Perfect: Audi clinches all DTM titles
• Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline wins team classification
• Mattias Ekström finishes championship as runner-up
• Champion Martin Tomczyk on podium again at the finale
Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, October 23, 2011 – It was a perfect 2011 DTM season
for Audi: After Martin Tomczyk’s early win of the drivers title, the brand with the
four rings at the Hockenheim finale in front of an impressive crowd of 120,000
spectators (throughout the weekend) secured the position of the runner-up in the
championship and won the team classification as well. Edoardo Mortara had
previously been determined as “Rookie of the year.”
“You can’t really wish for more than this,” commented Head of Audi Motorsport Dr.
Wolfgang Ullrich after the finish at the Hockenheimring. “It’s truly been a perfect
year for Audi. And today we clinched everything we still had on our agenda: the
runner-up’s slot for ‘Eki’ and the team classification win for Audi Sport Team Abt
Sportsline – my thanks go to everyone who has had a part in this great success for
Audi.”
In its 84th and – for the time being – last DTM race the Audi A4 DTM made another
strong showing. With Martin Tomczyk, Miguel Molina, Mike Rockenfeller, Mattias
Ekström, Timo Scheider and Oliver Jarvis on positions two to four and six to eight, six
Audi drivers scored points. In its career the A4 DTM, since 2004, has clinched five
out of eight possible champion’s titles, 44 pole positions, 31 fastest laps and 34
race victories
The decision at the finale at Hockenheim was made as early as at the start which
Mercedes driver Jamie Green decided in his favor, followed by a lonely race at the
front of the field. Similarly solid were the runs of Audi drivers Martin Tomczyk (Audi
Sport Team Phoenix) and Miguel Molina (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) that
ended on positions two and three.
Martin Tomczyk crowned his brilliant season with another podium finish. At all ten
races the new DTM Champion scored points and mounted the podium eight times.
The 29-year-old, who did not finish any event this year in worse than fifth place,
took three race victories.
“The finale here at Hockenheim in front of this fantastic crowd was brilliant too,”
said Martin Tomczyk, after receiving the champion’s trophy on the podium. “My A4
was perfect and my team did another great job. I wasn’t able to completely keep up
with Jamie’s (Green) pace but that was only secondary today.”
Another overjoyed driver was the Spaniard Miguel Molina who despite not having
been able to take advantage of his pole position at the start in the end managed to
celebrate third place and the first podium in his still young DTM career. “Being on
podium at the last race of the Audi A4 DTM is really special,” says the 22-year-old.
“I’m very happy – particularly because Audi has clinched all the titles. That’s
fantastic.”
Miguel Molina is thus the eighth Audi driver to have mounted the DTM podium this
year, which proves the performance strength of the 2011 driver line-up that gives
Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich a perfect base for the 2012 season.
Mike Rockenfeller and Mattias Ekström on positions four and six at the finale
secured the team classification for Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline that has won this
title for the third time, after 2004 and 2007. Having started from position ten on
the grid Mattias Ekström’s sixth-place finish sufficed to clinch the runner-up’s slot
since the previous runner-up in ninth place scored no points.
“I’m even happier about the team classification than about finishing as the runnerup,”
said Mattias Ekström. “The guys deserve this. And this year, including at this
last race, we’ve learned a lot for 2012. I can hardly wait to drive the first race in the
new Audi A5 DTM.”
At the end of their first DTM season the three rookies Filipe Albuquerque (tenth
place), Edoardo Mortara (13th place) and Rahel Frey (16th place after jump starting)
finished out of the points. Nevertheless, all three left a good impression in their first
DTM year. Mortara had already secured the “Rookie of the year” title with a score of
21 points and ninth place in the standings before the final race.
Audi Sport.
After nearly seven months of some of the best motorsport action around – in the Middle East, Europe and Asia – the identity of the 2011 FIA GT1 World Champions will only become clear after the final two 60-minute races at the Potrero de los Funes circuit in Argentina. Ten drivers and four teams all still have a chance of being crowned World Champions this weekend at the end of an exciting season that has seen victories for Aston Martin, Ford, Lamborghini and Nissan.
