Gerhard Berger is looking forward to his new leading role at DTM: “I started my motor-racing career in touring-car racing and always followed DTM with a lot of interest. DTM is a top-class product with independent, powerful regulations, with strong manufacturers, top sponsors, important international partnerships and many fans. This is a good starting point with great potential for the future. The first task I will focus on in the coming weeks is gaining a deeper insight into the details with the support of my colleagues. We will then use this strong basis for creating a joint strategy for the future. While doing so, I consider the further development of our international partnerships – also with regards to new manufacturers –, spectacular racing cars that also command the drivers’ respect as well as a format combining both sport and entertainment as particularly important.”

As a highly successful long-term Formula One driver, Gerhard Berger completed 210 GPs among others for Benetton BMW, the Scuderia Ferrari and Honda McLaren from 1984 to 1997. After having retired from Formula One, he returned to the world of motor sport as BMW Williams Motorsport Director (1998 to 2003) and co-owner of Toro Rosso (2006 to 2008). Afterwards, he became President of the FIA single-seater commission (2012 to 2014). At the same time, Berger also pursued his career away from the racetrack: He is the owner of a company group based in Tyrol which focuses on vehicle construction and logistics. But he always remained closely connected to motor racing.

As ITR Vice-Chairman and CEO of ITR GmbH, Florian Zitzlsperger assumes the operational management of DTM. “We are glad to have a man as experienced as Gerhard Berger at the helm”, he said. “Due to both his outstanding experience in motor racing and as entrepreneur, he is the ideal successor of Hans Werner Aufrecht, who laid the strong basis for the planned enhancement of DTM. Without Hans Werner Aufrecht, DTM wouldn’t exist. For his passionate and successful work he deserves our maximum appreciation, our respect and our gratitude.”

As ‘the Father of DTM’, Hans Werner Aufrecht is inseparably connected with DTM: he left a unique mark on the popular touring-car series and was the driving force for it to achieve a leading position in international motor sport. Hans Werner Aufrecht explained: “I’m proud of what my colleagues and I experienced and achieved in the past three decades. But now it’s time to hand over this unique race series.”

Apart from Hans Werner Aufrecht, Hans-Jürgen Abt and Walter Mertes also resign from the ITR e.V. board. Nonetheless, both will remain closely connected to DTM: Hans-Jürgen Abt – just as before – as Team Principal of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline and Walter Mertes as partner for the series’ sponsorship relations. In addition, as current and future Managing Director of the ITR subsidiary ‘F3 GmbH’, Mertes is responsible for the marketing of the FIA F3 European Championship, which is considered the most successful feeder series for Formula One and DTM.

The change at the helm of DTM forms part of a comprehensive strategy aiming to further develop the touring-car series. The strategy is intended to be implemented gradually from this year onwards. The most important modifications of the technical regulations were announced recently and focus on more power, less downforce and softer dry-weather tyres. The modifications of the sporting regulations will be announced soon.

“This is a special day for me and everyone involved in the DTM project,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “For the first time, we developed a new DTM car in parallel with the production model. This underlines once again how closely motorsport and production work together at Audi.” The track record of the previous-generation model sets benchmarks for the future. Having clinched ten victories in each of the last two seasons, it was the most successful DTM car in both years. “Obviously, we’d like to repeat this with the new RS 5 DTM,” Gass adds.

Visually, the third-generation Audi RS 5 DTM clearly stands out from its two successful predecessor models. “It appears even more progressive and is even more extreme in terms of aerodynamics,” says Project Leader Stefan Gugger. “In many areas of aerodynamics, we explored further detailed options.” This is evident particularly in the area of the front end and around the rear wheel arches. On the race car, the distinctive single-frame radiator grill of the new Audi RS 5 consists of a very thin film. The restrictive DTM regulations allow the engineers the greatest latitude around the rear wheel arches. Accordingly, they have been trimmed for maximum downforce combined with utmost efficiency.

“In addition, we’ve improved the components in terms of accuracy of fit once again,” says Gugger. “As far as gap dimensions are concerned, Audi has always stood out from the competition. Still, we’ve made another step that enhances aerodynamic performance.” New as well is the rear wing, which now consists of two flaps. To increase the effectiveness of the Drag Reduction System (DRS), the entire wing is no longer lowered but, like in Formula 1, the top flap flattened – which is intended to produce even more overtaking manoeuvres in future DTM events.

The objective of the new regulations is to make the cars more challenging to handle in order to put greater emphasis on the drivers’ performance. Among other things, aerodynamic downforce of the DTM race cars has been reduced. Decisive here on all cars are modified geometries of the specification front splitters, underfloors and rear diffusers. Ride height has increased due to the regulations as well.

That the new Audi RS 5 DTM is faster than its predecessor in spite of these modifications is primarily attributable to two additional changes. In the 2017 season, tire partner Hankook will be supplying softer tires. While allowing faster lap times to be achieved on the one hand they are deliberately designed to significantly degrade after a few laps on the other. At the same time, the four-litre V8 engine of the Audi RS 5 DTM now delivers more than 500 HP. “You can feel this additional power in the cockpit,” says Jamie Green who in winter, together with Mattias Ekström, performed the major part of the testing work for the 2017 season.

The base of the engine used in the Audi RS 5 DTM has remained unchanged. To achieve the desired power boost, the engineers modified the air intake system and the cooling system. In addition, they made some detailed adjustments to ensure the same reliability as before. After all, a DTM engine has to survive a full season.

Another change resulting from the regulations concerns the suspension, which is now identical on all DTM cars as well. While this avoids costly further developments, the variety of set-up options has remained unchanged.

“The new DTM regulations reflect a major effort aimed at achieving further cost reductions while enhancing the sport and making the cars more attractive,” says Dieter Gass. “These are exciting times for the DTM. We have more power, softer tires and less downforce. Combined with the best drivers, we expect to see even more thrilling racing. I can only invite everyone to come to Hockenheim at the beginning of May to personally witness the first race of our new baby.”

For Audi’s DTM team, these days are particularly intensive ones. Fine-tuning of the new Audi RS 5 DTM’s aerodynamics and technology can continue until next Tuesday. On March 1, the final design has to be submitted to the motorsport authority, after which no modifications are possible anymore.

Many things in the 2017 DTM will be new: more engine power, less downforce, a more efficient Drag Reduction System (DRS) and softer tires, which may no longer be pre-heated either. All this is intended to make the DTM races even more thrilling and varied for the spectators.

“The tests at Portimão have confirmed that we’re heading in the right direction,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass, who was on site to get a personal impression of the current state. “The cars have a throatier sound and are faster. I feel that’s even visible on track. The biggest step, however, are the softer tires. Depending on how they’re used, the differences in lap times can be considerable. There’ll be many different strategic options – which will make things very interesting. The driver will be playing a greater part than before as well.”

Accordingly, the impressions and data gathered for Audi by Mattias Ekström, Loïc Duval, René Rast and Jamie Green on the three test days at Portimão were highly important. The seasoned campaigners, Ekström (177 DTM races) and Green (139 starts), in winter performed the lion’s share of the test work for Audi for the 2017 season. For the two DTM newcomers, Duval and Rast, Portimão was about making optimum use of one of the few testing opportunities before the season opens at Hockenheim on May 6/7.

“This worked out well,” says Le Mans winner and World Endurance Champion Loïc Duval. “It was a productive day for me and we covered every aspect of our program: qualifying, race distance and even a start practice unit. For the first time, I was also able to work with my new engineer, Mathieu Le Nail. As we all know, the interaction between the driver and the engineer is very important in the DTM.”

Duval shared Wednesday’s test with René Rast, who was visibly impressed by the 2017-spec technology: “The car’s handling is completely different. That was tremendous fun. It’ll be interesting to see which manufacturer will be doing the best job this year.”

“The new tires are a lot softer and degrade quickly,” says Mattias Ekström, who drove on Tuesday. “We burned plenty of rubber. After just one day, things around the track were looking pretty wild. I’m already dying to see 18 cars on track together for the first time at Hockenheim – they’re going to leave a lot of rubber on it.”  

Jamie Green was the driver on Thursday, the final test day with the interim car. “We again learned a lot during the test,” says the Briton. “Now I can hardly wait to drive the new car. It looks spectacular. And obviously we’re hoping for it to be fast too.”

Following the world premiere in Geneva, the new Audi RS 5 DTM will be doing its first public test laps at the Italian race track of Vallelunga near Rome from March 14 to 16. The final pre-season test will take place at Hockenheim from April 3 to 6.

Three months before the 2017 DTM season opener, Audi has announced its team assignments. The premium brand will be the only manufacturer to put three teams on the grid. The DTM season will kick off at the Hockenheimring on May 5.

In making the DTM team assignments, Audi’s new Head of Motorsport Dieter Gass has opted for a combination of seasoned campaigners and promising teammates: “In Mattias Ekström at ABT, Jamie Green at Rosberg and Mike Rockenfeller at Phoenix, all three teams have their spearheads. These team-driver combinations were very powerful in the past. Our youngster, Nico Müller, is following in Edoardo Mortara’s footsteps and our two new DTM signings, Loïc Duval and René Rast, are going to benefit from the experience of their teammates,” says Gass.

For the first time, Nico Müller will be racing for Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline together with Mattias Ekström. The Swiss celebrated his first DTM victory with the Allgäu-based outfit last season. The Frenchman Loïc Duval will be Mike Rockenfeller’s new teammate in Audi Sport Team Phoenix. Both know each other well from Audi’s LMP program. René Rast will be racing alongside Jamie Green for Audi Sport Team Rosberg, the squad he contested his first DTM race with last year.

“Mattias (Ekström) has become part of the family at ABT and Nico (Müller) perfectly gelled with us in his first season,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, Team Director of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. “I’m convinced that in the old Swede and in the Swiss young gun we have one of the strongest driver pairings.”

“Rocky (Mike Rockenfeller) produced his masterpiece in the DTM with Phoenix in 2013 and together with him we’re aiming to return to the top,” says Ernst Moser, Team Director of Audi Sport Team Phoenix. I know Loïc (Duval) from the Audi Sport winter camps. He’s been successful as a race driver in many categories. I’m hoping for the team to receive some fresh impetus from him and for him to be successful in the DTM as well.”

“Jamie (Green), no doubt, is one of the fastest DTM drivers and his first title is more than overdue,” says Arno Zensen, Team Director of Audi Sport Team Rosberg. “René (Rast) did a tremendous job in his first DTM races last year and is a great guy. Now he’s got to show that he can do equally well throughout a full season.”

In Audi’s DTM project, the next tests are scheduled from February 20 to 23. They will be held on the race track at Portimão (Portugal) with an interim version of the Audi RS 5 DTM. The new Audi RS 5 DTM will celebrate its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 7 and subsequently be seen for the first time in public tests to be held at Vallelunga (Italy) from March 13 to 16. The final pre-season test will take place at Hockenheim from April 3 to 6.

Hockenheim will also be the venue at which the DTM will open the new season from May 5 to 7. Tickets and fan packages for the 2017 season can be ordered from now on at audi.com/dtm.

The Audi Sport Teams in the 2017 DTM

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline

#5 Mattias Ekström (S), Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM

#51 Nico Müller (CH), Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM

Audi Sport Team Phoenix

#77 Loïc Duval (F), Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM

#99 Mike Rockenfeller (D), Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM

Audi Sport Team Rosberg

#33 René Rast (D), AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT Audi RS 5 DTM

#53 Jamie Green (GB), Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM

“We’re happy that our driver squad for the new DTM season is complete,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “In Mattias and Mike, we have two DTM Champions on board who in my book will be among the favorites next year, not least due to the new rules and tires. Jamie, no doubt, is one of the strongest campaigners in the DTM. Nico convinced us with consistently good performances and his first DTM victory last season. Not only on delivering a strong race in the finale at Hockenheim, René has shown that he’s also going to be in contention at the very front in the DTM. And in Loïc, we’ve integrated one of our best drivers from the Le Mans program into our DTM squad. I’m convinced that we’re in a top position with our driver lineup for the 2017 season and have six strong characters in our team.”

No longer competing for Audi in the DTM next year will be Miguel Molina, Edoardo Mortara, Timo Scheider and Adrien Tambay. “I’d like to thank Miguel, Edo, Timo and Adrien for our joint years in the DTM and wish them all the best for the future,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “We always worked together well and jointly celebrated gratifying success on a number of occasions. Consequently, with every one of these four, it was difficult for us to say goodbye. Now we’re going to use the upcoming winter break to prepare for the new challenges with a changed DTM driver lineup.”

New DTM signing Loïc Duval raced for Audi in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) from 2012 to 2016 and in 2013 won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the World Championship title in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro. Audi’s final WEC race in Bahrain saw Duval on the top step of the podium as well. The 34-year-old Frenchman residing in Geneva additionally brings experience from Formula E and the Japanese Super-GT Championship to the DTM. At the beginning of December, Loïc Duval performed initial tests in the Audi RS 5 DTM during the Young Driver Test at Jerez, Spain, which gave him the opportunity to familiarize himself with the DTM car on a dry and wet track as well as in mixed conditions.

30-year-old René Rast has been active for Audi since the 2011 season, having ranked among the world’s best and most successful GT drivers at the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 race car ever since. In the Audi R18 e-tron quattro, Rast left a strong impression as well, which the native of Minden (Germany) now living in Bregenz (Austria) confirmed in a total of three DTM commitments last season. On scoring his first points in his second DTM race at Hockenheim in October, Rast recommended himself for a place in the DTM squad for good.

The four BMW teams, RMG, RBM, MTEK and Schnitzer will continue to compete, but with some new areas of operation. The BMW customer racing programme will continue as in 2016, working closely together with the Schubert Motorsport and ROWE Racing teams.

BMW Team RMG and BMW Team RBM will continue to battle for points and wins in the DTM. Both teams have been competing in this series since the brand’s comeback in 2012 – with great success. The RMG team, headed by team principal Stefan Reinhold (DE), claimed the team championship in 2014 and has celebrated two drivers’ titles with Marco Wittmann (DE) – in 2014 and 2016.

BMW Team RBM was the second-best BMW team in the past DTM season, finishing just behind RMG in third place overall. In 2013, Bart Mampaey (BE) and his crew were challenging for the title and claimed second place in the team championship. RMG and RBM will be competing with the BMW M4 DTMs in the 2017 DTM season. The drivers will be announced on 9^th December at the BMW Motorsport Season Review event in Munich (DE).

New areas of operation for Schnitzer and MTEK are planned.

BMW Team Schnitzer will return to GT racing in 2017. Charly Lamm (DE) and his crew competed in 66 DTM races from 2012 to 2016, and celebrated the greatest success of their second appearance in this series in the very first year. Bruno Spengler (CA) won the drivers’ title in the BMW Bank M3 DTM and the crew from Freilassing in Upper Bavaria (DE) also claimed the team championship. BMW Team Schnitzer wants to continue this long-running success story with BMW in GT racing. The team has already recorded five wins at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring (DE). Lamm and his team last triumphed there in 2010, with the BMW M3 GT.

In 2017, BMW Team MTEK is supposed to start intensive preparations for BMW’s entry into the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) in the following year. Ernest Knoors (NL) and his team provided plenty of highlights when they competed in the DTM between 2013 and 2016, including the first DTM win for Timo Glock (DE) in the last race of the 2013 season. Last season, the crew from Garching (DE) won the “Best Pit Stop Award” for the fastest pit stops of any team. Plans for next year foresee that BMW Team MTEK will complete a comprehensive test and development programme in preparation for the WEC entry of BMW.

Marquardt: “Perfectly tailored structure”.

“I am convinced that this is the best team structure to help us prepare for our new tasks,” said BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt when asked about the new developments. “We have always been sure that we wanted to continue the successful cooperation with all our teams. We had to adjust our structures due to the changes in the DTM, and new possibilities and areas of operation opened up for us in our newly-reorganised motorsport programme. The new structure is tailored perfectly to this. BMW Team Schnitzer made history in the DTM, winning the title at the first attempt after a 20-year break. Nobody had expected that. The team has always enjoyed close links to GT racing throughout its history, and has had some great results there. The GT fans can look forward to some excitement when we inject new life into this combination at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2017. BMW Team MTEK proved to be an excellent BMW representative in the DTM in recent years. It’s planned that it will now devote itself completely to preparations for our entry into the FIA WEC. I would like to thank Charly Lamm, Ernest Knoors and their crews for their dedication throughout the past DTM seasons – and we can now look forward to competing together in many more races in the future.”

“Everyone knows that BMW Team Schnitzer has a very close association with GT racing – and a great passion for endurance races,” said Team Principal Charly Lamm. “At the same time, there is obviously a degree of melancholy at having to bid farewell to the DTM. We have had a very intense time in this fiercely-competitive series, with numerous challenges and just as many nice moments. The highlight was undoubtedly winning the title in 2012, in our first year after returning to the series. However, we now embark on a new chapter in our long history with BMW. Accordingly, we will go about our work for the coming year in determined mood. We are very much looking forward to the races with the BMW M6 GT3.”

Knoors added: “We competed in the DTM for the first time in 2013 with our new BMW Team MTEK – and we have learned a lot since then. This series has taught us a lot about professionalism and quality in all areas. Of course we are really looking forward to the new challenge that awaits us in the FIA WEC. The standard is extremely high there as well. 2017 will be a year of intensive preparation and then we will be able to compete with the other teams in the following year.”

Miguel Molina in the Teufel Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, from grid position two, went on to celebrate a commanding victory in Saturday’s race. The Catalonian managed to overtake the BMW of António Félix da Costa right on lap one and to significantly pull clear of the field afterwards. “My car was simply fantastic to drive today,” beamed the Catalonion following his third DTM success. “That wasn’t the case yet yesterday and this morning in free practice. But the team did a great job. From qualifying on, my car was perfect.”

The television cameras, however, were primarily focused on the green-blue Castrol Audi RS 5 DTM driven by Edoardo Mortara. After the runner-up in the standings had not gotten to drive a lot in the two free practice sessions, he had to settle for position eight in qualifying, while his rival for the title, Marco Wittmann (BMW), secured a place on the second row of the grid.

In the early stage of the race, Mortara lost some ground due to a tussle with Wittmann’s teammate Timo Glock. But the Audi driver kept a cool head, saved his use of DRS for the crucial final stage, and went on to snatch one BMW after the other. In the end, he crossed the finish line trailing Marco Wittmann by only 1.144 seconds. As a result, with a 17-point deficit, Mortara continues to be in contention for the title before the finale.

“Following the issues in practice, it was an outstanding race,” said Mortara. “Advancing from eighth on the grid to third is good for the show, yet anything but easy. I knew that my chance would come at the end of the race, because that’s the strength of our Audi RS 5 DTM. Except for Timo (Glock), all BMW drivers were very fair. Now I’m hoping for us to show a similar performance tomorrow and to be able to make up the 17 points.”

On delivering a strong overall performance on Saturday, Audi made a major step towards clinching the manufacturers’ title. With Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM), René Rast (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Phoenix) and Jamie Green (Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Rosberg) in positions five, six and eight, a total of five Audi drivers finished in the points. Before the last race, with 98 points that can still be scored, Audi now has a 61-point advantage over BMW. In the teams’ classification, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline extended its lead to 26 points on Saturday, with 43 points yet to be awarded here.

The only drivers to finish out of the points were Adrien Tambay, who in the Speedweek.com Audi RS 5 DTM advanced from position 21 on the grid to twelfth place, Nico Müller in the Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM in position 15, and Timo Scheider who in the AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT Audi RS 5 DTM saw the checkered flag in 16th place

Accordingly, Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport took positive stock of the day: “Following a less than perfect qualifying, this was a fantastic race result for Audi. We couldn’t have expected more than that. Edo (Mortara) showed a brilliant performance and managed the race intelligently. He made believers out of everyone today who may have had doubts and at least maintained his chance of winning the championship. Miguel (Molina) made good use of his chance and delivered a first-class performance. So did René Rast, who in his first ‘real’ DTM race immediately scored quite a few points. Mike (Rockenfeller) was strong as well. It was a good race. Our chances for the championship are still intact. We can build on that tomorrow.”

Following the 1-2-3-4-5-6 success on Saturday, Audi celebrated a one-two result with Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) and Adrien Tambay (Speedweek.com Audi RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Rosberg) at the Hungaroring in race two on Sunday. However, the joy within the Audi squad was marred by the fact that the two Audi drivers with the best points score went home without points following a starting accident.

In a thrilling qualifying session, Edoardo Mortara in the Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM, like the day before, had again secured pole position. His teammate Mattias Ekström relegated leader of the standings Marco Wittmann in the BMW to the second row by a thousandth of a second. He was trailed by two other Audi drivers – Jamie Green (Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM) and Miguel Molina (Teufel Audi RS 5 DTM) – a solid, albeit dicey starting base for Sunday’s race.

While Mattias Ekström managed a perfect start, the three drivers with the best points score overall collided with each other even before turn one. Marco Wittmann was fortunate and able to finish the race in fourth place. Jamie Green on the other hand retired with a damaged left front suspension and now no longer has any title chances. Edoardo Mortara caught a puncture in the controversial collision and, in position 21, remained without points as well. The Audi driver will now enter the finale with a deficit of 26 points.

“I didn’t have a good start. Subsequently, I was sandwiched between Wittmann and Green. One of the rims broke in the process and I had to take a few more hits on lap one,” said Mortara. “That’s very disappointing because we could have won again today.”

“It was a real shame,” Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport, agreed. “It’s extremely frustrating not to be able to feel really happy in spite of a one-two result. Today, we could definitely have achieved more. We had fast cars. That was obvious also with Mattias (Ekström) and Adrien (Tambay). The situation at the start was extremely unfortunate. You can’t really blame anyone either. Edo (Mortara) had a little too much wheel spin. That’s what set off this unfortunate chain of events. That, of all people, it resulted in our two drivers with the best points score being taken out of the race is frustrating.”

Miguel Molina and Nico Müller (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM) became victims of the starting tussle as well. Mattias Ekström and Adrien Tambay on the other hand benefited in a major way. “I had a good start and a clean turn one,” Mattias Ekström said following the 22nd victory in his DTM career and first success this season. “Afterwards, I was a little surprised that Edo (Mortara) was losing speed. I didn’t know he had a puncture. He let me pass in turn three. After that, it was a boring race for me in a fantastic car. It was my goal to end my DTM season with a good result – that it even turned out to be a victory is fantastic.”

Adrien Tambay in the commotion on lap one immediately made up eight positions and was equally happy about second place with which the Frenchman equalized his best DTM result to date. “I haven’t been on podium in two years, so it was high time.”

Points for Audi were also scored by both drivers of Audi Sport Team Phoenix: Timo Scheider (AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT Audi RS 5 DTM) snatched eighth place from BMW driver Maxime Martin shortly before the end of the race. Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM came in tenth place.

Audi Sport started the 2016 season with the aim of clinching the title in all three championships. Four races before the end, its title chances in all three classifications remain intact at the Hungarian round. Audi driver Edoardo Mortara in second place of the drivers’ standings, with a deficit of 33 points and 100 yet to be awarded, is the fiercest rival chasing leader of the standings Marco Wittmann (BMW). In the manufacturers’ classification, Audi ranks in second place, 35 points ahead of Mercedes-Benz and trailing BMW by 57. In the teams’ classification, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline (Edoardo Mortara/Mattias Ekström) has a deficit of only nine points separating it from BMW Team RMG (Marco Wittmann/Timo Glock).

“It’s clear that on the Budapest weekend we need to achieve more points than our competitors in order to put ourselves in a good position for the final attack at Hockenheim,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “That’s why we had to do some homework before Budapest. First of all, we intend to improve our qualifying performance and to move our cars further forward on the grid. Especially at the Hungaroring this will be particularly difficult because that’s exactly what we were struggling with there in 2014. However, our subsequent race performance in 2014, with six cars in the points, was very promising. That, plus our strong Sunday race at the Nürburgring, is what we can build on.”

With 4.381 kilometers the winding Hungaroring track is the second-longest one on the DTM calendar. When the DTM visited Hungary in 2014 the fans saw an entertaining race in which Miguel Molina advanced from eighth to second place and Edoardo Mortara, following tough duels with the two BMW drivers Timo Glock and Bruno Spengler, in fourth place just barely missed the podium – after having started from grid position twelve.

“Two years ago, I was a struggling a little with the car,” Mortara recalls. “But since then, my confidence in the car has grown a lot and things are going really well at the moment. We need another good weekend to reduce the gap to Marco Wittmann. My title chances are intact and we’re going to battle up until the very end.”

In the thrilling final stage of the championship, Mortara will receive full support from the entire Audi squad, plus many Audi employees, in Budapest. The Audi plant in Győr is just an hour and a half’s drive away from the race track. With a workforce of more than 11,000 Audi is one of the major employers in the region.

After 1988 and 2014, this will be the DTM’s third visit to Hungary, a country with great enthusiasm for motorsport. On Thursday, a parade of the DTM safety cars and DTM race cars is planned through downtown Budapest. On Friday at 17:00, the first free practice is scheduled. The first of the two DTM races will start on Saturday at 14:55 and the second one on Sunday at 15:10.

Following the summer break, the continuation of the DTM will be fast and furious. The championship will be decided within the space of just eight weeks, the race for overall victory being particularly close and thrilling this year. The venues are Moscow, the Nürburgring, Budapest and Hockenheim.

Audi is in a good position for the crucial stage in the championship. In the first ten races the team has clinched five victories, 13 podium results, five best times in qualifying and four fastest laps. “Moscow marks the beginning of the final sprint in the title race,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “We’re giving our all to make up further ground in the championship – preferably in all three classifications.”

In the DTM drivers’ standings, Jamie Green (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) is trailing the leader, Marco Wittmann, by only seven points. In the last seven races, he achieved four podium results and his first victory this season. “Following my misfortune at the beginning of the season, things are going as smoothly again as they did last year,” says the Briton. Last season, he just barely missed the podium at Moscow.

Currently trailing Green with a ten-point deficit in third place is Edoardo Mortara (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline). Without the unjustified drive-through penalty at Zandvoort the two drivers would be near-equal on points. “I still have chances of winning the title and at Moscow we need to score as many points as possible,” says Mortara who, two days after Zandvoort, became a father for the first time.

Nico Müller and Mattias Ekström, in seventh and eighth place, have mathematical chances of taking the lead of the standings at Moscow as well which shows how close the entire DTM field is this year. “I always particularly enjoy traveling to Moscow,” says Mattias Ekström. “The track is fun and we’ve always been strong there.”

Ekström has mounted the podium three times in the previous four DTM races at Moscow whereas Mike Rockenfeller (Audi Sport Team Phoenix) has the best tally in the entire DTM field in Russia. “Rocky” has won there twice (in 2013 and 2015) and started the race from pole position on two occasions as well. “Following the bungled first half of the season, I’m really hoping now that we’re finally going to manage the turnaround at Moscow,” says Rockenfeller. “My guys are leaving no stone unturned so that we’ll be in contention again. Moscow is a great event with a challenging track on which you have to brake into the corners. That’s not easy, but I enjoy it.”

“We should be well-set again at Moscow this year,” says Dieter Gass. “The Moscow Raceway is a challenging track with a relatively even surface.” Since 2014, the track record in the race (1m 28.305s) has been held by Audi driver Miguel Molina.

The first four races of the new season saw four different winners. Drivers from all three brands – Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz/43 points), Edoardo Mortara (Audi/40 points) and Timo Glock (BMW/37 points) – are heading the standings, separated by only small gaps. And the field as a whole has moved closer together as well: at Spielberg, all 24 cars were ultimately within just 0.640 seconds of each other in qualifying.

“By now, it’s become nearly impossible to make any predictions,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “An assessment is extremely difficult this year. We’ve already been seeing a number of surprises in the first two events. We’re determined to deliver a similarly strong performance as last year at the Lausitzring. But it would be totally wrong to travel to Lausitz with too much self-confidence.”

Last year, Audi had a picture-perfect weekend at the Lausitzring located some 140 kilometers south of Berlin. In race one on Saturday, a one-two-three-four win was achieved and in race two on Sunday, even five Audi RS 5 DTM cars took the top five spots. Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM is holding the track record in the race (1m 18.268s) and Jamie Green in the Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM set the best time ever achieved in the DTM (1m 17.386s).

Green was the “high flyer” at Lausitz last year. The Briton won both races in commanding style and in Sunday’s second qualifying session caused a stir with a sensational lap on which he outperformed the second-fastest driver by more than half a second – a world of difference in the DTM.

With a pole position and a third place in race two at Spielberg Green has returned to the group of front runners in the DTM following a difficult start of the season. The same is true for Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM) who will be in the spotlight at the Lausitzring as well. In 17 events on the East German race track to date, the Swede has managed to score two victories and nine podium finishes – including his first ever DTM podium 16 years ago.

Unforgotten have been Ekström’s duels with Mercedes driver Gary Paffett in the 2005 season and BMW driver Bruno Spengler three years ago. “Maybe videos of them should be shown at the drivers’ briefing,” says Ekström. “From champions and old hands like Gary, Bruno and Paul (Di Resta) some of our young drivers can learn a lot. Rubbing is racing, but crashing isn’t.”

Fans can look forward to the event with bated breath: at the Lausitzring, they have a unique view of the racing action from the large main grandstand. Plus, the DTM races at Lausitz have a history of being fiercely fought and turbulent.

With the DTM, the motorcycles of the SUPERBIKE*IDM, the Porsche Carrera Cup, ADAC Formula 4 and the ADAC GT Masters spectators are going to experience a true motorsport festival that can be followed in social media under the hashtag #Motorsportfestival . In the “Super Sports Car League,” the ADAC GT Masters, no less than ten Audi R8 LMS cars will be competing. The two Audi drivers Christopher Mies (D) and Connor De Phillippi (USA) are traveling to the Lausitzring as the front runners.

For Ekström, the dream of a podium finish at one of his favorite tracks appeared just that after qualifying. On his fastest lap, the Audi driver was blocked by a competitor who was demoted five grid positions as a result. However, for Ekström the disadvantage was even bigger: instead of starting the race from one of the two front rows, he started from eleventh.

All the more remarkable was the comeback drive of the most experienced and successful active DTM driver: the Swede overtook several competitors, drove a long opening stint and returned to the track in third place after making his tire stop on lap 29. Nine laps later, he also overtook Jamie Green and crossed the finish line in second place to the cheers of the enthusiastic fans.

“Sometimes second place can feel like a win,” said Mattias Ekström after his comeback drive. “Today is such a day. The race was mega. Just a shame that we weren’t so good in qualifying here, otherwise a dream weekend with my friends from Red Bull could have been possible. Even so, it was fantastic racing today and I’m delighted for my team that worked so hard after the accident at the start yesterday in order to prepare the car perfectly again for me.”

The maiden podium finish of the season was also a relief for Jamie Green. After last year’s championship runner-up had not scored any points in the first three races, he put the Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Rosberg on pole position by two-thousandths of second on Sunday. For the Briton it was the tenth pole position of his DTM career, which he was initially able to convert at the start. On the second lap, he dropped behind the later winner Timo Glock in a BMW, six laps before the end of the race behind Mattias Ekström. Despite this, the Briton was delighted about his first podium result at the Red Bull Ring.

In the manufacturers’ classification, Audi ousted Mercedes-Benz from second place on Sunday. Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM) and Timo Scheider (AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT Audi RS 5 DTM) helped to achieve this. The two Audi Sport Team Phoenix drivers finished eighth and tenth. Both were involved in tough midfield battles as were Adrien Tambay (Speedweek.com Audi RS 5 DTM) and Miguel Molina (Teufel Audi RS 5 DTM) who both narrowly missed scoring points in eleventh and 14th positions.

Nico Müller (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM) and Edoardo Mortara (Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM) did not see the checkered flag. Müller was touched at the back by Mercedes-Benz driver Robert Wickens on the second lap and landed in the same gravel bed as his team mate Edoardo Mortara did 22 laps later. The Italian moved up from fifth to third in the early stages of the race and had a good chance of claiming the championship lead. However, Mortara retired early following a collision with BMW driver António Félix da Costa. The Italian nevertheless remains second in the overall rankings and travels to the Lausitzring (June 4–5) only three points behind championship leader Paul Di Resta.

“The comeback drive from Mattias (Ekström) was of course excellent and Jamie (Green) also showed excellent form today,” said Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “It’s great that the two bounced back today after the difficult start to the season. When you consider Mattias’ race, it’s even more annoying that he was held up in qualifying, because otherwise he would definitely have been a potential winner today. Edo’s (Mortara) retiring is of course also bitter.”

“Edo” has a special relationship with the Austrian race track. Mortara celebrated two of the four DTM victories he has scored to date at the Red Bull Ring (2012 and 2015). Last year, in spite of a hand injury, he was on podium following both races. Twice, the Audi driver has secured the top spot on the grid in Styria.

“The Red Bull Ring is clearly one of my favorite tracks in the DTM,” the Italian from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline who lives in Switzerland says. “I like the circuit, as well as the beautiful surroundings with the mountains and lush green nature. I always enjoy returning to Spielberg.”

The DTM fans love the Red Bull Ring as well. The circuit in a picturesque setting near Graz is acclaimed for being a venue of particularly action-packed races with fierce position battles and overtaking maneuvers. Sold-out grandstands are not uncommon in the DTM at Spielberg.

This time, interest can be expected to be high again, as tempers are still flaring over the turbulent and hotly debated season opener at Hockenheim. “The way some drivers drove at Hockenheim was unacceptable,” criticizes Mortara who in race two on Sunday was sent spinning shortly after the start and lost the lead of the standings. The conclusion he has drawn from the incident for Spielberg and the remainder of the season: “We simply need to be on the grid as far forward as possible in order to avoid the mid-field chaos.”

This is what Nico Müller took home from Hockenheim as well. Müller, who at age 24 is the youngest Audi driver, clinched his first DTM pole position in the season opener and scored points in both races. Müller’s Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM hardly had any scratches after the opening race. “I’m hoping for things to continue like this,” says the Swiss who finished in fifth place at Spielberg last year – his so far best result in the DTM. “I like the Red Bull Ring, too – I can hardly wait to be sitting in my RS 5 DTM again.”

The DTM track record at Spielberg since 2014 has been held by Mike Rockenfeller (1m 25.266s). Two of the eight Audi drivers – Mattias Ekström (Ellmau) and Timo Scheider (Lochau) – live in Austria and regard the Red Bull Ring as a kind of home round.

“According to past experience, the Red Bull Ring guarantees thrilling DTM races,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “As expected, the field has moved even closer together, so the fans can look forward to two interesting race days. Personally, I’m hoping that we won’t be seeing action quite as hectic as the one we saw at Hockenheim…”

Following 202 race-free days, not only DTM fans are simmering with excitement before the season opener. “At Audi Sport, we’re excited to see what effects the fine-tuning of the regulations will have as well,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “The winter was long, but productive. We’re expecting an extremely close field.”

In recent months, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, together with the DMSB umbrella organization and the series’ marketer, ITR, intensively worked on delivering even more exciting races and action to the DTM spectators. That is why Gass is expecting an all the more challenging season “in which you can’t afford to lose sight of any detail or have a bad patch if you want to win the title.” The title is Audi Sport’s designated aim.

With ten victories in a total of 18 races, the Audi RS 5 DTM was the car to be beaten last season. The tally of the four rings at Hockenheim is impressive as well. Five victories in succession were celebrated by Audi on the Grand Prix circuit in Baden-Wuerttemberg. In the 2015 finale, the brand even achieved a one-two-three triumph. “Our aim is to pick up where we left off last year in a similarly powerful way,” says Dieter Gass. “We prepared ourselves well and had four productive test days at Hockenheim in early April, among other things. But: everyone knows how close the competition is in the DTM. We’re only going to see the relative strengths in qualifying on Saturday.”

That is the moment Audi driver Mattias Ekström is looking forward to with eager anticipation as well. “Even after 15 DTM years, the first qualifying session of the season is really special,” says the Swede who will be tackling a double commitment next weekend. In addition to the DTM, the two-time DTM Champion is going to compete in the round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship that will be attracting additional fans to Hockenheim.

Clearly, the DTM is Ekström’s top priority. The Audi factory driver knows how important a perfect start to the season is in the DTM. It’s not only about beating the competitors from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. He is also challenged to win against seven other strong Audi drivers – first and foremost Jamie Green. The Briton was the Audi driver with the best points score last season and won two of the four DTM races at Hockenheim as well. In addition, Miguel Molina, Edoardo Mortara, Nico Müller, Mike Rockenfeller, Timo Scheider and Adrien Tambay are set on mounting the top step of the podium this season, too.

Which Audi driver is running in what position during the race can now be seen on LED displays in the rear side windows of the Audi RS 5 DTM models. When the color of the digits switches from green to red, the driver can no longer flatten the rear wing angle, as the number of so-called DRS activations is limited for the first time this season – to an activation on 13 laps in race one on Saturday, May 7 (start at 16:00 CEST) and to 29 laps in the longer second race on Sunday, May 8 (start 14:30 CEST).

Last year, with ten victories scored in 18 races, the Audi RS 5 DTM was the most successful car. Still, a second place in the drivers,’ teams’ and manufacturers’ classifications was all that was achieved …

The Audi RS 5 DTM was no doubt the fastest car. That’s why not having clinched a title was particularly frustrating. Due to our success in the initial races, we had a lot of weight in our cars at an early stage. That was probably one reason – but not the only one. On some tracks, we simply didn’t extract the maximum and failed to score points on too many occasions. We intensively worked on improving in these areas over the winter.

How were you able to continue to improve the car although the technology of the cars has been “frozen” by the regulations?

Obviously, we couldn’t take any major steps, so we had to focus on detailed work. We spent a lot of time doing analyses and are confident that we took the right actions. Our objective was to develop a large number of set-up options in order to be optimally prepared in a wide range of conditions. In view of the DTM’s extreme competitiveness, this is really crucial. For instance, in winter we worked on the “tool box” which is available to our teams. In 2016, we intend to deliver more consistent results, irrespective of the performance weights.

There was a lot of discussion and controversial debate about the performance weights last year. Why are they needed to begin with?

For cost reasons, no further development of the cars is allowed at the moment. That’s why, as manufacturers, we cannot respond if a brand has an excessive advantage for whatever reason. The performance weights are intended to keep the cars on the same level in order to prevent the dominance of a single manufacturer that way. Last year, unfortunately, the system of the performance weights in general wasn’t perfectly coordinated and significantly intervened with the race results. This has been optimized for 2016. I’m confident that we’ve come up with a solution and that the performance weights will work well.

What does this solution look like?

The weights are now going to be adjusted from race to race – directly after qualifying, based on the time gaps. All cars of a brand receive the same weight. After all, we don’t mean to punish a driver, but to prevent the dominance of a single manufacturer that way.

Changes have been made with respect to the drag reduction system (DRS) as well. Why?

Basically, use of the DRS results in more overtaking maneuvers, as expected. But it’s supposed to be used more specifically for overtaking and not for enabling a driver to follow a faster car. That’s why the number of activations has been limited.

Last year, the format of the DTM was changed radically. Has the new format proved successful?

Absolutely! Two races and one qualifying session per race – that’s the way to go in my view. It’s true that it puts a strain on everyone involved and we now have more starting laps which are always particularly costly. But the fans are treated to a double dose of action. We’re continually working to make the DTM more and more attractive. That’s why the move toward two races per weekend was definitely right.

In 2016, there will only be a single rookie in the entire DTM field. Will this make the series even more competitive?

That’s hardly possible anymore in the DTM. We’re expecting the entire field to be extremely close together again, not least because nobody was able to make a major leap in terms of technology. A small unknown quantity, no doubt, are our colleagues from Mercedes-Benz who, following a production model change are now putting a new DTM car on the grid as well. For us, that won’t be the case until 2017.

Oschersleben has been replaced with Budapest on the 2016 DTM calendar. How do you feel about that?

Personally, I feel this is good, even though we weren’t so strong at Budapest in 2014. We’d like to correct that impression in 2016. The race at Budapest was a nice event in 2014 with a large crowd in spite of the date of the event that may not have been the best. Enthusiasm for the DTM there is huge. That was the case at Oschersleben as well, but the races were always extremely expensive. Due to the track characteristics, we’d regularly ruin our cars there.

You’re competing with a near-unchanged driver squad. Only Nico Müller and Adrien Tambay swapped teams. What was the reason for swapping cockpits?

It’s no secret that our expectations of both drivers were a little higher last year, especially as both have previously shown that they have higher potential. Switching to another team often breathes new life into a situation and provides new energy to improve it. That’s what we’re hoping for in Nico and Adrien’s case.

In Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, Mattias Ekström and Edoardo Mortara are forming a team for the first time this year. Why?

As a team, the two would have scored a dominant win of the teams’ classification by points last year. We’re determined to clinch all three titles this year – the drivers,’ manufacturers’ and teams’ classifications. That’s why we thought it made sense to unite two potential point scorers in a team.

Are team orders necessary for clinching the drivers’ title?

Team orders are a legitimate element of race strategy in motorsport, but they shouldn‘t get out of hand in a way that distorts the competition, or overstep the bounds of good taste.

Before the season opener at the Hockenheimring on May 7 and 8, all DTM teams will be testing their race cars once more at the Hockenheimring. From April 5 to 8, Audi fans will have the opportunity to see the 2016 models sporting their new colors for the first time. Audi Sport has opted for a mix of continuity and innovation. The matte look of the eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars is a new feature with a technical background. Due to a new type of wrap, weight amounting to about one kilogram can be saved per car. “As the DTM is known for being a series in which even the smallest details matter, we’re delighted about this further improvement of our cars’ performance that we’re achieving together with our partners,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport.

One of the partners made particularly consistent use of the new technology. In terms of colors, Mike Rockenfeller’s Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM is clearly greener, as well as more progressive, in 2016. The technology corporation’s “Mobility for tomorrow” slogan is reflected by the hundreds on the carbon body of the RS 5 DTM.

A car without which the DTM would be inconceivable is Mattias Ekström’s blue Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM. For more than a decade, the Swede has been competing for Audi in the DTM under the energy drink manufacturer’s banner.

Another catchy color is the orange that stands for Jamie Green and the Hoffmann Group. The Munich-based system partner for quality tools and Audi’s best DTM driver last year are now tackling their third joint DTM season in 2016.

The Italian Edoardo Mortara is competing again sporting the green and light blue colors of ARAL ultimate and Castrol EDGE, and the Spaniard Miguel Molina in the black-red Audi RS 5 DTM wrapped in the livery of the Berlin-based company Teufel. The audio and hi-fi specialist has extended its partnership with Audi Sport following its successful debut season in 2015.

Timo Scheider will be on the grid again in a black Audi RS 5 DTM, but with new logos of the AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT special-interest magazine which, like the previous partner, AUTO TEST, belongs to the Axel Springer group of publishing houses.

A black-gray color scheme is featured by Nico Müller’s Audi RS 5 DTM. The youngster from Switzerland is competing in the colors of the men’s magazine Playboy and the new Audi Sport racing academy that retains young talents for Audi Sport at an early stage.

The Audi RS 5 DTM driven by Adrien Tambay sports an all-new livery. On his car, the Frenchman advertises Speedweek.com online magazine.

As in the past, all eight cars additionally bear the logos of Akrapovič, Castrol, Cisco, Eibach, ORIS and OZ Racing. Other partners of Audi Sport in the 2016 DTM are Alpinestars, Audi Top Service, Gerolsteiner, the Hofmühl brewery, MAN and DIE WELT. A new logo to be featured is the hashtag #LeagueofPerformance, which stands for the Audi Sport brand with its R and RS models.

All eight Audi drivers and seven of the eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars will be taking part in the pre-season tests at the Hockenheimring. A test vehicle of the Audi RS 5 DTM fitted with additional sensors and measuring equipment will be deployed as well. The southern grandstands at the Hockenheimring will be open to fans from Tuesday (April 5) to Friday (April 8). The pre-season tests will be held on all four days from 08:00 to 12:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00. Admission will be free.

Audi DTM Teams in 2016

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
#5 Mattias Ekström: Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM (Engineer: Florian Modlinger)
#48 Edoardo Mortara: Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM (Nicola Palarchi)

Audi Sport Team Abt
#17 Miguel Molina: Teufel Audi RS 5 DTM (Markus Michelberger)
#51 Nico Müller: Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM (Daniel Grunwald)

Audi Sport Team Phoenix
#10 Timo Scheider: AutoBild Motorsport Audi RS 5 DTM (Laurent Fedacou)
#99 Mike Rockenfeller: Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM (Arnau Niubó)

Audi Sport Team Rosberg
#27 Adrien Tambay: Speedweek.com Audi RS 5 DTM (Karl Jennings)
#53 Jamie Green: Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM (Erich Baumgärtner)

Fresh impetus

Just like last year, the eight Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM cars will be prepared and entered by Mercedes-AMG DTM development partner HWA AG, by the Mercedes-AMG DTM Team Mücke Motorsport and by the French Mercedes-AMG DTM Team ART.

The Mercedes-AMG DTM Team HWA has secured the services of Paul Di Resta, Maximilian Götz, Daniel Juncadella and Robert Wickens. For Götz and Juncadella, this will be their first year driving for the most successful team in DTM history, and also the one which won the drivers’ and the team titles last year.

The Mercedes-AMG DTM Team Mücke will have two new drivers going into the new campaign. Ahead of his second season in the DTM, Austria’s Lucas Auer is switching from ART Grand Prix to the Berlin-based outfit. Auer has already driven for the team run by Peter Mücke in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. DTM race winner Christian Vietoris is also well acquainted with Mücke Motorsport, having already been part of the setup during his time in Formula 3 – he finished the 2009 Formula 3 Euro Series as runner-up in a Dallara-Mercedes entered by Mücke.

The young Frenchman Esteban Ocon is set to make his DTM debut for the Mercedes-AMG DTM Team ART, having won the 2015 GP3 Series championship with them. He also spent last season as test and development driver for the Mercedes AMG DTM Team. He now starts alongside the experienced Englishman Gary Paffett who is preparing to contest his 13th DTM season in 2016. The 2005 DTM champion gave his support to the French team on their entry to the series in 2015.

Team statements

Lucas Auer: “I’m delighted to have been signed by Mücke Motorsport for my second DTM season. I’ve already driven for Mücke in Formula 3 when I experienced a lot of highs as well as some lows with the team – we went through thick and thin together. So I am very pleased to now have the opportunity to drive for Mücke in a completely different racing series. In general, we at Mercedes-AMG DTM work very closely and with a great deal of mutual trust across team boundaries, so that for me it feels like one big family. We will therefore be mounting a serious challenge with combined forces.”

Maximilian Götz: “First of all, I’d like to thank Mücke Motorsport for the past year. We had a great time together and have grown close over the year. Consequently, I have mixed emotions about the move. I have always felt very much at home with Mücke, but obviously it’s an honour to be driving now for the most successful DTM team of all time. Although there are no great differences between the Mercedes-AMG DTM teams, HWA have something of a legendary status in the DTM. All previous Mercedes champions have come from this team. But for me, it is also clear that I now have to further raise my performance so as to score points on a regular basis and to finish on the podium some time soon.”

Daniel Juncadella: “After three years at Mücke Motorsport, I’m transferring to HWA this season. This will be the first time that I have driven for HWA. I am very excited about the changes. At the same time, it is also a new challenge. A different team always means other structures, other procedures, a different atmosphere, and of course new team-mates. I am really looking forward to the new partnership and hoping that the change will bring me closer to achieving my goals.”

Esteban Ocon: “I’m pleased to be back as part of the ART Grand Prix team. I won the GP3 Series title with ART Grand Prix last year, so it’s fantastic to be working with them again and hopefully continuing our successful adventure together.”

Christian Vietoris: “I’m really looking forward to my new job at Mücke Motorsport, and I just can’t wait to get back behind the steering wheel. I’ve already driven for Peter Mücke – that was in Formula 3 a few years back. So basically, this is like a homecoming for me after spending the last four years as a member of the HWA squad. A change of scenery for me always summons up extra energy and gives me an extra boost of motivation. So I believe Mercedes took the right decision to shuffle the drivers around. Although I have many friends at HWA, it’s still a great feeling to make a fresh start.”

Ulrich Fritz, Head of Mercedes-AMG DTM: “We decided to rearrange the allocation of drivers for the upcoming season to provide new impetus. I’m convinced that a change of environment gives people extra motivation. In particular, the exchange of ideas and of new approaches to dealing with challenges is to everyone’s benefit. We made sure that, in arranging the team, we combined DTM experience with youthful thirst for action. The best example of that is certainly the pairing of Gary with Esteban, but the same goes for the combinations of Paul and Max and of Christian and Lucas.”

Bruno Spengler: “Absolutely! The scenery at Königssee and in Saalfelden alone, which was the backdrop for this exceptional competition, was fantastic. To set the mood, on the first evening, we held an ice kart challenge and went on a torch-lit hike to an Alpine meadow. This encouraged real team spirit. Then the actual competition day was on Saturday. We competed in three disciplines – a biathlon, luge and in a BMW Driving Experience. It was a fantastic experience to line up against Fritz and Georg. They are legends in their sports. They have won a combined total of eight medals at the Olympic Games and have been world champions 12 times. That is an impressive record. And they are both fantastic people. We got on really well. Despite the cold temperatures, a lot of sweat was flowing, as was plenty of adrenalin. The three of us are extremely competitive people who always give 100 percent and want to win. In the end, Fritz and his team just edged it, but the result is not that important. The focus was on fun, and we had plenty of that at the Winter Challenge. There was a lot of laughter. The prize-giving ceremony hosted by Magdalena Neuner in the mountain village of Priesteregg in the evening was a fantastic surprise and a brilliant way to round off the event for everyone involved.”

Does this type of competition help you keep fit for the upcoming DTM season, even though the focus is on fun?

Spengler: “Definitely, every type of sporting activity helps prepare for the season. If you aren’t fit, you have no chance in the DTM. You can only win races when you are at your peak both physically and mentally. That’s why I always go full throttle in winter. When cross-country skiing or snowshoeing in Canada, I lay the foundations for the season in terms of endurance. However, my perfect sport is biathlon. The shooting exercises help me remain focussed, even when my pulse rate is extremely high.”

What are your expectations going into the 2016 DTM season?

Spengler: “We have to wait and see where we are compared to our competitors. I want to get the best out of myself and my car – that’s my first goal for the 2016 season. I may have been the best BMW driver again in 2015 and able to win a few podium positions, but I was unable to get a victory. I want to change that in the coming season. For me there is nothing better than standing at the very top of the podium after a race. That’s what I live for.”

At the end of February, at a test in Spain, you’ll be sitting in the cockpit of the Audi RS 5 DTM again for the first time since the finale of the 2015 season – that’s a pretty long time, isn’t it?

I’ve been in the DTM for many years and am used to not getting to drive a lot aside from the race weekends. Not sitting in the car from October to February is definitely a long time. But that’s no problem for me. I even think it’s good to step back from racing for a few months in winter. It gives you time to recharge your batteries and keeps you fresh and motivated. When we start again at Hockenheim in May, I’ll no doubt be really hungry for racing again.

This year, there will only be two pre-season tests: the manufacturers’ test at Monteblanco and an ITR test at Hockenheim.

In the DTM, we have phases like this in which the technical development of the cars has been frozen and testing is limited. I don’t mind that because my performance apparently doesn’t suffer from this. Still, it’s great for me to participate in both tests this year. Five days in the car pre-season – for DTM conditions that’s quite a lot.

In 2015, the Audi RS 5 DTM was the car to beat. What do you expect of the new season?

That’s hard to say. A year ago, the technology of the cars was frozen as well – but in spite of this, BMW was surprisingly slow after Marco Wittmann had won the championship in the previous season. Who’d have expected that? In the DTM, there’s simply nothing that’s guaranteed. It’s clear that we had a very good car last year and didn’t clinch the drivers’ and the manufacturers’ titles only due to a lot of misfortune. Our speed was right. We’re hoping for that to be the case again this year. Mercedes will be competing with a slightly different bodywork. So, there’s a possibility that the balance of power may be shifting a little as a result. For me, personally, it’s important that my environment remains the same. At Audi Sport Team Rosberg, I’m working with the same engineer and the same mechanics. We’re a strong, small squad that has faith in itself and where everyone trusts each other. It’s good that we’re continuing to work together and hopefully will be taking our good momentum from last year into the new season.

But in Adrien Tambay you’re going to have a new teammate. What does that mean for you?

Adrien has been driving for Audi in the DTM for quite some time. Even though we haven’t been teammates up to now, we know each other well. We get along with each other very well. He’s a fast driver and a youngster. I’m a little older and more experienced. I think from Rosberg’s perspective, that’s a good mix. That was the case with Nico (Müller) as well. For me, nothing will change. I’ll have a young, fast teammate again who’s going to make life difficult for me here and there. That’s part of the challenge I enjoy.

New face on the grid

19-year-old Esteban Ocon will be a new face on the grid, but the Frenchman is no stranger to the Mercedes-Benz family. As a Mercedes Junior, Ocon won last year’s GP3 Series, which races on Formula One weekends, and he attended every DTM race as a Mercedes-AMG DTM test and reserve driver in order to gain valuable experience. Reserve driver Ocon made his debut at a DTM race weekend when he stood in for an unwell Daniel Juncadella during Friday practice for the 2015 season finale in Hockenheim.

With DTM champions Paul Di Resta (2010 champion, seventh DTM season) and Gary Paffett (2005 champion, thirteenth DTM season) plus Robert Wickens (fourth DTM season) and Christian Vietoris (sixth DTM season), the Mercedes-AMG DTM squad for the upcoming season includes four experienced DTM race winners. Spaniard Daniel Juncadella, who will be starting his fourth year in the DTM, is another well established driver in the field.

Maximilian Götz and Lucas Auer will both be entering their second DTM seasons in 2016. The two rookies scored their first successes in their debut season. Auer secured his maiden DTM pole in Race One at the Nürburgring, while Götz registered his best DTM result to date with a top-five finish in the same race.

Road to Hockenheim

The eight Mercedes-AMG DTM drivers are preparing for the new season this week at the annual fitness camp in La Manga. The first tests of the year will take place in Monteblanco, February 23rd-25th. The 2016 DTM season gets under way on the weekend of May 6th-8th in Hockenheim.

Team statements

Gary Paffett (Start number 2): “I’m looking forward to 2016. I had a good season last year with ART during which we learned a great deal together. I myself improved a lot compared to 2014 and have set the benchmark high for this season. I want to continue in the same way this year and do better than last year’s three podium finishes with race wins and challenging for the title if everything goes well.”

Paul Di Resta (Start number 3): “Last year was a great one for our team. Now I want to get back in the car after the long winter break and can’t wait to see the new generation of our Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM out on track. Hopefully, our performance will be as strong like in 2015, so that we can fight for the championship. That is obviously my goal for this season. Everyone in the team wants to pick up where we left off last year with Pascal.”

Robert Wickens (Start number 6): “I’m really pleased to be back in the team for 2016. 2015 was not a particularly strong year for me. The Norisring was definitely the highlight of my season with a win and a second place. The second half of the season didn’t go too well, but I’m confident that I can start the 2016 season with new energy.”

Christian Vietoris (Start number 8): “We’ve had a really long winter break. Last season didn’t go brilliantly well for me, so I’m looking forward to getting another crack at going on the offensive. My goal is to be one of the top Mercedes drivers, which I succeeded in doing both in 2013 and 2014. It’s now time to get racing again.”

Daniel Juncadella (Start number 12): “It’s great to be back. It’s been a long time since the last race, so I’m looking forward to getting back in the car and starting the new season. I’ve got a clear objective. I aim to win at least one race, the sooner the better, because it then becomes easier to be among the front-runners.”

Lucas Auer (Start number 22): “It’s great to still be part of the Mercedes-AMG DTM Team in 2016. I’ve recovered from last season during the winter and have trained hard. Lots of things should come easier in my second DTM season. It’s important to continue to improve, especially in qualifying, and to regularly finish in the points. I’m confident that our car will be competitive. I can’t wait to get back in it.”

Esteban Ocon (Start number 34): “It’s an incredible feeling to be part of such a professional and strong racing series. I’m very pleased to be driving for Mercedes-Benz. It’s the best team in the DTM and I’m very grateful for this fantastic opportunity. Mercedes is the most successful manufacturer in DTM history. You can only achieve that with real passion and hard work, and those are characteristics that we share. After driving in free practice during the final race weekend of the 2015 season at Hockenheim, I can’t wait to start a DTM race. I obviously have a lot to learn, but my goal – and that of everyone in the team – is to fight for wins as soon as possible.”

Maximilian Götz (Start number 84): “The gloves are off after my rookie year. I had a strong second half of the season and will try to repeat that performance. I’ve trained hard during the winter and am proud to still be part of the Mercedes-AMG DTM Team. The conditions and expectations this year are different to 2015. My goal this season is to finish regularly in the Top Ten and maybe even get a shot at the podium – something I had a shot at twice last year. It would be great if I could pull it off this season.”

Ulrich Fritz, Head of Mercedes-AMG DTM: “We’re aiming for stability in the team after a successful 2015. Esteban Ocon has learned a lot as our test and reserve driver and is ready for his rookie season in the DTM. Esteban proved his talent last year by winning the GP3 Series title. Of course, he still has much to learn, but with his seven team-mates, he can draw on the combined experience of 31 DTM seasons. When you start the season as defending champions, it’s hard to have any other goal than winning the championship. But everyone knows just how competitive the DTM is and it won’t be an easy task. I would like to especially thank our reigning DTM champion, Pascal Wehrlein, who has taken the next step in his career for 2016, as he will be tackling a fresh challenge in Formula One. Pascal remains part of the Mercedes-Benz family, and we wish him all the best in what we hope will be a successful F1 career.”

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt had announced at the 2015 Season Review that the same eight drivers would compete in the BMW M4 DTM in 2016 as did last year, in the form of Bruno Spengler (CA), Marco Wittmann (DE), António Félix da Costa (PT), Timo Glock (DE), Augusto Farfus (BR), Tom Blomqvist (GB), Maxime Martin (BE) and Martin Tomczyk (DE).

It has now been confirmed which teams the drivers will race for. Only at BMW Team Schnitzer does the pairing of Félix da Costa and Tomczyk remain unchanged. Meanwhile, changes have been made at each of the other three teams. Glock switches from BMW Team MTEK to BMW Team RMG, where he will drive alongside Wittmann. The pair were team-mates at BMW Team MTEK back in 2013. Farfus takes Glock’s place at BMW Team MTEK, where he joins Spengler. This move sees the Brazilian leave BMW Team RBM after many successful years together. Martin moves across to team principal Bart Mampaey’s Belgian (BE) outfit, where he is the new team-mate of Blomqvist.

“We have a very strong and stable squad of drivers, which showed outstanding team spirit in the battle for the Manufacturers’ title last season,” said Marquardt. “Therefore, we had no need to change our squad. However, it has always been our philosophy to create new impulses by systematically varying the line-ups within our four DTM teams, and thus to get the absolute maximum out of our overall package. We have had very good experiences in this regard. Because of this, we are confident that we will achieve success again with the changes for the coming season. Augusto Farfus, Timo Glock and Maxime Martin have proven that they are among the best in the DTM and that they are capable of winning races. They now face new challenges, which will hopefully help them take another step forward in their development.”

This is the first time in the DTM careers of Farfus, Glock and Martin that the trio have switched teams. Farfus spent four years driving for BMW Team RBM, with whom he had previously enjoyed success in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC). Farfus won three DTM races in 2013, ending the year as runner-up in the Drivers’ Championship. Glock joined the DTM and has been a permanent part of BMW Team MTEK since then. He won one race for team principal Ernest Knoors (NL) and his crew in both 2013 and 2015.

Glock lined up alongside Wittmann in his debut year, and joins forces with the 2014 champion again at BMW Team RMG in 2016. Martin won one race in each of his two years after joining the DTM with Stefan Reinhold’s (DE) team, with whom he won the Team title in 2014. The Belgian now switches to his compatriots at BMW Team RBM.

An overview of the driver pairings for the 2016 DTM season:

BMW Team RMG:

#11 Marco Wittmann

#16 Timo Glock

BMW Team MTEK:

#7 Bruno Spengler

#18 Augusto Farfus

BMW Team RBM:

#31 Tom Blomqvist

#36 Maxime Martin

BMW Team Schnitzer:

#13 António Félix da Costa

#77 Martin Tomczyk

Krohn was crowned “BMW Motorsport Junior of the Year” in 2014. In the past 2015 season he raced the BMW Z4 GT3 in the VLN Endurance Championship Nürburgring (DE), and competed in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with the BMW Z4 GTE. Delétraz participated in the BMW Motorsport Junior Programme this year. Sims is also in action in GT racing and contested the British GT Championship and the Blancpain Endurance Series with Ecurie Ecosse in 2015. Seventeen-year-old Russell drove his debut season in the Formula 3 European Championship this year, and finished sixth overall.

With sunshine and mild temperatures, the four young drivers had good weather conditions for their first laps in the BMW M4 DTM. The reference laps, which serve for comparisons at the DTM Young Driver Test, were completed by BMW DTM driver Tom Blomqvist (GB).

In addition, BMW Motorsport continued the test programme with the BMW M6 GT3 at Jerez. The newly developed GT race car was driven by BMW works drivers Dirk Werner (DE) and Jens Klingmann (DE).

 Quotes after the DTM Young Driver Test in Jerez.

Jesse Krohn:

“The test in the BMW M4 DTM was a dream come true for me. The DTM is the pinnacle of tin-top-racing; it is the highest class you can reach in a car with a roof over you. It was amazing – just as good as I expected, probably even better. The downforce was just amazing, as was the way you are able to enter all the quick corners flat without the car moving. That was mind blowing. This test was an awesome experience for me and the perfect ending to my best season so far in racing.”

Louis Delétraz:

“It was really amazing to drive the BMW M4 DTM. I really enjoyed it. It has a lot of downforce, a lot of power and also the braking is impressive. To be honest, my expectations have even been exceeded. I was surprised how quick it went into the corners – that was awesome. I am really happy that BMW Motorsport offered me this opportunity. It was a great end to the year.”

Alexander Sims:

“It was pretty awesome. I have heard a lot of good things about the BMW M4 DTM and it was fantastic to experience it myself. The car has a lot of aerodynamic downforce. It means that when you are braking and going into a corner you have to be very precise with the amount of braking pressure, and also the steering input. That is different to the GT car and it took some time to adapt to, but in the end it was pretty good. Also the amount of power the car has is awesome – as is the braking. With carbon brakes it slows down very quickly, and that was very impressive. Overall, it was a fantastic test.”

George Russell:

“It was the first time that I had driven such a car with such pace and it was a great experience. The test went really well and I enjoyed driving the BMW M4 DTM. It was the first time I had experienced a tin-top with this much grip. It was just incredible and being able to be on the limit was great. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially liked the downforce – it was a great feeling being in such a big car, weighing so much and having this much grip. There are many similarities between a Formula 3 car and a DTM car. They both have a lot of downforce and impressive horse power, so for me as a Formula 3 driver it did not take long to adapt. Overall it has been a great experience to test the BMW M4 DTM.”

Half a day each with the Audi Sport test squad, some 300 kilometers at the wheel of the Audi RS 5 DTM, simulations of qualifying sessions and races, starting practice, plus the most successful Audi DTM driver of all time – Mattias Ekström – as a reference: Matthew Brabham (21/USA), Mitch Evans (21/New Zealand), Antonio Giovinazzi (21/Italy), Ben Hanley (30/Great Britain), Alex Palou (18/Spain) and Arthur Pic (24/France) received an opportunity many young race drivers dream of in Andalusia during the first week of December.

“The Young Driver Test has become a tradition at Audi Sport,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport, who was on-site to get a personal impression of the young drivers. “A number of our current factory drivers proved their prowess in these tests in the past. The young drivers’ characters differ a lot from each other and it’s always interesting to see how they tackle a task like this.”

The two-time DTM Champion Mattias Ekström set a reference time at the wheel of the Audi RS 5 DTM on all three test days in optimal external conditions. In addition, Miguel Molina, who had previously been discovered at a ‘Young Driver Test’ himself and won his first DTM race this year, assisted the six youngsters with advice. The five-time Le Mans winner Emanuele Pirro intensively watched the tests as well. They were not primarily focused on pure lap times, but on the overall impression left by the young talents – and it was a generally positive one, despite major differences in experience of the six selected drivers.

Matthew Brabham (21): An American with roots in Australia

A 21-year-old American with Australian roots and a famous last name was the first to hit the track on Tuesday morning: Matthew Brabham. His father, Geoff, won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1993 and his grandfather, Jack Brabham, was a three-time Formula One World Champion. The youngest member of the Brabham dynasty is endeavoring to get a foothold in the IndyCar Series, but is a great DTM fan as well. “I grew up with video games and the DTM was always one of the best series for me there,” he says. “But in the ‘real’ DTM, racing is great and entertaining as well. I’ve been watching the races on television for years. For me, having the opportunity to drive one of these cars has made a dream come true. The Audi RS 5 DTM is really fantastic – not as unwieldy as you’d expect a touring car to be. It’s been an outstanding experience for me.”

Mitch Evans (21): A New Zealander from the Formula One environment

Next in line on Tuesday afternoon was Mitch Evans, the 2012 GP3 Champion and fifth in the GP2 Series this year. The 21-year-old New Zealander is a protégé of former Formula One star Mark Webber and has already had an opportunity to test the current LMP1 Porsche. “Some of my friends are driving DTM by now. I’ve been watching the series on television and wanted to drive a car like that for once at all cost – preferably an Audi,” the ‘Kiwi’ relates. “It’s cool that it worked out. I don’t have a lot of experience with a roof above my head and was surprised about how much downforce and grip the Audi RS 5 DTM generates. It’s breathtaking to see how fast you can attack in the fast turns. Braking power is fantastic too.” Up to now, the New Zealander has been focused on single-seater racing, but that does not have to remain this way: “My goal is to work together with a manufacturer. I hope that I’ve been able to impress Audi a little in this test.”

Antonio Giovinazzi (21): Experience advantage in the DTM car

Originally, Antonio Giovinazzi was scheduled to test on Wednesday afternoon. But because the Italian had received an invitation on short notice to participate in the GP2 test in Abu Dhabi that was held at the same time, he was allowed to take the wheel of the Audi RS 5 DTM earlier, on Wednesday morning. “The direct comparison between DTM and GP2 will probably be interesting,” says the runner-up in the Formula 3 European Championship. In addition to two previously contested DTM races, this marked the third test with Audi Sport for Giovinazzi: “In spite of this, I’m still learning a lot of new things every time,” says the 21-year-old Italian. “I’m very grateful to Audi for giving me another opportunity to test a DTM car. Driving these cars is really huge fun and I’ve been able to further refine my driving style. It’s been an intensive morning, but I tremendously enjoyed it.”

Ben Hanley (30): From the kart into the Audi RS 5 DTM

At the age of 30, Ben Hanley may no longer be regarded as a classic youngster. Still, the Briton made the biggest step of all the test participants on climbing into the cockpit of the Audi RS 5 DTM on Wednesday afternoon. Hanley won the FIA European Karting Championship this year. “Being able to test a DTM car has been a unique opportunity for me,” says Hanley. “I concentrated on doing the best possible job and to make use of this chance.” Hanley has achieved his most recent successes in karting, but has experience in various single-seater racing series as well. In addition, he has worked in the simulator. “I’m receptive to any form of motorsport. Motorsport is my passion,” he says. “Obviously, I’d love to drive DTM. The races are very close and consistency is important. As a driver, you can still make a difference there.”

Alex Palou (18): GP3 winner in the DTM cockpit

Alex Palou arrived at Jerez with a broad grin on his face. The young Spaniard had won his first GP3 race held as part of the Formula One finale in Abu Dhabi last Sunday. Palou is regarded as one of Spain’s greatest young talents and previously – then aged 17 – participated in Audi Sport’s ‘Young Driver Test’ a year ago. “I was delighted to receive another invitation,” says Palou. “Even though my goal is to race in Formula One, I’m happy that I was able to test the Audi RS 5 DTM a second time. The DTM is one of the best championships that exist in racing.” Palou is a friend of Audi factory driver Miguel Molina. “Ever since Miguel has been driving in the DTM I’ve been watching the series – obviously even more intensively following my first test last year. I’ve watched every race ever since then and was upset that in the end the title didn’t go to Audi.”

Arthur Pic (24): Premiere in the touring car

Although he is only 24 years old, Arthur Pic has already been active in formula racing for nine years – most recently in the GP2 Series. The younger brother of Formula One driver Charles Pic was at the wheel of a touring car for the first time on Thursday afternoon at Jerez. “Obviously, not seeing the front wheels was unusual for me at first,” says the Frenchman. “Vision is limited as well. I tried to make the best of this opportunity as I’ve been waiting for this chance for a long time.” Pic has been interested in the DTM for quite a while. “I happened to watch a DTM test at Aragon a few years ago,” Pic relates. “At that time, I said to myself: I’d like to drive that myself one day. I’ve been pursuing this goal ever since and following the DTM with great interest. It’s fantastic that you can watch the races live on YouTube. The DTM is a tremendous series with really good drivers. If an opportunity to race in the DTM presented itself, I’d immediately grab it.”

As usual, the season will be kicked off at Hockenheim. There, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz will start into the new season from 06thto 08th May, 2016. And about six months later, on 16th October, the same venue will stage the final race of the season and the title celebrations.

“We succeeded in creating a well-balanced calendar with the race weekends being well distributed and so, the thrill and excitement for the spectators and the crowds will be maintained throughout the season,” said ITR Chairman Hans Werner Aufrecht.

After the season kick-off at Hockenheim, DTM will make its next stops at Spielberg, Austria, and at the Lausitzring where the DTM support programme will comprise two rounds of ADAC GT Masters. On the final weekend in July, the calendar features the only street race of the season – at Nuremberg’s Norisring. An event that represents one of the season highlights every single year. Afterwards, DTM travels to the Netherlands (Zandvoort), Russia (Moscow) and the Eifel (Nürburgring). And in late September, after a one-year break, DTM returns to Hungary. The Hungaroring, home of the Hungarian Formula One GP and located not far from the Hungarian capital Budapest, will stage the rounds 15 and 16 of the 2016 season. While the season finale, traditionally contested at Hockenheim, will be held from 14th to 16th October.

The advance booking will begin on 30th November at www.dtm.com/tickets. You also can purchase tickets for 2016 DTM season at the Essen Motor Show. At the popular fair, DTM also will be on site with a big booth.

THE 2016 CALENDAR AT A GLANCE:

06th to 08th May                 Hockenheim I
20th to 22nd May                Spielberg
03rd to 05th June                Lausitzring
24th to 26th June                Norisring
15th to 17th July                 Zandvoort
19th to 21st August            Moscow
09th to 11th September      Nürburgring
23rd to 25th September      Budapest
14th to 16th October           Hockenheim II

A familiar face, Maro Engel, will be back in a DTM car this week. The German lined up with Mercedes-Benz in the DTM for four years during 2008-2011. Last week, he won the inaugural FIA GT World Cup on the legendary Guia street circuit in Macau at the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3.

Fellow German Marvin Kirchhöfer competed in Abu Dhabi last weekend in the season finale of the GP3 series which was run under the Formula 1 banner. The ex-Formula ADAC and German Formula 3 Champion finished his second GP3 season in third place overall with ART Grand Prix.

Jazeman Jaafar from Malaysia has raced in Formula Renault 3.5 for the past three years. He finished in eighth place this season.

Danish driver Mikkel Jensen won the 2014 Formula ADAC and completed his debut season in the FIA Formula 3 Championship this year.

Fellow Dane Kevin Magnussen acted as test and reserve driver to the McLaren Formula 1 team this season. The son of former DTM driver Jan Magnussen contested his debut season in the premier class of motor racing with McLaren-Mercedes in 2014. He placed eleventh with 55 championship points.

Raffaele Marciello won the 2013 FIA Formula 3 European Championship with the Mercedes-Benz Formula 3 engine and moved up to the GP2 series the following year. During the past two years, the Italian has undertaken Formula 1 testing for Scuderia Ferrari and the Sauber F1 Team.

The two ADAC GT Masters champions Sebastian Asch and Luca Ludwig will also take part in DTM testing this Monday and will test the Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM as a reward for their achievements this season.

Ulrich Fritz, Head of Mercedes-AMG DTM: “It’s always a great experience to observe talented drivers taking their first steps in our Mercedes-AMG C 63 DTM. Our brand has successfully worked to promote young talent in motor racing for many years, so it’s really terrific that we are again able to offer a number of talented racing drivers an opportunity to test our DTM car this week.”

Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport)

“That so many spectators traveled to the finale at Hockenheim in spite of the nasty fall weather speaks for the DTM. On clinching the one-two win on Saturday and the one-two-three success on Sunday, we showed once more how strong the Audi RS 5 DTM has been this year. Ten victories in 18 races are a respectable tally. And no other driver has won more races than Jamie Green. So, it’s all the more disappointing that we weren’t able to take any of the three championship titles home. Still, I’d like to thank our drivers, the three teams, all employees of Audi Sport and our partners for their commitment this DTM season that wasn’t a really easy one. There’s no reason to be disheartened. Congratulations to Pascal Wehrlein, to BMW and to the victorious Mercedes-Team.”

Dieter Gass (Head of DTM at Audi Sport)

“The final weekend was a mirror image of the season: we were extremely strong, won a lot of races, but also missed scoring valuable points again and again. I think that there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that we had the best car this year. We confirmed once more that we have three tremendous teams and an extremely strong driver squad. Six of our eight drivers and all three teams have won races this year. This speaks for itself. Before the final weekend, we only had minimal chances of clinching one of the three titles. That’s why our expectations weren’t very high anymore. We kept our promises, went for maximum attack and clinched two superb results.”

Jamie Green (Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM #53) position 2 / position 1

“I won the first race of the season here and the last one. That’s definitely special. I was able to quickly overtake Gary (Paffett) on Sunday and subsequently drove the race home in a controlled manner. This was my fourth victory this season – I can be proud of that. Congratulations to Audi on their one-two-three victory and ‘thank you’ to my Rosberg team.”

Timo Scheider (AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM #10) position 1 / position 5

“After a very, very difficult year, with my victory on Saturday and our fifth place on Sunday, we were finally at the point where I’d have liked to see our performance throughout the season and that we’re able to show as well under normal circumstances. Following this long low, it’s obviously a relief to start the winter break with such a tremendous weekend. In that respect, I’m more than happy with the finale at Hockenheim.”

Edoardo Mortara (Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM #48) retirement / position 3

“In 2015, I battled for the title up to the last weekend – as a result, this has been my best DTM season, one with many great moments. After my retirement on Saturday, the race on Sunday was a lot of fun. My pace was very good and the team contributed its share with a perfect strategy as well. Still, after the final weekend, I initially feel more disappointed than happy because I arrived as the runner-up and now I’m only in position four of the final standings.”

Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #5) position 9 / position 2

“We promised our fans that we’d battle for the title up to the last chance – and we kept our promise. In spite of it, we unfortunately didn’t manage to keep the championship race open up to the final event – one of the reasons being that I picked the most unfortunate moment for the worst start in my DTM career. But that doesn’t change the fact that the Audi RS 5 DTM was the best car in the field. We just didn’t extract enough from it.”

Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #99) position 5 / position 15

“The finale at Hockenheim reflects my season. On Saturday, things were going pretty well with position six in qualifying and fifth place in the race. Sunday then was very frustrating again. I clinched a victory and two pole positions in 2015. That’s all in terms of highlights. After three good years in the DTM, this one has simply been jinxed. I’m going to forget about it now and look forward to better days.”

Miguel Molina (Teufel Audi RS 5 DTM #17) position 17 / position 11

“Our performance was extremely strong the whole season, which the weekend at Hockenheim again showed. I started the race on Saturday and Sunday from the second row, but didn’t score any points. And that’s also what I’m planning to do in the future: to improve my consistency and results in the races. As the highlight of the season, I’ll always remember my victory at the Nürburgring. But I’m not going to rest on those laurels.”

Nico Müller (Audi Financial Services Audi RS 5 DTM #51) position 14 / position 16

“On Sunday, I finally had a good qualifying again and managed to confirm my fast times from the practice sessions. Unfortunately, my first set of tires wasn’t good and from position seven I wasn’t able to make up any places. The second set of tires was much better and I had already pulled clear of two rivals when I had to sit a drive-through penalty for an ‘unsafe release,’ which I couldn’t understand at all. That’s what ultimately ruined my race. That’s a shame because a top-5 position would have been possible to end the season. Now I’m going to recharge my batteries in winter and attack again next year. Congratulations to my Rosberg team and to Jamie on winning and taking second place in the championship.”

Adrien Tambay (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM #27) retirement / retirement

“I’d so much been hoping to end the season on a positive note but, unfortunately, the standings on Sunday again show a zero twice behind my name. Especially on Sunday, a lot more was possible from position six on the grid, before I was forced to retire due to a collision I wasn’t at fault in. I’d have liked to do my part in still turning the tables in the manufacturers’ classification. Now I need to analyze the season, get over it and look ahead.”

Arno Zensen (Team Director Audi Sport Team Rosberg)

“A tremendous finale for our team. Jamie (Green) with his second place on Saturday and his triumph on Sunday clinched the runner-up’s spot in the championship in the season’s final sprint. Furthermore, he’s by far the most victorious driver in the field with his tally of four top spots. This, too, shows his class. Neither he nor our team has been discouraged by our misfortune halfway through the season and now we’ve been rewarded for it. Nico Müller could have ended the season with a strong result as well. Unfortunately, he received a drive-through penalty that I can’t understand at all. ‘Thank you’ also to Audi Sport for the awesomely strong RS 5 DTM. It’s just a shame that the fastest car in the field remained without a title.”

Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)

“Two of our guys – Edo (Mortara) and Mattias (Ekström) – still had title chances on the last weekend of the season. That makes me happy because it shows that we had a strong year. I think we delivered good racing to the fans and a great fighting spirit. Still, we wanted more because our aim is always the championship. My thanks go to the whole squad that pulled together on nine weekends and never gave up during the time in between. The position as the best Audi team and the two first places in the pit stop classification are a small reward for this commitment.”

Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix)

“We found our old strength again this weekend. That’s a great feeling, especially on Saturday with victory by Timo (Scheider) and position five by Mike (Rockenfeller). Sunday didn’t work out quite as well, but in position five Timo clinched ten more championship points. Congratulations to Audi on claiming a one-two-three win to close the season. It’s a shame that, despite having the best car in the field, the four rings didn’t clinch a title. But the package is right, so I’m optimistic that our team, following a fair to middling season, can come up trumps again next year.”

The German who lives in Austria started from the front row and on lap two overtook the BMW of Maxime Martin, the fastest driver in qualifying. Subsequently, Scheider increasingly pulled clear of his immediate rivals, drove the fastest race lap and in the end crossed the finish line with a 2.875-second advantage over Jamie Green (Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM/Audi Sport Team Rosberg).

“To finally stand at the very top again after such a difficult season is a great feeling,” the Audi driver said following the seventh triumph he has clinched in a DTM race in total. “I’m very happy about it, especially for my guys in Audi Sport Team Phoenix who, just like I, had to wait for a long time for this moment. Obviously, it’s a shame for Audi that we weren’t able to keep the title race open in the drivers’ classification.”

Following a good qualifying session, the minimal title chances of Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM) and Edoardo Mortara (Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM/both Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) remained intact. But lap one already produced the preliminary decision in the title race. Mortara had to pit following contact with another car and subsequently retired after another collision. Mattias Ekström dropped from seventh to 18th place at the start. In the duel with leader of the standings Pascal Wehrlein he was sent into a spin by Wehrlein’s brand colleague Robert Wickens on lap three. From position 20, Ekström still managed to recover to ninth place and, as a result, improved to second place again in the standings. However, the drivers’ classification went to Mercedes driver Pascal Wehrlein early.

The manufacturers’ classification, in which Audi passed Mercedes-Benz on Saturday and is trailing BMW in second place by 56 points before the final race on Sunday (from 15.00, CEST, live on ARD), remains open.

Valuable points were scored on Saturday by Jamie Green and Mike Rockenfeller. From position five on the grid, Green battled his way forward to second place and went on to complete Audi’s one-two result. In fierce duels, the Briton overtook the BMW of Maxime Martin and the Mercedes of Paul Di Resta, subsequently kept both of them at bay without DRS help, and mounted the podium again for the first time since the Lausitzring race at the end of May. Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM finished in fifth place.

Nürburgring winner Miguel Molina (Teufel Audi RS 5 DTM) lost his chances of clinching a good result due to two collisions in the early stage and finished the race in position 14, barely ahead of Nico Müller (Audi Financial Services Audi RS 5 DTM). Adrien Tambay (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM) was hit in the rear on lap one by BMW driver Bruno Spengler and forced to retire.

“We have mixed feelings,” Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport, said after the race. “We had the strongest car in the field once more. I’m incredibly pleased that Timo (Scheider) has found the form again that made him a two-time DTM Champion. Jamie, as well, finally wasn’t unfortunate today and showed two strong overtaking maneuvers. Obviously, it’s disappointing that our two candidates for the title lost all their chances right at the beginning. We’d have liked to keep the Championship open for the fans until tomorrow. Now we’ve still got a small chance of winning the manufacturers’ classification like we did last year. Congratulations to Pascal Wehrlein and Mercedes-Benz on winning the drivers’ title.”

The Audi A5 DTM selection turns heads with its special racing design. The front lid, doors and rear window are emblazoned with dynamically designed DTM, quattro and Audi Sport logos. The Misano red paint finish contrasts with high-gloss black add-on parts on the front, sills and rear, giving added emphasis to the sports appeal of this limited-edition model. The front apron and the large air inlets with their rhombus-pattern grilles also contribute to its special looks. The cast aluminum wheels by Audi Sport embrace a five twin-spoke design in matt titanium look. Their dimensions are 9J x 20, for 265/30 R 20 tires.

With the door open, the entry lighting projects a DTM logo onto the road. The special edition’s door sill trims, too, display the Audi Sport label and there are dark-tinted windows at the rear. The interior is dominated by the highly contoured bucket seats adopted from the RS model. Their backrest covers and the inlays in the door and side trims and center console are in Misano red. Red stitching enhances the seats and leather multifunction sports steering wheel, the flattened rim of which is partly trimmed in Alcantara. The pedals are in stainless steel.

The hood of the Audi A5 DTM selection conceals the powerful 3.0 TDI engine with an output of 180 kW (245 hp) and 580 Nm (427.8 lb-ft) of torque. It accelerates the two-door model from 0 to 100 km/h (62.1 mph) in 5.9 seconds on the way to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155.3 mph). The A5 DTM selection achieves average fuel consumption per 100 kilometers (62.1 miles)

of 6.3 liters (6.3 US mpg) with 162 grams of CO₂ per kilometer (260.7 g/mi). A seven-speed S tronic transfers the engine power to the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system.

Audi has restricted the production run for the A5 DTM selection to 50 cars, at a price of EUR 74,540 in Germany. The spectacular coupé is the third DTM special edition built by the brand with the four rings. Its predecessors – the A4 Sedan in 2005 and the A5 Coupé in 2013 – carried the spirit of Audi in the German Touring Car Masters from the racetrack to the road.

Fuel consumption of the models named above:

Audi A5 DTM selection:
Combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 6.3 l/100km (37.3 US mpg)**;
Combined CO₂ emissions in g/km: 162 g/km (260.7 g/mi)**

** Fuel consumption, CO₂ emission figures and efficiency classes given in ranges depend on the tires/wheels used.