Audi travels as leader to DTM at Budapest

1,633 laps or 7,154 kilometers were reeled off on the track at Budapest at the beginning of April by the eight Audi drivers alone – the next weekend will show who made the best use of the official track tests in preparation for the first run of the new DTM in Hungary. The Audi squad is traveling to the Hungaroring as the hunted. Before round three, Mike Rockenfeller, Audi Sport Team Phoenix and Audi are leading the drivers,’ teams’ and manufacturers’ standings.

Everybody is looking forward to the 4.381-kilometer track that is the second-longest one on the calendar. “Tailor-made for a DTM car,” is the tenor of the race drivers’ comments about the challenging track featuring a mix of fast and slow turns, plus thrilling combinations. Qualifying will be particularly important because braking at the end of the start-finish line will arguably offer the only good overtaking opportunity, so a position at the front of the grid will play a major part in deciding the outcome of the race.

Fans can watch the time chase of the DTM race drivers on prime-time television. Qualifying at Budapest will only start at 18.10 (CEST), German Television ARD will be live on the air from 18.00. The race on Sunday will start at 13.30 as usual, with coverage on ‘Das Erste’ beginning at 13.00.

The Audi drivers are looking forward to the support by many fans. The Audi plant in Győr is located only an hour and a half’s drive away. Audi is one of the major employers in the region. Audi Hungaria has more than 10,000 employees at the site and last year produced more than 1.9 million engines and more than 40,000 automobiles. Many Audi fans watched the track tests on location and autograph hunters had previously welcomed their stars at the airport.

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): “I’m looking forward to the DTM’s return to Budapest. We tested on the track and were able to gather some good experience, so we’ll be traveling to Hungary well prepared. The Hungaroring is a great track that suits the DTM cars well. I’m sure we’re going to experience a thrilling race weekend on which we can also count on the support by many Audi fans at our location in Győr.”

Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): “Budapest is a new race track on the calendar. Hopefully we’ll have good weather but no matter what the atmosphere will be great and we’re facing a new challenge. We’ve already taken a few trophies home from Hockenheim and Oschersleben and will leave no stone unturned in Hungary to finally take home the ‘big’ one.”

Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix): “Everybody will arrive at Budapest with the experience from four joint test days packed in their bags. That’s why I believe that the battle there will even be closer than on most of the other tracks on the calendar. We’d like to get on a bit of a roll based on the good performance in the first two races and up the ante at Budapest.”

Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg): “During the official track tests we were fast at Budapest. That makes me optimistic for the race. The time will come when our guys are going to break their duck too.”

Facts and quotes by the Audi drivers

Mattias Ekström (35/S), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #7 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
• The 35-year-old is the oldest driver in the DTM field
•  With 17 wins and two titles he is the most successful Audi driver of all time
“A great circuit in a beautiful city. The way I see it, we’re going to drive the most important qualifying session of the year on Saturday because overtaking on this track is anything but easy.”

Jamie Green (31/GB), Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM #21 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
•  Was leading part of the race at Oschersleben with a large advantage
•  Set the second-fastest race lap of all Audi drivers in the process
“Our Audi RS 5 DTM will be strong again at Budapest. That’s why I’m looking forward to the weekend and to the next chance of scoring a good result. I’ve never driven a race on this track. The circuit isn’t easy and overtaking will arguably be possible only with DRS at the end of the start-finish straight.”

Miguel Molina (25/E), Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM #8 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
•  Posted the fastest race lap at Oschersleben
•  Before the season, switched back to Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
“The track suits the Audi RS 5 DTM, which the pre-season track tests showed. Even though we’re still lacking a podium result I’ve able to gain a lot of self-confidence on the first two race weekends. I’m taking this positive energy with me to Budapest.”

Edoardo Mortara (27/I), Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM #15 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
•  At Oschersleben, clinched the sixth podium place in his DTM career
•  Will receive modified graphics for his Audi RS 5 DTM starting at Budapest
“Not least by the two good qualifying sessions for the first two races we showed that our car is strong on any type of track characteristics this year. And for me there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be in contention for a position at the front again in Budapest. I scored the first points this year at Oschersleben and in Hungary would like to continue exactly where I left off.”

Nico Müller (22/CH), Audi Financial Services Audi RS 5 DTM #22 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
•  In 2013, won the race in the Renault World Series at the Hungaroring
•  Was the fastest Audi driver during the pre-season tests at Budapest
“There’s always a large crowd of fans at Budapest making for a great trackside atmosphere. We felt very comfortable there during the track tests. If that’s again the case on the race weekend there’s nothing that speaks against scoring my first points in the DTM.”
 
Mike Rockenfeller (30/D), Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #1 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
•  Travels to Budapest as the leader of the standings
•  Drove exactly 200 laps during the track tests in Hungary
“Budapest is a difficult and demanding track. We’re going to give our best to find a perfect set-up for qualifying. That’ll be an important base for being in contention again for first place.”

Timo Scheider (35/D), AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM #2 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
•  With 141 races, has contested the largest number of rounds of all Audi drivers
•  Before the season, switched to Audi Sport Team Phoenix
“New game, new fortune at Budapest. I’m hoping for racing luck to finally be on my side now. Despite my good performance in the first two races I haven’t scored a lot of points yet. The fact that we’ve got the findings from the track tests packed in our bags and, as a result, are traveling to Budapest well sorted, benefits us.”

Adrien Tambay (23/F), Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM #16 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
•  Set a new lap record in qualifying at Oschersleben
•  In 2014 is sporting the colors of the men’s magazine Playboy on his car
“Following the success at Hockenheim, the race at Oschersleben had a stale taste for me because I definitely had good chances of scoring another podium place there. That’s what we’re going to battle for now at Budapest.”

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: 136; pole positions: 19; victories: 17; fastest laps: 12; points: 701; DTM titles: 2 (2004, 2007)

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: 95; pole positions: 7; victories: 8; fastest laps: 13; points: 396.5; DTM titles: 0

Miguel Molina (E): * Feb 17, 1989 in Barcelona (E); residence: Lloret de Mar (E); single; height: 1.75 m; weight: 64 kg; Audi driver since 2010; DTM races: 43; pole positions: 2; victories: 0 (best result: 3rd place); fastest laps: 2; points: 61; DTM titles: 0

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: 32; pole positions: 1; victories: 2; fastest laps: 0; points: 121; DTM titles: 0

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: 2; pole positions: 0; victories: 0; fastest laps: 0; points: 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: 73; pole positions: 3; victories: 3; fastest laps: 3; points: 331; DTM titles: 1 (2013)

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: 141; pole positions: 11; victories: 6; fastest laps: 9; points: 418; DTM titles: 2 (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: 22; pole positions: 1; victories: 0 (best result: 2nd place); fastest laps: 1; points: 74; DTM titles: 0

DTM drivers’ standings after two of ten rounds
  1 Mike Rockenfeller (Audi)      30 points
  2 Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz)    25 points
  3 Marco Wittmann (BMW)      25 points
  4 Mattias Ekström (Audi)      18 points
  5 Adrien Tambay (Audi)      16 points
  6 Edoardo Mortara (Audi)      15 points
  7 Augusto Farfus (BMW)      14 points
  8 Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz)    12 points
  9 Timo Glock (BMW)        10 points
10 Bruno Spengler (BMW)      8 points
11 Miguel Molina (Audi)      8 points
12 Timo Scheider (Audi)      8 points
13 Martin Tomczyk (BMW)      8 points
14 Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz)    4 points
15 Joey Hand (BMW)        1 point

DTM manufacturers’ standings
  1 Audi            95 points
  2 BMW            66 points
  3 Mercedes-Benz          41 points

DTM teams’ standings
  1 Audi Sport Team Phoenix        38 points
  2 Original-Teile Mercedes AMG      37 points
  3 Audi Sport Team Abt        31 points
  4 Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline      26 points
  5 BMW Team RMG          25 points
  6 BMW Team Schnitzer        16 points
  7 BMW Team RBM          15 points
  8 BMW Team MTEK          10 points
  9 EURONICS/FREE MAN’S WORLD Mercedes AMG  4 points

Audi statistics in the DTM (since 1990)

Champion’s titles: 9 (in 16 years)
Victories: 65 (in 210 races)
Pole positions: 72 (in 174 qualifying sessions)
Fastest laps: 57 (in 210 races)
Podium positions: 212 (in 210 races)

Track info

Track length: 4.381 km
Race distance: 41 laps = 179.621 km
Pit stop window: lap 14 to lap 27
The DTM last raced on the track in 1988.

Mattias Ekström about Budapest: “The track is huge fun and has several exciting combinations of turns. It’s also very bumpy, which doesn’t make it easy to set up the car and poses a nice challenge to the engineers and us drivers. Overtaking won’t be easy in the race. The only opportunity exists in front of turn one, if you manage to pull alongside the other car. DRS helps, of course, but the straight is pretty short. My favorite place is the second turn after the start and finish, which runs downhill towards the left. I was at Budapest for testing in 2002 and 2011 and am looking forward to the comeback with the DTM race. The atmosphere with the crowd and in the city is really special.”

Timetable (CEST)

Friday, May 30
16.45–17.20   Roll-out

Saturday, May 31
12.10–13.40   Free practice
18.10–19.00   Qualifying

Sunday, June 1
08.00–08.35   Pit stop practice
13.30     Race

TV schedule (‘Das Erste’ live)

Saturday, May 31
18.00   Qualifying

Sunday, June 1
13.15   Race

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