DTM: Edoardo Mortara leads the opening practice session at Hockenheim

By Tarek Ramchani

The Audi drivers performed very well in the opening DTM practice session at Hockenheim. A fine 1-2 for the Audi RS 5 DTM cars in a very wet session.

Italian Edoardo Mortra was the fastested with this #48 Audi RS 5 DTM. The Audi Sport Team Abt Sportline driver set the best time of the session with 1:50.182.

Second place went to his team-mate at Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, Mattias Ekström. Eki set a personal best time of 1:50.296 behind the wheel of this #5 RS 5 DTM.

Miguel Molina was fifth fastest with the #17 RS 5 DTM from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. The 2013 DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller was eighth fastest with the #99 car run by Audi Sport Team Phoenix. Rocky's team-mate, Timo Scheider was ninth fastest with the #10 RS 5 DTM.

The remaining three Audi drivers were outside the Top 10. Nico Mueller (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) was fourteenth. Adrien Tambay (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) was sixteenth. Jamie Green (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) was eighteenth.

The Audi drivers will be back on track tomorrow for the second practice session, qualifying and race 1.

Photo credit: Audi Media

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DTM: Strong new partner for Audi in the DTM

Audi Press Release

• Loudspeaker specialist Teufel enters DTM with Audi
• New graphics for Miguel Molina’s Audi RS 5 DTM
• Final pre-season tests starting on Tuesday

Ingolstadt, April 13, 2015 – Audi Sport has a new partner in the DTM: Teufel Audio. The logo of the Berlin-based hi-fi specialist will be featured on Miguel Molina’s Audi RS 5 DTM in the 2015 season. Intensive tests at Oschersleben, starting this Tuesday, are rounding off Audi Sport’s pre-season preparations.

At Hockenheim, where the season opens on the first weekend in May, Audio Teufel based in Berlin will start racing on the DTM tracks with its logo emblazoned on the Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM of the Spaniard Miguel Molina. Audio Teufel is a hi-fi manufacturer that exclusively sells its product range directly via www.teufelaudio.com and a flagship store in the heart of Berlin.

“It speaks for Audi and the DTM that we’ve been able to gain another renowned company as a partner for our DTM commitment,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “We were pleased to change the graphics of Miguel’s RS 5 DTM again for this partnership.”

“Teufel, Audi and the DTM, that’s simply a perfect fit!” says Sebastian Drawert, General Manager Marketing at Audio Teufel, in commenting on the cooperation. “We share the same passion for intensity, and both of us are not just interested in having customers but aim to win fans.”

The number ‘17’ Audi will be seen sporting its new red-black outfit for the first time at Hockenheim. This Tuesday, the final official pre-season track tests will start at Oschersleben. The CASTROL Edge Audi RS 5 DTM of Edoardo Mortara, the Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM of Mattias Ekström, the AUTO TEST Audi RS 5 DTM of Timo Scheider and the Audi Financial Services Audi RS 5 DTM of Youngster Nico Müller, who most recently set the fastest time in the test at Estoril, will be participating in the tests.

As at Estoril, all eight Audi drivers will be taking turns at the wheel of the four Audi RS 5 DTM cars at Oschersleben. Following a brief rollout on Monday, the tests will he held from 9.00 to 13.00 and from 14.00 to 18.00 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The grandstands and the paddock will be open to spectators on all three test days.

The on-track action starts in earnest at Hockenheim from April 30 to May 3. “That’s when we’re going to see where we really stand,” says the two-time DTM Champion Mattias Ekström. “Nobody is going to put their cards on the table before then. That’ll make it even more exciting for the fans to watch the first qualifying session and race of the year live on location.”

Tickets for the DTM Festival at Hockenheim, at which the new Audi Sport TT Cup will celebrate its racing debut and the FIA World Rallycross Championship (World RX) will make a guest appearance as well, are available on www.audi-motorsport.com.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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DTM: Audi drivers impressed by RS 5 DTM at Estoril track tests

Audi Press Release

• Positive feedback following track tests in Portugal
• Difficult external conditions with wind and rain
• Next test at Oschersleben in April

Ingolstadt/Estoril, March 27, 2015 – At the first official DTM track tests of the year, the Audi RS 5 DTM left a strong impression.

From Wednesday to Friday this week, the DTM tested on the race track at Estoril (Portugal) on which the internationally popular touring car racing series last held a race in 2004. “Unfortunately, the external conditions weren’t exactly optimal,“ says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “On the first and on the last day, we had very strong gusty winds. On the second day, there was intermittent rain. It won’t be easy to draw the right conclusions from the test results. But after the long winter break, it was extremely important for our drivers to get a lot of driving time and to get an idea of the set-up work that was done over the winter months. We’re pleased that our drivers immediately felt comfortable again in the RS 5 DTM and made positive comments about the basic set-up that was worked out in winter.“

All eight Audi drivers participated in the tests on the Portuguese Atlantic coast. Each of the three Audi Sport Teams (Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg) had a 2015-specification race car at Estoril, plus there was a test car from Audi Sport that was equipped with additional sensors and measuring instruments shared by Mattias Ekström and Miguel Molina.

“The whole team did a good job in winter,” Timo Scheider, the 2008 and 2009 DTM Champion, said after the test. “This was the first time for me to sit in the RS 5 DTM since the finale at Hockenheim and I immediately felt comfortable. The car is superbly balanced.”

This impression was confirmed by all Audi drivers, who reeled off a total of 1,382 laps and 5,779 kilometers on the three days. Except for a minor slip by Adrien Tambay on Thursday afternoon, the test went without any problems for Audi. In four of the six test sessions, an Audi RS 5 DTM was listed in first place.

The fastest lap of the tests was performed by youngster Nico Müller, who in the Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM of his team-mate Jamie Green achieved a best time of 1m 32.443s on the last day. “It was great for me to be able to test for two full days,” said the 23-year-old Swiss. “We don’t have a lot of testing opportunities in the DTM. Obviously, the weather hampered our testing program a little. But the items we checked off were positive.”

At Estoril, all Audi drivers worked together with their race engineers for the 2015 season for the first time. New to the Audi DTM squad is the Italian Nicola Palarchi, who supports Adrien Tambay in Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. Starting this year, his previous engineer, Franco Chiocchetti, will be taking care of Edoardo Mortara’s RS 5 DTM. All other driver-engineer combinations have remained unchanged.

Before the season opener at Hockenheim on the first weekend in May, another official DTM test is scheduled at Oschersleben from April 14 to 16.

The test results of the Audi four RS 5 DTM at Estoril

Audi Sport Audi RS 5 DTM #17 (Audi Sport Team Abt)
Mattias Ekström (S), 147 laps (Wed), 1m 33.269 s (Wed)
Miguel Molina (E), 190 laps (Thur/Fri), 1m 32.673s (Fri)

Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM #27 (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
Adrien Tambay (F), 193 laps (Wed/Thur), 1m 32.878s (Thur)
Edoardo Mortara (I), 114 laps (Fri), 1m 33,075s (Fri)

Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM #53 (Audi Sport Team Rosberg)
Jamie Green (GB), 127 laps (Wed), 1m 32.774s (Wed)
Nico Müller (CH), 243 laps (Thur/Fri), 1m 32.4432 (Fri)

Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #99 (Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
Mike Rockenfeller (D), 197 laps (Wed/Thur), 1m 32.804s (Thur)
Timo Scheider (D), 171 laps (Thur/Fri), 1m 32.586s (Fri)

The race engineers for the Audi Sport Teams in the 2015 DTM:

Mattias Ekström: Florian Modlinger
Jamie Green: Erich Baumgärtner
Miguel Molina: Markus Michelberger
Edoardo Mortara: Franco Chiocchetti
Nico Müller: Karl Jennings
Mike Rockenfeller: Jürgen Jungklaus
Timo Scheider: Laurent Fedacou
Adrien Tambay: Nicola Palarchi

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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DTM: Audi in the 2015 DTM: more races, fewer tests

Audi Press Release

Ingolstadt, March 11, 2015 – DTM fans can look forward to a double dose of racing action in 2015, as each of the nine DTM events this year will feature two races – one on Saturday and one on Sunday. In contrast, the number of test days has been further reduced. 

In the past, the DTM organizer, ITR, would schedule two official four-day pre-season tests. This year, there will only be three days twice. Although this reduces expense and effort it also increases the pressure on the engineers and technicians at Audi Sport, as every minute on the race track is now even more valuable than before.

Therefore, Audi primarily used track tests at Portimão (Portugal) last week to optimally prepare for the two official ITR tests at Estoril (Portugal) and Oschersleben (Germany). The drivers, Mattias Ekström, Nico Müller and Mike Rockenfeller, at the wheel of two test versions of the Audi RS 5 DTM worked out a basic set-up for the 2015 season with which the Audi Sport Teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg will then be entering the two ITR tests.

The test vehicles not only differ from the race cars that will be used for the first time at Estoril in terms of their black carbon fiber bodies. In addition, they are packed with sensors and measuring equipment – easily recognizable by additional antennas on the roof and a pitot tube, which – like in the case of aircraft – enables velocity measurements with particular precision.

At Portimão, Mattias Ekström and Mike Rockenfeller simultaneously went out on track with identical programs but different set-ups. This made it possible for the engineers from Audi Sport to gather comparable data in exactly identical track conditions. They subsequently analyzed this data at the Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg.

“As we aren’t allowed to modify the cars compared to last year’s version, the work in 2015 is primarily focused on fine-tuning and on identifying and fully extracting any previously unused potential,” says Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport.

For the engineers and the drivers, test days in the DTM are hard work, with driving duties starting in the early morning and ending at night. And even during the lunch break the team analyzes data and makes set-up changes.

“Obviously, tests are more fun when you can develop a new race car or new components in the process,” Mike Rockenfeller reckons. “The tests tend to be laborious, but are also very important. After all, every single detail, no matter how small, is crucial in the DTM.”

“Just like the fans, we drivers prefer the races too,” says Mattias Ekström. “However, development tests are an important part of our work. You can try out things you wouldn’t try out on a race weekend. Sometimes it’s also important to know what doesn’t work.”

The conclusiveness of lap times in track tests is relatively low. An assessment of where the team of Audi Sport really stands will probably be produced only in the first qualifying session at Hockenheim on May 2.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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DTM: Two months before DTM opener: Audi tests in Portugal

Audi Press Release

Ingolstadt/Portimão, March 1, 2015 – The number of test days permitted in the DTM are strictly limited – which makes the task that Mattias Ekström and Mike Rockenfeller must complete from March 2-4 in Portuguese Portimão even more important: about two months before the 2015 DTM season starts, Audi Sport puts two RS 5 DTM test cars through their paces. 

The demanding race track in southwest Portugal is the venue of a test attended by all three automobile manufacturers involved in the DTM. Afterwards, there are only two more test opportunities before the season opener at Hockenheim on the first May weekend.

Audi Sport has two RS 5 DTM test cars (chassis number 105 and 115) in action on the Algarve coast. After a brief shakedown on Sunday, March 1, three busy test days each lasting eight hours (8:30 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 17:30) are on the agenda for Mattias Ekström and Mike Rockenfeller. Youngster Nico Müller is on hand as backup.

The Audi Sport trucks set off on the 2,700-kilometer journey to Portimão on Wednesday, February 25. While it’s still winter in Germany, the DTM team hopes to have consistent and perfect testing conditions in the south.

The same applies to the track. “Last time I was there to test, the circuit was very bumpy,” remembers Mike Rockenfeller. “This has been worked on. I’m curious, because in general Portimão is a fantastic track with a demanding layout and fast corners with high G forces – they make big demands of the driver.”

“Even if the technology in the DTM cars has not changed since last year, Portimão is an important test for us because of the few test days we have in the DTM,” says the 2013 DTM Champion. “It’s all about improving details, to refine the set-up, to get in as many laps as possible and to learn. I’m looking forward to it.”

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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World RX: Multi-Year Deal signed with DTM for Hockenheim

FIA World Rallycross Championship Press Release

The FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy has agreed terms with the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) to hold a 13th World Championship round alongside the DTM season-opener at the Hockenheimring in Germany (1-3 May, 2015).

The Hockenheimring was originally built in 1932 and is home to the biannual German Formula One race, held most recently in 2014. It has also staged DTM since the Championship’s inaugural season back in 1984.  Since 2011, Hockenheimring has hosted both the opening and closing rounds of DTM with World RX driver Mattias Ekstrom winning last year’s season-finale in front of a sell-out crowd. Working closely with Apex Circuit Design, a purpose built rallycross circuit is being built in the famous “Sachs Arena” stadium section of the impressive German venue.

The new partnership between IMG Motorsport and ITR is part of a multi-year deal which sees the F1 circuit added to the growing list of world-famous race circuits that now boast purpose-built rallycross circuits.

World RX and DTM will be joined in Hockenheim by DTM’s support championships: the Porsche Carerra Cup Deutschland, FIA Formula 3 European Championship and the new-for-2015 Audi Sport TT Cup.

Martin Anayi, World RX Managing Director for IMG, spoke positively about the latest boost for the FIA’s newest World Championship event: “It is a great honour to partner with DTM at their 2015 season-opening weekend at the Hockenheimring.  We have been extremely impressed with the professionalism we have seen from ITR in running DTM and we can’t wait to show the German motorsport audience just how special World RX is.  There is a natural link with [Mattias] Ekstrom competing in both Championships and also with permanent World RX driver [Anton] Marklund competing in the new Audi Sport TT Cup. We were thrilled when the opportunity arose to build a purpose built rallycross circuit in one of the world’s most famous venues.  Coupled with the fact that an RX event would be held on such an important weekend in the German motorsport calendar was the icing on the cake.  As a result, we now have a fantastic chance to showcase World RX and our sport to a brand new audience. We are very excited about developing our relationship with ITR and look forward to future collaborations.”

ITR Chairman Hans-Werner Aufrecht is delighted about the signing of the deal for this multi-year partnership: “Whatever we do, we always do it allowing for the interests of the fans we want to provide a unique experience, at the circuit.  In consideration of this fact, the FIA World Rallycross Championship suits us perfectly: the DTM high-tech touring cars and the rugged compact World RX racers represent two different, fascinating motor-sport facets. I am convinced that the motor-racing enthusiasts will love this combination.”

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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DTM: Audi and the ‘DTM 2015’ project

Audi Press Release

• Intensive weeks until the first DTM race of the season
• Assembly of the eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars at Audi Sport in Neuburg
• Proven driver line-up and unchanged team assignments

Ingolstadt, February 18, 2015 – In ten weeks from now, the ‘DTM 2015’ project will begin in earnest for the Audi squad. On May 2, the first in a total of 18 races of the new season will be held at the Hockenheimring. Audi’s mission for 2015: to defend the manufacturers’ title in the internationally popular touring car racing series and to bring the drivers’ title back home to Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.

“It’s the first DTM weekend to feature the new format we’re all very excited about and that we’re going to continue to intensively prepare for in the next ten weeks,” says Dieter Gass, Project Leader DTM at Audi Sport. “More than ever before, well-practiced routines and perfect form on the day will be crucial – and now not just in one but in two races per weekend.”

Audi will be the only manufacturer to tackle the title chase with an unchanged driver line-up and has retained the allocation of drivers to the teams from last year as well: Mattias Ekström (S), Miguel Molina (E), Edoardo Mortara (I) and Adrien Tambay (F) will be competing in Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, Timo Scheider (D) and Mike Rockenfeller (D) in Audi Sport Team Phoenix, Jamie Green (GB) and Nico Müller (CH) in Audi Sport Team Rosberg. The eight drivers combined are bringing know-how gained in 608 DTM races to the project. They have decided 38 DTM races in their favor to date and won five titles. Another one is to follow in 2015.

Ekström, Rockenfeller, Scheider & company just finished training together at the traditional Audi Sport Winter Camp in the Allgäu. Now, the assembly and preparation of the eight race cars and final pre-season track tests are on the agenda. Two test cars will be used at Portimão (Portugal) from March 2 to 4. At the wheel: Mattias Ekström, Nico Müller and Mike Rockenfeller. The first ‘new’ Audi RS 5 DTM sporting the 2015 outfit will be unveiled by Audi Sport on March 19. The subsequent official DTM tests at Estoril (Portugal, March 25 to 27) will see the cars of Jamie Green, Miguel Molina, Mike Rockenfeller and Adrien Tambay on track and the tests at Oschersleben (Germany, April 14 to 16) the RS 5 DTM cars of Mattias Ekström, Edoardo Mortara, Nico Müller and Timo Scheider.

For the first time, the teams are assembling the eight race cars for the 2015 season based on last year’s monocoques and components at the new Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg. It takes two weeks to complete an RS 5 DTM that consists of some 4,000 parts. Following the tests at Estoril and Oschersleben, the teams will be taking over their race cars to prepare them in Kempten, Meuspath and Neustadt for the season opener at Hockenheim. Tickets for the ‘DTM 2015’ project are available at www.audi-motorsport.com.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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Audi: Growth also in motorsport

Audi Press Release

• Audi Sport’s activities will feature even greater diversity in 2015
• Le Mans prototypes and DTM as top-level commitments
• New race car for GT racing and racing series for rookies

Ingolstadt/Neckarsulm, December 17, 2014 – AUDI AG is proud of another year of record sales. In motorsport, the brand with the four rings is poised for growth as well. The world of Audi Sport which, in addition to the motorsport commitments in factory-backed and customer sport, includes the RS models, the Audi R8 and the Audi driving experience, will be featuring even greater diversity in the 2015 season. 

“Success on the race track, more than ever before, has become an important tool to thrill customers,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich on Wednesday on the occasion of the Audi Sport Finale at the Audi Forum Neckarsulm. “That’s why our motorsport program will be extended further next year. In the new Audi Sport TT Cup, young drivers will be given an opportunity to enter motorsport with Audi.”

The one-make cup of AUDI AG will line up on the grid at a total of six events in Germany and Austria, doubling up with the DTM. 165 drivers from 30 nations have applied for the Audi Sport TT Cup. The selection process for the 18 available slots has already begun.

The winner of the Audi Sport TT Cup can look forward to support in the company’s GT program that will be in focus next year. The car to follow the successful Audi R8 LMS is ready to race. Audi will be subjecting the new GT3 sports car to tough testing in selected endurance races before customer deliveries begin at the end of 2015. Tests in the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring (Germany) and at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) will be the highlights.

In top-caliber racing Audi opts for continuity. In the internationally popular DTM touring car series and in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its pinnacle event of the season at Le Mans (France), Audi will be competing with a minimally changed driver line-up.

Only the place that has become vacant due to the retirement of Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen will be filled – and, as usual at Audi, with a driver from the brand’s own young-driver promotion program: Oliver Jarvis (GB) will move up from the third Le Mans car into the WEC regular driver squad and contest the full WEC season in the Audi R18 e-tron quattro.

In the WEC, Audi continues to rely on Audi Sport Team Joest as in the past. The most successful Le Mans team of all time will be fielding two further-developed Audi R18 e-tron quattro cars in all eight races. An additional R18 will be entered in the 6-hour race at Spa and in the Le Mans 24 Hours, with GT driver René Rast (D) completing the line-up for these events.

Responsibility for fielding the total of eight Audi RS 5 DTM cars will be assumed by the seasoned Audi Sport Teams Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg. Three DTM Champions – Mattias Ekström (S), Mike Rockenfeller (D) and Timo Scheider (D), who have won nearly half of all DTM titles for Audi since 2004 – will continue to spearhead the DTM squad.

In Jörg Zander (50), Audi Sport will have a new Head of Technology starting on January 1. Zander, who holds an engineering degree, has more than 20 years of experience with major automobile manufacturers and renowned race teams under bis belt. In 2009, Zander became self-employed on starting his own engineering office that used to work for Audi Sport as well. His successful predecessor Dr. Martin Mühlmeier will be switching to production development at Audi.

2015 WEC driver teams 

Marcel Fässler (CH)/André Lotterer (D)/Benoît Tréluyer (F)
Loïc Duval (F)/Lucas di Grassi (BR)/Oliver Jarvis (GB)
Filipe Albuquerque (P)/Marco Bonanomi (I)/René Rast (D)

2015 DTM drivers

Mattias Ekström (S), Jamie Green (GB), Miguel Molina (E), Edoardo Mortara (I), Nico Müller (CH), Mike Rockenfeller (D), Timo Scheider (D), Adrien Tambay (F)

2015 Schedule

FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC)

12/04 Silverstone (GB)
02/05 Spa-Francorchamps (B)
13-14/06 Le Mans (F)
30/08 Nürburgring (D)
19/09 Austin (USA)
11/10 Fuji (J)
01/11 Shanghai (CN)
21/11 Bahrain (BRN)

DTM

02-03/05 Hockenheim (D)
30-31/05 Lausitzring (D)
27-28/06 Norisring (D)
11-12/07 Zandvoort (NL)
01-02/08 Red Bull Ring Spielberg (A)
29-30/08 Moskau (RUS)
12-13/09 Oschersleben (D)
26-27/09 Nürburgring (D)
17-18/10 Hockenheim (D)

GT racing (24-hour races)

16-17/05 Nürburgring (D)
25-26/07 Spa-Francorchamps (B)

Audi Sport TT Cup

02-03/05 Hockenheim (D)
27-28/06 Norisring (D)
01-02/08 Red Bull Ring Spielberg (A)
12-13/09 Oschersleben (D)
26-27/09 Nürburgring (D)
17-18/10 Hockenheim (D)

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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TT Cup: Audi Sport TT Cup as ‘six-pack’ at DTM

Audi Press Release

• Calendar of the new Audi one-make cup has been finalized
• Total of twelve races at six DTM events
• Five rounds in Germany, one in Austria

Ingolstadt, December 10, 2014 – The calendar for the Audi Sport TT Cup has been finalized. The new Audi one-make cup will be held together with the DTM a total of six times in its inaugural year of 2015. Two races per event are planned. 

The season will start on the first weekend in May at the DTM opener at Hockenheim. At the end of June, the Audi Sport TT Cup will join one of the most popular DTM events, the Norisring race in Nuremberg. In August, the new one-make cup will visit the Red Bull Ring in Austria. In September, the calendar features two events, at the etropolis Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and at the Nürburgring. The finale will be held at Hockenheim in the middle of October.

“The participants, partners and fans of the Audi Sport TT Cup can look forward to six superb events as part of the DTM,” says Project Leader Rolf Michl. “The German rounds have traditionally been held in front of a great crowd. And the Red Bull Ring in Austria typically attracts a very large number of spectators as well.”

165 drivers from 30 nations have applied for Audi’s new one-make cup. 18 slots will be permanently awarded by quattro GmbH in spring of 2015. Six other cockpits will be filled with changing guest drivers.

Tickets for the 2015 DTM events can now be ordered online at www.audi-motorsport.com.

Audi Sport TT Cup 2015 calendar 

May 01–03 Hockenheim (D)
Jun 26–28 Norisring (D)
Jul 31–Aug 02 Red Bull Ring (A)
Sep 11–13 Oschersleben (D)
Sep 25–27 Nürburgring (D)
Oct 16–18 Hockenheim (D)

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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DTM: Audi Sport tests young talent at Jerez in Spain

By Johan Laubscher

DTM testing took place at Jerez in Spain this week. Audi Sport took the opportunity, as they do annually, to allow young talent to test their DTM machinery at these winter test days. It was the first taste of the Audi RS 5 DTM for these six young drivers.

The list of young drivers included: Laurens Vanthoor, Dean Stoneman, Nicki Thiim, Alex Palou, Antonio Giovinazzi and Marco Mapelli. Current Audi Sport factory drivers, Miguel Molina, Nico Müller and Mattias Ekström, were also at the test days which concluded on Thursday.

All three of the DTM manufactures, Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, took part in the week-long testing at Jerez.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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DTM: New-look 2015 calendar includes double race action

By Johan Laubscher

The 2015 DTM calendar has been released. Nine race weekends with eighteen races are highlighting a new-look DTM race weekend format which will begin next year.

Previously each DTM weekend only included one race, but that has now been changed with the addition of a second race per weekend. One race will be taking place on Saturday, followed by the second race on Sunday of each race weekend.

Six of the nine events will be hosted in Germany, along with one each in Austria, The Netherlands and Russia.

2015 will also see the debut of the new Audi Sport TT Cup as a support series for the DTM.

Photo credit: Audi Communications - Motorsport

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