DTM: Strong Audi showing in DTM finale

Audi Press Release

• Three Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the best three grid positions
• Audi RS 7 to do a fast lap at Hockenheim – without a driver
• World premiere of the new Audi Sport TT Cup

Ingolstadt/Hockenheim, October 18, 2014 – Strong showing by the four rings in the DTM finale at Hockenheim (Sunday live on ‘Das Erste’ starting 13.30): Miguel Molina, Mattias Ekström and Edoardo Mortara secured the best three grid positions for Audi for the last race of the year. Six Audi RS 5 DTM cars in total made it into the top eight in qualifying. Before the race starts, a driverless Audi RS 7 and the new Audi TT cup will be making a grand appearance as well.

It was a qualifying session exactly to the liking of Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport: “Six Audi cars in Q3 and three in the top three positions of the grid: That was precisely the strong showing we needed here in qualifying. I can only tell the whole squad: well done! If we repeat this performance tomorrow in the race, then we’ll have very good chances of winning the manufacturers’ title. That’s clearly our aim.”

Miguel Molina in the Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline decided the battle for the best grid position in his favor. The Spaniard defeated his team-mate Mattias Ekström in the Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM by a razor-thin margin of 16 thousandths of a second. Edoardo Mortara in the Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM in third place completed the strong showing by the Bavarian squad.

“I’d like to thank Audi and my team who worked hard for this result. And this work has paid off,” said Miguel Molina, who secured the best grid position for the third time in his DTM career. “The pole position is fantastic and the whole result is great for Audi. The last races didn’t go so well for me, but now we’re at the very front again.”

Jamie Green in the Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Rosberg secured grid position five. The fourth row of the grid will be shared by the two drivers of Audi Sport Team Phoenix, Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM) and Timo Scheider (AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM).

Adrien Tambay, who in his Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM had started from the pole position in the season opener at Hockenheim, in eleventh place missed the top eight by 0.130 seconds. Nico Müller (Audi Financial Services Audi RS 5 DTM/Startplatz 18) complained about lack of grip.

For Audi, this marked the third pole position of the year and the eighth of eleven possible ones in the season finale at Hockenheim since the brand’s return with a factory-backed commitment in 2004.

But Audi is not only set on thrilling the fans at Hockenheim with the RS 5 DTM. The brand with the four rings has developed the world’s sportiest piloted driving car. On Sunday before the start of the DTM race, the Audi RS 7 piloted driving concept will demonstrate its dynamic potential and driving skills with a fast lap on the Hockenheimring – without a driver.

Soccer star Bastian Schweiger, who plans to visit Audi on Sunday to keep his fingers crossed for the Audi drivers in the DTM finale, is among those who would not want to miss the lap of the RS 7 piloted driving concept (live streaming from 12.45 Uhr on www.audimedia.tv/de).

The new Audi TT cup that was unveiled on Friday will be doing its first public lap on a race track before the start of the DTM race as well. Prof. Dr. Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of Audi’s Management Board for Technical Development will be at the wheel.

The DTM finale starts at 14.00. ARD will air the last race of the season live from Hockenheim starting at 13.30.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport