• Audi driver wins at the Red Bull Ring in front of sold out stands
  • First success of a year-old Audi car in the DTM
  • First DTM triumph for Audi Sport Team Phoenix
DTM 2011

Audi has raised the score in the duel with Mercedes-Benz in the 2011 DTM after clinching victories to 2-1. After Mike Rockenfeller at Zandvoort, Martin Tomczyk prevailed at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg in front of sold out stands and a turnout of 48,000 spectators (throughout the weekend). It was the first victory by Audi Sport Team Phoenix in the DTM, the first in the DTM for Ernst Moser’s squad since 2000 and the first for a year-old Audi car.

The 29-year-old had laid the foundation for his fifth DTM success in total as early as on Saturday by setting the fastest time in a wet qualifying session. Tomczyk commandingly used the advantage of the pole position at the start. Up to his first mandatory pit stop he was able to continually enlarge the distance to his rivals and achieve a lead of almost three seconds. “I pushed at the start in order to gain enough of a distance from the others,” said the Audi driver after the race. “I was able to benefit from this gap at the end even though Ralf (Schumacher) came relatively close on the dying laps of the race. I’m simply happy today – we’ve earned this victory.”

With Oliver Jarvis on position three, two Audi drivers were again on the podium, as had been the case three weeks ago at Zandvoort. The Briton managed to keep Bruno Spenger, the leader of the standings, at bay in the final phase. With his third place and first podium result since switching to Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline he consigned the first two races of the season that had been disappointing for him to oblivion. “We had a test between Zandvoort and Spielberg which we made good use of,” said Jarvis. “Now I’m working together with my engineer much better.”

Mike Rockenfeller on position five and Timo Scheider on seven managed to fend off the attacks by Mercedes drivers as well. Both thus scored important points for the standings in which Martin Tomczyk as the best Audi driver is now ranking only three points behind Bruno Spengler. Mike Rockenfeller follows in third place.

After a slip in qualifying Miguel Molina recovered from position 17 on the grid to eleventh. Filipe Albuquerque on position twelve was the best-placed driver from Audi Sport Team Rosberg after this team colleague Edoardo Mortara, who had started from the second row, had been turned around by a Mercedes driver and dropped back to the rear of the field. In the end Mortara finished 16th.

Rahel Frey at her third DTM race drove very fast lap times but jump-started into the race which caused her to have to sit a drive-through penalty. She finished the race in 17th place.

Mattias Ekström experienced a weekend to forget. After his accident in qualifying he was complaining about the handling performance of his Audi A4 DTM in the race. After the first pit stop the Swede retired for safety reasons.

“We’ve experienced a grand DTM weekend in front of a great crowd of spectators,” commented Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “I’m particularly happy for Martin (Tomczyk). We already saw in the first two races that he’s doing a good job of handling the year-old car and that his team is very strong as well. That’s why his victory does not come as a surprise to me. But our rivals were strong too. That’s why I’m happy that Oliver (Jarvis), Rocky and Timo (Scheider) also managed to stay in front of the Mercedes drivers in the final phase. It was a tough battle.”