Ingolstadt, April 12, 2004![]() ![]() ![]() Already 45.000+ tickest sold ![]() Motorsport fans can hardly wait for the start of the DTM (German Touring ![]() Car Masters): More than 45,000 tickets for the Motodrom at Hockenheim ![]() are already sold, and well over 100,000 spectators are expected to attend ![]() during the weekend. The six newly developed Audi A4 DTM cars, with ![]() which AUDI AG takes on the competition this year as a factory team, ![]() number among the star players around the 4.574 kilometre long circuit. ![]() ![]() 6 Cars ready to go! ![]() In the meantime, the six race cars are completely built up and in the hands ![]() of the Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline and Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest ![]() race teams following a comprehensive test programme at various ![]() European circuits. This season the Audi factory drivers Frank Biela, Tom ![]() Kristensen and Emanuele Pirro line up in the team alongside DTM ![]() regulars Christian Abt, Mattias Ekström and Martin Tomczyk. ![]() ![]() The season opener in Hockenheim is the works comeback for Audi after ![]() almost a ten year pause from the DTM/STW. Already in 1990, 1991 and ![]() 1998 Hans-Joachim Stuck, Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro brought the ![]() title of Europe’s most popular touring car series back to Ingolstadt. ![]() Laurent Aiello, in the privately entered Abt-Audi TT-R, added himself as ![]() fourth Audi driver to the DTM/STW hall of fame in 2002. ![]() |
Mattias Ekström (Audi Sport Team Abt Audi A4 DTM #5)![]() “This season with Audi is a very special one for me, as it is the first year in ![]() my career that I start as official works driver. We have done everything ![]() possible during the preparations. Now the timing screen in Hockenheim ![]() will tell us exactly how good we are compared to the competition.” ![]() ![]() Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Abt Audi A4 DTM #6) ![]() “I want to continue in Hockenheim exactly as I finished off there last year, ![]() and that is to qualify in a good position for the race. We start a new chapter ![]() in the DTM with the Audi A4, that’s why no one knows exactly how the ![]() balance of power lies. However, the first goal is obviously to find a good ![]() position within the team.” ![]() ![]() Christian Abt (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi A4 DTM #11) ![]() “At the Brno test, I simulated two complete race weekends on a single day, ![]() driving a total of 110 laps – that increased my craving for the DTM in more. ![]() I trained hard in winter, Audi have built a fantastic car – it´s time that our ![]() transporters set off for Hockenheim.” ![]() ![]() Tom Kristensen (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi A4 DTM #12) ![]() “The anticipation for Hockenheim is massive. As DTM rookie I obviously ![]() have a lot to learn, but in spite of this I have set myself some ambitious ![]() goals: I definitely want to qualify for the Super Pole, which will give me ![]() confidence. My preparations were ideal, I’m ready for it.” ![]() ![]() Emanuele Pirro (Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest Audi A4 DTM #44) ![]() “The moment of truth has finally arrived. I can hardly wait till first practice ![]() starts at Hockenheim. The winter was very long, but now the season finally ![]() starts. I’m convinced that in the Audi A4 DTM we have a very good car. I ![]() have two goals for the first race: firstly to reach the finish, secondly as ![]() close as possible to the front. I believe that every point will count in the ![]() 2004 DTM.” ![]() ![]() Frank Biela (Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest Audi A4 DTM #45) ![]() “Finally I get exactly what I wanted for a long time: the DTM. Everybody is ![]() looking forward to the season opener at Hockenheim, as we will finally ![]() know where we stand. The tests ran well, and exactly according to plan. ![]() Everybody at Audi is fully motivated and is looking forward to the first race.” ![]() ![]() Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) ![]() “My team has prepared intensely and is highly motivated. Every single ![]() mechanic knows exactly what the story is this year. In the A4 DTM, Audi ![]() has developed a spectacular new car – we will therefore do everything ![]() within our power so that it can be added as soon as possible to the DTM ![]() winners’ list. I’m absolutely sure that the DTM is about to enter its most ![]() exiting and successful year. The fantastic number of advanced ticket sales ![]() for the Hockenheim race shows that the fans can also hardly wait.” ![]() ![]() Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest) ![]() “Obviously I would have preferred if we had had a little more time before ![]() the first race. But this is always the case for all teams just before the ![]() season starts. We had two very good tests at Estoril and Brno with the ![]() Audi A4 DTM, at which we learnt a great deal about the new car. As ![]() newcomer, at Hockenheim it will be important for us to get a feeling for the ![]() procedures of the new DTM. We will try to make sure that the weekend ![]() runs smoothly and that our pit stops are trouble free. Achieving this will ![]() give us something to build on for the rest of the season.” ![]() ![]() Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport) ![]() “After the intensive preparations, we are now looking forward to the ![]() season finally getting under way. We are convinced that Hockenheim will ![]() be a fabulous event. More tickets have been sold in advance than ever ![]() before. We expect a full house and a corresponding number of ![]() enthusiastic Audi fans. Our goal is, not to disappoint our fans and to give a ![]() good impression of ourselves in the new DTM. The pre-season tests ![]() showed that all three manufacturers are at a very similar level. The DTM ![]() fans can look forward to an exiting race.” ![]() |