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She holds, at 136 kph, the speed record on skis on a ski-jump. And since the start of the year, her “office” is a powerful 460-hp Audi A4 DTM. Vanina Ickx does things that many men only dream of – and, bearing in mind her delicate figure of 1.55 metres in height and just over 50 kilograms in weight, things that you can hardly believe possible at first glance. “I’m amazed at just how courageous I’ve become,” says the Audi factory driver. “As a child I was actually very cautious and afraid of practically everything.” At that time, she didn’t even waste a single thought on becoming a racing driver. As daughter of the former Formula 1 driver and six-time Le Mans winner, Jacky Ickx, it appears only natural for Vanina Ickx to follow in her successful father’s footsteps today. However, her motorsport career began at the ‘old’ age of 21 – and only really by accident: “I jumped in at the last minute for somebody, who couldn’t make it, for a one-make cup race. This is how I got the taste.” Prior to this, the great passion of the young Belgian, whose charm and charisma virtually no one can resist in the DTM paddock, was show jumping. “I spent every spare minute with my horse,” she remembers. “After school I went riding or trained for tournaments that were held on weekends or during the holidays.” Her favourite subject at school was Biology – and she also followed this route during her studies. The budding Biologist wrote her thesis about genetics and embryology. “I love nature, plants, trees, animals, birds and insects,” explains the DTM driver with sparkling eyes. “In my opinion it is much more interesting to know how nature functions and how everything works than to study economics for example.” If she had not become a racing driver Vanina Ickx would probably work as a scientist. “But not in a laboratory,” she stresses. “I hated it during my thesis. I think I would have ended up somewhere in the nature, studying insects for example.”

Audi supports two mountain bikers and a snowboarder Sporty Audi models for German athletes Audi Nines presented by Falken mid-April at Sölden (Austria) The Audi Nines presented by Falken and the Audi Nines MTB showcase the greatest talents on snowboards, skis and mountain bikes every year. With Erik Fedko, Lukas Knopf and Leilani Ettel, three of the elite athletes of the event series are now official Audi brand ambassadors. The athletes were handed the keys to their new company cars at Ingolstadt. They are some of the most promising rising talents of their disciplines and have already notched up their first impressive successes at competitions all over the world: the mountain bikers Erik Fedko (21) and Lukas Knopf (23) as well as snowboarder Leilani Ettel (18) have demonstrated some spectacular tricks and jumps on the slopes and mountain bike trails. As “Friends of Audi”, the young Germans receive an Audi for two years: Fedko now drives an Audi S4 Avant (consumption combined in l/100 km: 7.6–7.5; CO₂ emissions combined in g/km: 175–171), with Knopf in an Audi Q3 Sportback (consumption combined in l/100 km: 7.7–4.7; CO₂ emissions combined in g/km: 174–123) and Ettel in an Audi Q2 (consumption combined in l/100 km: 6.6–4.4; CO₂ emissions combined in g/km: 150–115). The professional athletes were handed the keys to their new vehicles by Hubert Link, Head of Marketing Germany at AUDI AG. “For several years now, the Audi Nines have been an important platform for us to captivate a young and progressive target group for Audi. I’m very pleased that we can now support three young athletes as ambassadors of our brand in their next career steps and I wish them every success,” says Link. During the Audi Nines, Ettel, Fedko and Knopf will be involved in the event activities as “Friends of Audi.” Snowboarder Leilani Ettel will compete in the third Audi Nines presented by Falken (13 to 18 April in Sölden) flying the Audi logo on her board.

She parachutes, was the first woman to cross the English Channel in an Ultra-Light plane and holds, at 136 kph, the speed record on skis down a ski jump. A new team also joins Vanina Ickx in the DTM: Dr Colin Kolles, Managing Director of the Midland Formula 1 squad, has acquired two 2004 Audi A4 DTM and enters these as an Audi customer team. The level of potential in the “used” cars was clearly demonstrated last year by Audi Sport Team Joest: Christian Abt was second at the Norisring and finished the season as best driver of a year old car in ninth position overall. The second cockpit in Dr Kolles’ team, located in Greding only a few kilometres north of Ingolstadt, is still available.

The reigning DTM Champion from Sweden Jet-skis and two dogs are his big love Partner Tina Thörner is a successful Rally co-driver Even if Mattias Ekström, at 27-years of age, still numbers among the youngsters in the DTM, the defending champion knows one thing all to well: “It is more difficult to defend a title than to win one for the first time.” The Swede is finding out every race weekend just how hard that is in arguably the most exciting DTM season ever: Gaps of a thousandth of second in qualifying are followed by equally close races on Sunday. Only a few points separate the title rivals, the lead changes constantly. Ekström’s victory last year was, in contrast, almost like a summer stroll: In Brno, at the penultimate race of the season, Ekström relieved record champion Bernd Schneider of the crown, and presented Audi with the championship during its comeback year as a “works” team in the DTM. Mattias Ekström competes under the sign of the Four Rings since the 2001 season – initially for the Audi “customer” Abt Sportsline team and since last year, as official “works” driver at Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. Much has changed within his immediate environment since his first laps in the DTM – but not the blond haired driver from the almost idyllic village of Krylbo in the middle of Sweden. His father Bengt and mother Agneta still travel to almost every race, to cook for their son in the mobile home and to give him a piece of home. Porridge is served for breakfast – almost out-of-place for such a cool image. Ekström’s explanation is simple: “It’s just perfect and gives me a huge amount of energy – even if many others find it amusing.” Without trying, the 1999 Swedish Touring Car Champion, who started his career in karts and made the jump into “big” touring cars directly from a one-make cup, refuses to be pigeonholed in the typical race driver cliché. A sportscar? Partying till dawn? An apartment in the Monegasque tax haven?

Ski jump legend Sven Hannawald is part of the Audi motorsport family that combines various series this weekend. The 40-year-old is involved in the on-track action during the world premiere of the Audi Sport TT Cup. “This is a great opportunity to get rid of some bottled-up adrenaline,” says Hannawald, looking forward to the two races. “The racing version of the TT is perfect for an outing following a longer break from racing. I could even imagine taking up a larger commitment in the cup.” But the former Olympic gold medalist and world champion would not be opposed to a stint in the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro of rallycross racer Edward Sandström either. “I’ve never driven a car like this but if Edward invited me to try it, I wouldn’t say no.” DTM star Timo Scheider already had this unique experience last winter. “It was sensational fun,” he says. Edward Sandström can only confirm this. At Hockenheim, the Swede takes over driving duties in the Audi S1 EKS RX quattro of Mattias Ekström, who is fully concentrating on the DTM season opener this weekend. “The chance to present ourselves to such a large motorsport audience at Hockenheim is a fantastic opportunity for the World Rallycross Championship to win new fans,” says Edward. “We’re going to give our all to deliver a tremendous show.” Sandström is the only driver in the paddock to be involved in all three series: as a racer in the World Rallycross Championship, as a driver of one of the two Audi RS 5 DTM race taxis in the DTM and as coach of his Swedish compatriot Anton Marklund in the Audi Sport TT Cup. - End -

In the 1980s, when the Audi 100 quattro drove up a ski jump, it was a symbol of technical advancement and the will to make the impossible possible. For us, technology is a means to progress, not an end in itself. We neither want to hide it nor show it off – it should inspire without being dominant. For Audi, technology is a given, unobtrusive and yet functional and present when the customer wants it. It is a seamless part of the experience. The Audi TT has fans all over the world. You also seem to have a very special relationship with this car. Massimo Frascella: That’s true. In 1998, when the first Audi TT arrived at a dealership in Turin, I took a day off work to just look at the car in peace. I was there for hours, looking at the car from every angle, touching every surface. The staff probably thought I was crazy. But for me, the TT was more than just a car. It was a message: you don’t need to shout to be heard. You don’t need excess to make a statement. You just need clarity. And, more importantly, the courage to follow it. Clarity is a word you often use. What does this strong focus on reduction mean for Audi? Massimo Frascella: Radical simplicity is at the heart of our approach. We achieve clarity by reducing everything to the essential. We live in a world that is often shrill, fast-paced, and overloaded. Almost everything is overdone. The danger of losing your way is greater than ever. Our responsibility is to be better and do what really matters. And the outcome always has to be an emotion. It is almost impossible to describe feelings. But please try it anyway: what does it mean to “feel Audi”? Massimo Frascella: Audi is an inexplicable harmony of technicality and emotion, where rational and irrational coexist. What is at the core of this new attitude? Massimo Frascella: The answer to a powerful question: how does Audi feel to the customer? Our answer lies in four principles: clear, technical, intelligent, and emotional.

The ski jumpers from the German Ski Association (DSV) have been able to continue their good form at the beginning of the new season at the Four Hills Tournament, following their strong performances at previous World Cup events. The hopes of the German team rest mainly on the World Cup leader Richard Freitag: The 26-year-old, who finished runner-up to defending champion Kamil Stoch from Poland during the opener in Oberstdorf, also secured second place on the Olympic ski jump in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, again finishing behind winner Stoch and ahead of Norwegian Anders Fannemel. Karl Geiger (seventh) and Stephan Leyhe (tenth) also achieved results within the top ten. Approximately 21,000 spectators attended the skijumping spectacle on the Gudiberg. The presence of Audi at the event included the highlight of having the Audi Elaine concept car on display. The design and engineering study, the Audi e-tron Sportback concept, will also be on display during the finale of the Four Hills Tournament in Bischofshofen (Austria), January 6th. More photos from the Four Hills Tournament can be found here.

Shot put World Champion David Storl, ski jumping World Champion Richard Freitag and biathlon double World Champion Erik Lesser enjoyed the action up close with Audi at the DTM event at the Lausitzring. Erik Lesser drove alongside Manuel Reuter in the Audi RS 5 DTM race taxi and was visibly impressed. “The power and the speed are enormous. I’ve certainly got the taste now and would love to get behind the steering wheel once myself,” said Lesser.