Racing debut of the new Audi A4 DTM

On 13 April, exactly 182 days after Audi driver Mattias Ekström won the prestigious 2007 DTM title at Hockenheim, the new DTM season, and thus Audi’s "title defence", begins at the same venue. Just one week later, at Oschersleben, the second race is on the agenda. For the first time since 1990, the most popular international touring car racing series starts with two "back-to-back" rounds.

For Audi, this "back-to-back" start is certainly a good omen: in 1990 Hans-Joachim Stuck, with the then new Audi V8 quattro, clinched the first DTM title for Audi. In the meantime the brand from Ingolstadt has won the coveted title as many as five times.
The Audi squad is particularly eager for the 2008 season to start: Hockenheim and Oschersleben are the first two races for the new Audi A4 DTM which was developed at Audi Sport in the past twelve months and set a remarkable best time in the most recent tests prior to the start of the season at Oschersleben. Now, the new Audi can show just how good it is in direct comparison with the competition since – traditionally – no DTM team puts all of its cards on the table during the official pre-season tests.

The quickest driver in the tests at Oschersleben was Timo Scheider, who drives one of a total of four new A4 DTM cars fielded by Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. Starting in car #1 will be title defender Mattias Ekström whose car had to be taken to Audi Sport in Ingolstadt for repairs after an accident, in which the Swede was blameless, at Oschersleben. Tom Kristensen and Martin Tomczyk also drive a fourth-generation A4 DTM.

Markus Winkelhock in Mattias Ekström’s championship-winning car

The two official DTM tests prior to the start of the season suggest that the cars from last year, which are allowed to run with less weight, have a good chance as well. At Mugello (Italy), Audi newcomer Markus Winkelhock set the fastest time. For Audi Sport Team Rosberg, the Swabian drives the A4 bearing chassis number R13-403 in which Mattias Ekström became the DTM champion last year. His team-mate Mike Rockenfeller, driving Tom Kristensen’s former A4, was the quickest driver on the last day of testing at Oschersleben – the circuit at which "Rocky" clinched his first DTM podium result in 2007.

Alexandre Prémat and DTM rookie Oliver Jarvis from Audi Sport Team Phoenix were other drivers to leave a strong impression with their cars from last year during the tests at Oschersleben. Katherine Legge, who starts her first DTM season with a 2006-spec Audi A4 DTM, was immediately quicker than her rival Susie Stoddart – and just 97 thousandths slower than Ralf Schumacher.

Audi goes to the first two races of the year filled with positive memories: at Hockenheim Mattias Ekström and Martin Tomczyk clinched a one-two victory for Audi at the beginning of 2007, at the finale the Swede captured the title there and Timo Scheider claimed his first podium result in the DTM. At Oschersleben, in 2004 and 2006, Tom Kristensen was the race winner. In the past four years an Audi A4 DTM has started from the pole position there three times.

As usual, the qualifying practice and the race are broadcast live on "Das Erste". Those who would prefer watching the DTM round on location can order tickets from the Audi ticket hotline at +49 (0) 841 8947777 or online at audi-dtm.de. In 2008 a total of eleven races are scheduled, six of them in Germany. In addition, there are international rounds in France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain.