.”

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: „Congratulations to Bernd Schneider and the HWA team on this victory. It was close, but Bernd was a cool fighter and had it under control. His team had the right strategy and executed it well Mika could open a gap at the beginning. Unfortunately the jammed nut at the left rear wheel during his second pit stop cost him time. Both brands had a chance to win today, but with several cars on the same level of performance we were a bit better. Jamie Green had a good speed from pole position, however he was a little bit too impetuous when he passed Mika and this justified that both drivers changed positions again on the last lap as a compensation. Alexandros Margaritis’s performance with the 2005 C-Class is remarkable and it proves that last year’s cars are able to keep up with the front runners and care for variety. To win such a tough competition against the strong Audis is something really special - well done guys and thank you to all team members of HWA, Persson and Mücke.”

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich, Head of Audi Motorsport: „As at Hockenheim we put ourselves in a position where we were able to battle for the lead despite having started from two grid positions that weren’t exactly ideal. Unfortunately Mattias (Ekström) ran out of fuel. The final refill didn’t quite work as it should have. Tom (Kristensen) also had the right pace. In the end the deciding factor was whether the one or other driver could take new or used tyres at the final pit-stop. We are obviously not happy that only one of our A4s was right at the front at the chequer, but we saw an exciting race.”

Pit stop decide about DTM victory at Lausitz

Fascinating battles, an old hand as the race winner and 76,000 spectators made the racing weekend at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz to a huge success. After his victory in the season opener at the Hockenheimring, record DTM champion Bernd Schneider again proved himself to be in excellent shape. After 48 laps and a distance of 165.216 kilometres, the 41-year old Mercedes-Benz driver won and is now leading with 20 points in the champikonship standings. “This was hard work. I did it for my son, who had his birthday on Friday”, a satisfied Schneider said. For Bernd Schneider, it was his 41st DTM victory. Mercedes-Benz scored its 130th win in the most popular international touring car series. Danish Audi-driver Tom Kristensen secured himself second place, 1.428 seconds behind the winner. He finished ahead of crowd favourite (AMG-Mercedes). With his Audi A4 DTM, record Le Mans-winner Kristensen still claimed eighth valuable points in the fight for the championship after fascinating battles in the field.

Kristensen still claimed eighth valuable points in the fight for the championshipThe decision in the battle for victory in the second season round of the DTM at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz fell in the pit lane. For a long time, former Formula 1 world champion Mika Häkkinen looked on course for victory. However, he encountered problems on the left rear wheel during his second pit stop while leading the race. His rivals took their chances and caught up. After exciting battles and an overtaking manoeuvre on the final lap, Häkkinen still secured himself a position on the podium.

Already at the start, pole-sitter Jamie Green lost his excellent position. The Briton had a bad getaway and saw Häkkinen, Mattias Ekström and Schneider overtaking. Eventually, Green finished in fourth place, ahead of his Mercedes-Benz-colleague, Canadian Bruno Spengler. Alexandros Margaritis was delighted with his sixth position. The Greek was the best-placed driver with year-old machinery. The top ten was completed by Frenchman Jean Alesi (Stern AMG Mercedes) and a trio of Audi-drivers with Martin Tomczyk, Timo Scheider and Pierre Kaffer.

Alexandros Margaritis was delighted with his sixth positionThe 2004 DTM champion, Mattias Ekström, was deeply disappointed. Until two laps before the end, the Swede was running in second place, but then, he had to park his car due to lack of fuel. Fellow Audi-driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen also lost valuable time in the pits. During his second stop, there were problems with the left rear wheel. The driver from Mönchengladbach ended the second DTM race of the year in 13th place. The two ladies in the field of 20 drivers, Susie Stoddart and Vanina Ickx, finished 15th and 16th in the Lower Lausitz.

In the points’ standings, Bernd Schneider is leading with 20 points from Tom Kristensen (16) and Mika Häkkinen (11). The third DTM round of the season is taking place at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben on May 21.

Bernd Schneider (winner, Vodafone AMG-Mercedes): “Today, it was hard work. But all in all, it was a wonderful race. I was having great fun and our strategy was right. This is an excellent result.”

Tom Kristensen (2nd place, Audi Sport Team Abt): “This was a great race and a fortunate afternoon. I had great battles with Jamie Green and Bruno Spengler, that were fair throughout. Something like this is just great fun. Making it up from fifth to second is a good achievement.”

Mika Häkkinen (3. Platz, AMG-Mercedes): “It was a challenging weekend and by no means easy going. We found the best possible set-up. In the race, I was having some slight problems, so I am satisfied with my podium finish and the points.”

Mercedes-Benz motor sport director Norbert Haug: It was a very exciting race. Trouble with the pit stop, during which a wheel nut got stuck, eventually cost Mika the race win. Bernd Schneider was fighting in a very cool and dominant way. When you are having problems with one car, it is good when another car is there to take over. Overall, we were a little but better here than Audi.”

Audi motor sport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: “Today, we have seen a very exciting anf fair race, during which there were tough battles. Mattias Ekström was safely running in second place. Unfortunately, a mistake happened in re-fuelling during the second pit stop. He just ran out of fuel. At the moment, he is just having bad luck, but we will do everything to turn this around. Because of his good strategy, Tom Kristensen managed to finish the race in second place.”

Source: DTM

Second season victory for Schneider

At the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Bernd Schneider scored his second consecutive victory in the current DTM-season. After 48 laps, the driver with the Vodafone AMG Mercedes C-Class crossed the line ahead of Audi-driver Tom Kristensen and Mika Häkkinen, who overtook his fellow Mercedes-driver Jamie Green on the final metres of the race. Audi’s Mattias Ekström looked on course towards a podium finish, but with two laps to go, his car slowed down while running in second place and he didn’t make it to the finish.
Behind fifth-placed Bruno Spengler, Greek Alexandros Margaritis was the best driver with year-old machinery in sixth position, while Jean Alesi and Martin Tomczyk claimed the final points-scoring places in seventh and eighth respectively. Susie Stoddart won the battle of the female drivers from Vanina Ickx.

The race at a glance
Air temperature: 14.3 °C
Track temperature: 22.3 °C
Spectators on race weekend: 76.000

Start Häkkinen takes the lead from Ekström and Schneider, Green drops back to fourth
Lap 1 Häkkinen is leading from Ekström, Schneider, Green, Spengler, Kristensen, Alesi, Margaritis, Scheider and Tomczyk
Lap 4 Häkkinen is 1.3 seconds clear of Ekström
Lap 6 Frentzen, Abt into the pits. Abt comes out ahead of Frentzen
Lap 7 Green, Spengler into the pits
Lap 8 Alesi, Kaffer into the pits
Lap 9 Häkkinen's margin has increased to 2.1 seconds. Schneider within striking distance to Ekström
Lap 10 Scheider, Lauda, Stoddart into the pits
Lap 11 Mücke into the pits. Schneider right on the tail of Ekström's car, the two battling for a long time, 0.6 seconds apart
Lap 12 Vanina Ickx spins after a collision with Olivier Tielemans. Häkkinen, Ickx into the pits
Lap 13 Schneider, La Rosa into the pits
Lap 14 Kristensen into the pits. Schneider attacks Green in the battle for seventh place
Lap 15 Ekström is leading from Margaritis, Tomczyk, Stippler, Häkkinen, Green, Schneider, Spengler, Kristensen and Alesi
Lap 16 Tomczyk into the pits. Kristensen attacks Spengler and gets past
Lap 17 Schneider past Green. Margaritis, Stippler into the pits
Lap 18 Ekström into the pits, re-joins behind Häkkinen and ahead of Schneider. Tielemans also into the pits
Lap 19 Order after the firsr range of pit stops: Häkkinen is leading from Ekström, Schneider, Green, Kristensen, Spengler, Margaritis, Alesi, Scheider and Kaffer
Lap 20 Ekström is putting Häkkinen under massive pressure. Green locks up under braking, Kristensen gets past and is now fourth
Lap 21 Frentzen into the pits, problems with the left front wheel
Lap 22 Tielemans into the pits
Lap 25 Kristensen, Green, Spengler into the pits
Lap 26 Schneider, Alesi, Scheider, Kaffer into the pits
Lap 27 Schneider and Kristensen past Tomczyk
Lap 28 Tomczyk, Abt into the pits. Abt loses the right front wheel in the pit lane, retires
Lap 29 Ekström, Stippler, Lauda into the pits. Spengler and Green collide, continue
Lap 30 Häkkinen into the pits, problems with the left rear wheel, loses two seconds. Schneider, Ekström and Kristensen have gone past
Lap 32 La Rosa into the pits, retires
Lap 33 Margaritis, Stoddart into the pits
Lap 34 Schneider is leading from Ekström, Kristensen, Häkkinen, Green, Spengler, Margaritis, Alesi, Tomczyk and Scheider. Ickx into the pits
Lap 39 Schneider is 1.7 seconds ahead of Ekström
Lap 42 Green attacks Häkkinen for fourth and gets past
Lap 47 Kristensen goes past Ekström and is now second, Ekström is slowing down. New race order: Schneider is leading from Kristensen, Green, Häkkinen, Spengler
Lap 48 Final lap. Finish order: Schneider wins, 1.4 seconds ahead of Kristensen, Häkkinen, Green, Spengler, Margaritis, Alesi, Tomczyk, Scheider and Kaffer. Häkkinen has overtaken Green on the final metres.