DTM Misano: Audi quotes

Dieter Gass (Head of Audi Motorsport)

“The first two night races in DTM history will remain in our memories for a long time. The race on Saturday evening was spectacular. And it was hard to imagine that the race on Sunday could be even more turbulent – but this was caused by rain. We’re thrilled, of course, that we achieved our two best results so far this season and earned the most points. Robin (Frijns) drove a fantastic race on Saturday. On Sunday, René (Rast) brought home another podium result for us. I’m also delighted about Loïc’s (Duval) pole position. All in all, this was a successful debut for the DTM in Misano. The images we saw at night here were fascinating and the concert by Gianna Nannini added to the entire experience – as did the guest performance from Alessandro Zanardi, for whom we can only have the greatest respect.”

Robin Frijns (Aral Ultimate Audi RS 5 DTM #4) 2nd / 4th
“The weekend was really good. I earned a lot of points, I scored my first podium result on Saturday and finished Sunday’s race on fourth. The pace in the first race was fast, and I didn’t feel so great on Sunday. Luck was on my side, in this case, particularly when it came to tire choice when rain set in – unlike the previous race at Brands Hatch, where we were fast but went home empty-handed.”

René Rast (Audi Sport RS 5 DTM #33) Retired / 3rd
“That was a great debut for the DTM in Misano. We witnessed a lot of action on both days. That speaks in favor of night races and this circuit. As far as I’m concerned, we can race here more often. Sunday’s race was completely crazy – I think it was the craziest race I’ve ever contested in the DTM. It actually started out well. I got off to a good start and had already moved into third place by Turn 2. Then I was spun almost 90 degrees and ended up facing the wrong way. Another shunt pushed me back in the right direction and I continued. Luckily we then stayed out for a long time. When the safety car was deployed and I hadn’t yet come in for my pit stop, I again thought we’d lost the race. I didn’t realize that we had gained a lap and did quite a bit of grumbling over the radio. I’d like to apologize for this. We’ve earned decent points for third place. It’s a shame that the chaos after the first restart in race on Saturday left us without points.”

Loïc Duval (Audi Sport RS 5 DTM #28) 4th / 7th
“This was my best DTM race weekend so far. Still, I’m disappointed with how both races went. There was a collision on Saturday, which cost us a podium spot. On Sunday we had bad luck when it rained just after we’d switched to slicks. But on a positive note, we had one of the fastest cars over the entire weekend. Pole position on Sunday also underlined this.”

Nico Müller (Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM #51) 5th / 10th
“Chaotic doesn’t even begin to describe this weekend. Unfortunately, things just didn’t quite come together. It’s somewhat frustrating, because in fact anything could have been possible on such a weekend. On Saturday, I was within striking distance of the podium, but I wasn’t in the right position at the restart. On Sunday I fought for the pole, but when the track began to dry up my tire pressure was too high. In the race I came into the pits twice, which was one time too many. Still, I earned decent points, but at the moment the frustration outweighs the lost chance.”

Jamie Green (Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM #53) Retired / 8th
“What a frustrating weekend. I wasn’t fast enough in the two wet qualifying sessions. On Saturday I worked my way up to tenth place when I got caught up in another competitor’s crash at the Indy restart and was thrown out of the race. On Sunday, the track dried up and I changed to slicks, only to have to switch to wets two laps later due to the rain. Two pit stops are not ideal, but still I finished eighth. When you start from 17th on the grid, that’s not a bad result, but it could have gone better.”

Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #99) 10th place / 9th
“That was a cool event. It was something different to drive in the dark. The weather was chaotic, but that often makes races exciting. We saw a lot of action. I made two mistakes during the races. After setting seventh and fourth in qualifying I’d expected a different outcome. Finishing the races then on tenth and ninth is simply disappointing.”

Thomas Biermaier (Team Principal Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
“We can be very satisfied. As far as the points go, this was our best weekend so far this season. Robin (Frijns) was rewarded for his strong pace in the race with a podium and fourth place. Nico (Müller) also did a great job. We’re now preparing for the Nürburgring and hope that things continue like this.”

Ernst Moser (Team Principal Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
“We would have preferred to turn Loïc’s (Duval) pole position on Sunday into a win for Audi, of course. But the rain and safety car phases threw a spanner in the works. The night races in Misano were something new for us all, but I think the teams quickly found their rhythm – it’d be good to do this again. In terms of our performance this weekend, I’m very pleased. Both of our drivers scored points in the races. And Loïc’s (Duval) pole position on Sunday evening put the icing on the cake.”

Arno Zensen (Team Principal Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
“After the disastrous Saturday with both drivers retiring, we experienced a positive ending to the weekend. When the safety car came out I almost died at the gantry because I didn’t quite know what was going on for a moment. René (Rast) did a sensational job and came third. Jamie (Green) started from the 17th grid spot and moved up to eighth. This is a good result for the team. I raise my hat to Alessandro Zanardi, who finished fifth as a guest driver. That’s sensational. I’m thrilled for him.”