The second round of the DTM will take place in at Oschersleben near Magdeburg on 16-18 May . The season opener at Hockenheim gave a good foretaste of what the fans can expect this year: thrilling action until the checkered flag is waved, door-to-door duels for positions and extreme competitiveness of the drivers at the front of the field.
Events in the DTM are following each other in quick succession. The first three races are held at two-week intervals, with the 3.696-kilometer track at Oschersleben marking the next stop. While aerodynamic efficiency at high speed played a crucial role on the long straights at Hockenheim the fast turns and chicanes of Oschersleben primarily call for downforce. Taking short-cuts across the curbs challenges the drivers to be careful in the process and the engineers to provide a perfectly set-up car.
The Audi squad managed both feats on many occasions in the past. Five times an Audi driver has won the round on the circuit near Magdeburg. Mattias Ekström most recently clinched victory there in 2011. In 2013, all eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars finished in the top ten and thus in the points at Oschersleben ? marking a premiere. So it comes as no surprise that several drivers have special memories of the circuit. Timo Scheider celebrated his first-ever DTM success there, Champion Mike Rockenfeller his first podium finish in his debut year of 2007 and newcomer Jamie Green, on clinching the pole position and a podium place last year, showed that he had finally arrived at Audi.
In 2014, Audi is traveling to Oschersleben with tailwind gained from a pole position and the two podium places by Mattias Ekström and Adrien Tambay. Four drivers in total finished in the points at the Hockenheim season opener. With six Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the top eleven Audi had previously managed a strong start of the season in qualifying.
The circuit at Oschersleben is an institution in the DTM and was on the calendar back in 2000 when the DTM made its comeback. The notorious, tight left-right combination at the end of the start-finish straight makes for thrilling action especially at the start and provides good overtaking opportunities throughout the race. The fast triple left-hand turn in the first section is particularly popular with the race drivers. Ideal for the fans is the fact that several grandstands offer a view of this section as well as the whole infield, which means that they will not miss out any of the DTM on-track action.
?Das Erste? airs live broadcasts from Oschersleben on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets for the 2014 DTM can be purchased online at www.audi-motorsport.com/dtm or by phone on +49 (0)841 8947777.
Quotes by the officials
Dieter Gass (Head of DTM): ?Oschersleben forms a clear contrast to the opening event at Hockenheim because this circuit has completely different characteristics and makes different demands on the set-up of the car, so it?ll be another interesting assessment of where everybody stands at the beginning of the season. We?ll be arriving at Oschersleben with a good result packed in our bags, are looking forward to the race and are confident that we?ll be able to continue our performances from Hockenheim.?
Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): ?We?re trying to take the positive mood from the season opener with us to Oschersleben. We learned a lot about our new car on the first race weekend so that we can prepare even better now. We saw how strong the competition is ? and that won?t be any different at Oschersleben either. Still, we?re aiming to get on a roll and to immediately up the ante with good results.?
Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): ?Since Hockenheim, if not earlier, we?ve known that we?ve got a good base and that our two guys are in good form. It?s great that the action is now continuing at two-week intervals. The track always suited Audi pretty well in the past and that obviously heightens our eagerness to race there.?
Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): ?We?ve got to get past the misfortune at the season opener as quickly as possible and look ahead. We know that our car and our two drivers have got the speed ? now we just need to put it on track as best we can.?
Facts and quotes by the Audi drivers
Mattias Ekström (35/S), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #7 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
? Was on podium four times and clinched one victory at Oschersleben
? At age 35, is the oldest driver in the 2014 field
?Oschersleben has a unique atmosphere with many loyal friends and a track with a good view that is particularly attractive for the visitors. I?m happy that we?re quickly moving on to the next race. While we scored a good result at Hockenheim, we also know all the things we can still improve on.?
Jamie Green (31/GB), Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM #21 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
? In 2013, clinched his first pole position for Audi at Oschersleben
? Had to retire from the opening race following a collision on the first lap
?I?ve got fond memories of last year at Oschersleben when I clinched my first pole position and first podium result for Audi. Obviously, my dream is for the first victory to follow soon. But after a difficult opener at Hockenheim even a place in the top six would be a good result for us.?
Miguel Molina (25/E), Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM #8 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
? Recovered ten positions in the season opener at Hockenheim
? Started from the pole position at Oschersleben in 2011
?With our performance in qualifying as well as in the race we gained a lot of self-confidence at Hockenheim ? even though we haven?t achieved a result in the points yet. We want to rectify this at Oschersleben.?
Edoardo Mortara (27/I), Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM #15 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
? Was on podium at Oschersleben in his debut year of 2011
? Drove the fastest race lap of all Audi drivers at Hockenheim
?Oschersleben will be seeing a thrilling race. Audi achieved several good results there in the past. The Hockenheim opener makes us feel optimistic although there are still a lot of things we?re able and going to improve.?
Nico Müller (22/CH), Audi Financial Services Audi RS 5 DTM #22 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
? Has never contested a car race at Oschersleben before
? Set the third-fastest race lap in the season opener at Hockenheim
?Oschersleben is a completely new track for me because I?ve never raced there before. Although I?ve experienced my first DTM weekend now there?ll again be many new experiences. I?ve already learned quite a bit, so I?m confident that things will be going even better at Oschersleben.?
Mike Rockenfeller (30/D), Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #1 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
? Took his first podium in his DTM career at Oschersleben
? With fourth place at Hockenheim achieved the best start of the season in his DTM career
?Oschersleben is a track I really like and that?s a lot of fun to race on. So it?s great that it?s the second race on the calendar this year. I?d like to repeat everything we did well at Hockenheim and simply skip the things that weren?t good. Then we?ll have every chance of being in contention again.?
Timo Scheider (35/D), AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM #2 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
? Celebrated his first DTM race victory at Oschersleben in 2008
? Has contested 14 DTM races at Oschersleben ? more than any other driver
?At Oschersleben, I scored my first DTM victory and became Champion for the first time in the same year. So I?ve got many fond memories of the track. I also held the lap record for a long time and think that with this powerful car the time has come to recapture it.?
Adrien Tambay (23/F), Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM #16 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
? Clinched the first pole position in his DTM career at Hockenheim
? Finished in the top ten at Oschersleben in 2013
?In the DTM, you can?t be happy about a successful weekend for very long. The pole position and the podium at Hockenheim have long been ?ticked off? because the game starts all over again at Oschersleben. So we?re just taking the great emotions from the opener with us and are going to attack again at Oschersleben.?
The Audi drivers in the 2014 DTM
Mattias Ekström (S): * July 14, 1978 in Falun (S); residence: Salenstein (CH); single (partner Heidi), one son (Mats); one daughter (Hanna); height: 1.83 m; weight: 79 kg; Audi driver since 1999; DTM races: 135; pole positions: 19; victories: 17; fastest laps: 12; points: 701; DTM titles: 2 (2004, 2007); best result DTM Oschersleben: 1 (2011)
Jamie Green (GB): * June 14, 1982 in Leicester (GB); residence: Monaco (MC); married to Ginny, two sons (Zachary and William); height: 1.78 m; weight: 70 kg; Audi driver since 2013; DTM races: 94; pole positions: 7; victories: 8; fastest laps: 13; points: 396.5; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Oschersleben: 3
Miguel Molina (E): * February 17, 1989 in Barcelona (E); residence: Lloret de Mar (E); single; height: 1.75 m; weight: 64 kg; Audi driver since 2010; DTM races: 42; pole positions: 2; victories: 0 (best result: 3rd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 53; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Oschersleben: 8
Edoardo Mortara (I): * Jan 12, 1987 in Geneva (CH); residence: Geneva (CH); engaged; height: 1.82 m; weight: 75 kg; Audi driver since 2011; DTM races: 31; pole positions: 1; victories: 2; fastest laps: 0; points: 106; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Oschersleben: 3
Nico Müller (CH): * Feb 25, 1992 in Thun (CH); residence: Blumenstein (CH); single (partner Lara); height: 1.85 m; weight: 73 kg; Audi driver since 2014; DTM races: 1; pole positions: 0; victories: 0; fastest laps: 0; points: 0; DTM titles: 0
Mike Rockenfeller (D): * Oct 31, 1983 in Neuwied (D); residence: Landschlacht (CH); engaged to Susanne; height: 1.75 m; weight: 68 kg; Audi driver since 2007; DTM races: 72; pole positions: 3; victories: 3; fastest laps: 3; points: 313; DTM titles: 1 (2013); best result DTM Oschersleben: 2
Timo Scheider (D): * Nov 10, 1978 in Lahnstein (D); residence: Lochau (A); single (partner Jessica), one son (Loris-Romeo); height: 1.78 m; weight: 72 kg; Audi driver since 2006; DTM races: 140; pole positions: 11; victories: 6; fastest laps: 9; points: 412; DTM titles: 2 (2008, 2009); best result DTM Oschersleben: 1 (2008, 2009)
Adrien Tambay (F): * Feb 25, 1991 in Paris (F); residence: Lochau (A); single; height: 1.81 m; weight: 69 kg; Audi driver since 2012; DTM races: 21; pole positions: 1; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 73; DTM titles: 0; best result DTM Oschersleben: 9
DTM drivers? standings after one of ten rounds
1 Marco Wittmann (BMW) 25 points
2 Mattias Ekström (Audi) 18 points
3 Adrien Tambay (Audi) 15 points
4 Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) 12 points
5 Timo Glock (BMW) 10 points
6 Bruno Spengler (BMW) 8 points
7 Martin Tomczyk (BMW) 6 points
8 Augusto Farfus (BMW) 4 points
9 Timo Scheider (Audi) 2 points
10 Joey Hand (BMW) 1 point
DTM manufacturers? standings
1 BMW 54 points
2 Audi 47 points
DTM teams? standings
1 BMW Team RMG 25 points
2 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline 18 points
3 Audi Sport Team Abt 15 points
4 Audi Sport Team Phoenix 14 points
5 BMW Team Schnitzer 14 points
6 BMW Team MTEK 10 points
7 BMW Team RBM 5 points
Audi statistics in the DTM (since 1990)
Champion?s titles: 9 (in 16 years)
Victories: 65 (in 209 races)
Pole positions: 72 (in 173 qualifying sessions)
Fastest laps: 56 (in 209 races)?Podium positions: 210 (in 209 races)
All Oschersleben winners since 2000
2000 Manuel Reuter (Opel), Manuel Reuter (Opel), Uwe Alzen (Opel), Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
2001 Marcel Fässler (Mercedes-Benz)
2004 Tom Kristensen (Audi)
2005 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)
2006 Tom Kristensen (Audi)
2007 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)
2008 Timo Scheider (Audi)
2009 Timo Scheider (Audi)
2010 Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz)
2011 Mattias Ekström (Audi)
2012 Bruno Spengler (BMW)
2013 Augusto Farfus (BMW)
2013 flashback: All eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the top ten
With a second place at Oschersleben Mike Rockenfeller made another big step towards clinching the champion?s title. Before the last two races at Zandvoort and Hockenheim the driver of Audi Sport Team Phoenix had achieved an advantage of 33 points over Augusto Farfus. 70,500 spectators saw another impeccable race of the driver heading the leaderboard on the track near Magdeburg and an impressive showing by the whole Audi squad. All eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars finished in the top ten and thus in the points ? marking a premiere.
Track info
Track length: 3.696 km
Race distance: 51 laps = 188.496 km
Pit stop window: lap 17 to lap 34
DTM qualifying record on this track: Mike Rockenfeller (Audi), Sep 14, 2013, 1m 20.129s
DTM race record on this track: Joey Hand (BMW), Sep 15, 2013, 1m 21.255s
Pole position 2013: Jamie Green (Audi), 1m 20.263s
Fastest lap 2013: Joey Hand (BMW), 1m 21.255s
Turnout 2013: 70,500
TV live rating 2013: 1.15 million / 9.1 % market share (source: ARD)
Timo Scheider about Oschersleben: ?Oschersleben has a special meaning for me because that?s where my personal success story began on scoring my first DTM victory. It?s a very selective track with only few run-off areas so that even small mistakes are severely punished. Since overtaking is difficult a good qualifying result and the right strategy in the race are important. In the first turns and chicanes, you need a lot of downforce and are really rough on the car, especially when running the curbs. My favorite section is the triple left-hand turn in front of the hotel. Finding the right line there is a new challenge on each lap. The fans can particularly look forward to the chicane at the end of the start-finish straight because there?s always a lot of commotion after the start.?
Timetable (CEST)
Friday, May 16
16.30?16.35 Roll-out
Saturday, May 17
09.55?11.25 Free practice
15.10?16.00 Qualifying
Sunday, May 18
09.00?09.40 Pit stop practice
13.30 Race
TV schedule (?Das Erste? live)
Saturday, May 17
15.03 Qualifying
Sunday, May 18
13.15 Race
