News bits from the Audi DTM team
- Pop band “Juli” visits Audi garage
- Mattias Ekström drives new Audi RS 4 on “Nordschleife”
- Hans-Jürgen Abt in hospital
Prior to their performance in the ARD Chart Show the popular band Juli (“Die perfekte Welle”) paid a visit to Audi’s garage at the Nürburgring. Audi works driver Tom Kristensen explained his “workplace” in the Audi A4 DTM to vocalist Eva Briegel and the other members of the band.
On Friday evening the quattro GmbH stand was the central attraction in the paddock: Werner Frowein, managing director of quattro GmbH and a native “Rhinelander”, was hosting a “Rhenish Night”. Enjoying “Kölsch” beer and typical music from the Rhineland, numerous guests from the DTM scene celebrated until the early morning hours.
Also seen at the party were IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti and his brother Marino, who – amongst others – paid a visit to their Scottish compatriot Allan McNish.
Practice sessions, qualifying and driving the Audi A4 DTM racing taxi – with Cologne’s icehockey star Tino Boos as one of the passengers – were not enough for Mattias Ekström: on Saturday evening, the reigning DTM champion completed a few speedy laps around the “Nordschleife” with the new Audi RS 4, subsequently raving about the RS 4’s engine and suspension: “The car is incredibly good fun!”
With a 1:5-scale model of his current Audi A4 DTM, Tom Kristensen posed for a picture in the pit lane. The remote-controlled car is not (yet) available for purchase: it is a prototype soon to be launched on the market with an electric motor – as a speciality product in this particular scale.
With severe abdominal pains, Hans-Jürgen Abt was admitted to hospital in Adenau on Saturday morning. Doctors diagnosed a case of appendicitis and immediately performed surgery on the boss of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. Following the successful operation, Abt is expected to leave the hospital as early as on Monday. The entire Audi squad extends best wishes for a speedy recovery.
On Saturday evening, Pierre Kaffer, Frank Stippler and Martin Tomczyk put in a few hours of overtime: the Audi works drivers supported the instructors of the Nürburgring’s driver safety centre in a joint driver safety training session conducted by the Audi, SEAT and Volkswagen brands.