Mattias Ekström (Audi Sport Team Abt / Audi A4 DTM #5)
1st, - 3.156s
“The race seemed incredibly long to me, as it was very hot and the track is
so slow. If you lead the field far ahead of the competition, you count each
lap. We were absolutely bent on clinching this victory and have truly
deserved it. Audi was quickest in all of the practice sessions, I took pole
and controlled the pace during the race. For me it’s been a perfect
weekend with a perfect car and a perfect team. I wouldn’t mind, if things
continued going this way.”
Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Abt / Audi A4 DTM #6)
8th, + 35.301s
“Today, there’d been more in it for us than just one point. I had a
sensational start. Mattias and I had devised a strategy of how I could move
up in the first few laps, and this worked out exactly how we’d planned it.
Then there was some scrapping with the Mercedes drivers and, ultimately,
the collision with Tom. That was unfortunate, to be sure, but certainly not
intentional on his part. He’s already apologized to me for this mishap.”
Emanuele Pirro (Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest / Audi A4 DTM #44)
9th, + 45.253s
“We now have to analyse the data to find out the reason why I went above
the speed limit in the pit lane. The drive-through penalty cost us well-
deserved points, because my speed in the race was very good, as were
the pit stops. All of the team members are truly giving their best. It’s too
bad that we missed scoring points by such a slim margin. But, despite
this result, I’m convinced that we’ve made another step forward.”
Tom Kristensen (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline / Audi A4 DTM #12)
10th, + 58.130s
“Clearly, the collision with Martin was my mistake, but it was simply one of
those situations that can happen in any race. I had no chance to get out of
Martin’s way. I tried not to hit him but touched him slightly nonetheless.
This slight contact had serious consequences, though. After the drive-
through penalty, that was it for me as far as the race was concerned.”
Christian Abt (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline / Audi A4 DTM #11)
retirement (result of crash)
“My start was great. I was able to work my way up to some extent but then
got caught behind Frentzen. He was very slow, as though he was having
some problems with his car. As there was quite a long line building up
behind us, I wanted to overtake him at all cost. I spotted a hole, but he
closed it up. That’s why I hit him. That I’d be receiving a penalty for this was
clear to me on the spot. All of this, though, wouldn’t have been so tragic, if
another car hadn’t hit me in the rear later. As this affected the car’s
suspension, there was no point in continuing the race.”
Frank Biela (Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest / Audi A4 DTM #45)
retirement (loss of wheel)
“As far as performance goes, this weekend basically went a lot better than
the previous ones. I had a good start and managed to get through the first
hectic lap fairly well. For some reason, though, my left rear wheel wasn’t
tightened properly during my first scheduled pit stop. That was the end for
my race. We now have to analyse what happened.”
Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline)
“I’m absolutely elated. In the first two races, already, we were at the very
front of the field and on the podium – now, we’ve finally reaped the well-
earned fruits of our work. Mattias was simply perfect, and his two pit stops
were first-class – and, I have no doubt that the party tonight will be
appropriate to the occasion as well.”
Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest)
“What happened to Frank is really a pity, because he was in a good
position during the race. I feel sorry for the boys, who are now blaming
themselves incredibly for this mishap. We’ll find out what actually
happened and learn our lessons from this. Emanuele drove a really
strong race. So, the sixth place, at least, should have been in it for him.
Unfortunately, he exceeded the speed limit, which caused his chance for
points to evaporate. Having moved to the front of the field from position 16
on the grid was a top achievement, which, unfortunately, was not
rewarded.”
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi motorsport)
“Mattias drove an excellent race and has fought for this exploit together
with his team. The pit stops were super, and the strategy was right.
Everything was running perfectly with him. Unfortunately, this was not the
case with the others. We’ll discuss these things and improve our
performance on that side of the house next time. Altogether, though, it was
a fantastic achievement that we can be proud of. We’ve seen that the Audi
A4 DTM is truly capable of translating its potential into action. Now, we
need to ensure that things will continue going this way for us in the
upcoming races.”
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