Grand finale for the Audi A4 DTM
43 pole positions, 31 fastest race laps, 34 victories and five champion’s titles - this is the impressive track record of the Audi A4 DTM since its debut in April 2004 at Hockenheim. The venue at which AUDI AG’s top seller contested its first DTM race will now also see the final grand appearance of this successful model.
The DTM finale at the Hockenheimring from October 21 to 23 will mark the 84th and - for the time being - last racing commitment for the Audi A4 DTM in the most popular international touring car racing series. In 2012 a set of new Technical Regulations will come into effect in the DTM, which provides for the fielding of two-door coupes. The A4 DTM will be replaced by the A5 DTM that celebrated its world debut at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt in September and will be doing a "trial" lap at Hockenheim together with its future competitors directly before the start of the DTM race.
Fans can not only look forward to the new A5 DTM though. The finale itself promises to deliver suspense galore despite the well-deserved early title win by Martin Tomczyk from Audi Sport Team Phoenix. Mattias Ekström, the 2004 and 2007 DTM Champion, is ranking only two points behind Bruno Spengler in the standings and thus has good chances of winning the "vice champion’s" title - particularly since the Swede is in supreme form at the moment. He won three of the last four races and finished as the runner-up once.
For Ekström’s squad the race at Hockenheim will still be about winning the team classification. Before the last race Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline has a five-point advantage and thus the chance of winning this title for the third time, after 2004 and 2007. All points scored by Ekström and his team-mate Mike Rockenfeller will be added to the team’s tally. Their rivals are Gary Paffett and Bruno Spengler.
The "Rookie of the Year" title has already been decided. It will go to Edoardo Mortara from Audi Sport Team Rosberg. The Italian who lives in Switzerland has scored as many as 21 points in his first DTM career - more than all of the other four newcomers combined.
Another Audi racer - Filipe Albuquerque - is the second-best rookie. The Portuguese most recently shone at Valencia as the runner-up. This means that no fewer than seven different Audi drivers mounted the podium this year - which clearly shows the good balance of the 2011 Audi driver squad.
Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich is now faced with the tough task of forming the squad for the 2012 DTM season from this high-caliber line-up. Therefore, every single one of them will give everything at the finale to leave a good impression and to recommend himself for the new A5.
Martin Tomczyk has already done so a long time ago. The new DTM Champion will start into the finale with a large "1" displayed on the roof of his Audi A4 DTM - a greeting from Audi’s partner Schaeffler to the new champion. The 29-year-old has definitely earned the "1" after this season. Three times he was on the top of the podium, seven times on the podium in total, none of the races saw him finish below fifth place and at Valencia he immediately converted his first "match ball." Accordingly, Tomczyk can tackle the race at Hockenheim in a relaxed manner and enjoy the final showing of the Audi A4 DTM, the race touring car that - after Mattias Ekström and Timo Scheider - has now also helped him achieve the DTM title and so far greatest success in his career.
The final appearance of the Audi A4 DTM will be broadcast live by ARD on "Das Erste": Coverage of qualifying on Saturday (October 22) will start at 1:40 p.m. and of the race on Sunday (October 23) at 1:45 p.m. (local times).
