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.”