| Hockenheim, Oktober 23, 2005 In front of a record turnout of 147,000 spectators, Audi kept its word of fighting for the title in Europe’s most popular touring car series to the very end. A strategy employed by Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline that was as surprising as it was clever almost made it possible for Audi driver Mattias Ekström to defend the title successfully after all: having started from position 15 on the grid, the Swede completed the two tyre changes prescribed by the regulations in immediate succession – a novelty in DTM history. Despite this clever move, Ekström had to settle for the vice champion’s title. After rain had set in just before the start, his team put all the stakes on one card and changed the set-up of his Audi A4 DTM from dry to rain as late as on the starting grid – a gamble that went unrewarded: Ekström finished in seventh place. Best Audi driver in the final race – yet again –was Tom Kristensen who, in the fight for third place, had to admit defeat to the new DTM champion, Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz), by merely 0.607 seconds. Frank Stippler achieved his best DTM result so far by finishing fifth in Audi Sport Team Joest´s last year´s A4. Final positions after 11 rounds |
| 1 Paffett |
84 points |
| 2 Ekström |
71 |
| 3 Kristensen |
56 |
| 4 Schneider |
32 |
| 5 Häkkinen |
30 |
| ... |
| 9 Abt |
16 |
| 10 McNish |
13 |
| 13 Tomczyk |
10 |
| 14 Stippler |
8 |
| 15 Kaffer |
5 |
|
