Sebring - February 22, 2006
At 27 years of age already experienced campaigner
Audi brings Timo Scheider back to DTM: The young German, who missed
winning the FIA GT Championship title by a single point last year, drives
an Audi A4 DTM in the 2006 season.
Although the new Audi works driver is only 27-years old he is one of the
most experienced DTM drivers: Timo Scheider was one of the major DTM
players between 2000 and 2004, before making a brief excursion in a
sportscar cockpit last year. Furthermore, Timo Scheider competed for the
German national team in the new A1 Grand Prix racing series.
Five years DTM experience
Timo Scheider started his career in karting in 1989, was runner-up in the
German Formula 3 Championship in 1997 and swapped to the DTM in
2000. He narrowly missed winning his first DTM race in 2003 at
Zandvoort, when, after starting from pole position and holding a
comfortable lead, he lost a wheel. In the same year Scheider won the
24-hour race at the Nürburgring (Germany) and in 2005 the 24-hour race
at Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) at the wheel of a GT1 sportscar.
Despite his successful foray in the FIA GT Championship he kept in
contact with the DTM scene. "It was always my goal to return to the DTM,
which is the world’s best racing series alongside Formula 1,” says
Scheider. "I’m extremely pleased to have succeeded in doing so with
Audi. I’ve always admired Audi. In 2005 I got behind the wheel of the Audi
race taxi at the Norisring – it was the best DTM car that I ever drove. Since
then it was perfectly clear to me that I wanted to join Audi.”
Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich is convinced that Scheider is
a good choice: "Timo has shown that he is one of the fastest in a DTM
car. He brings five years of DTM experience with him to Audi. He is also
an intelligent and stylish guy who fits perfectly to the Audi brand.”
Timo Scheider was born on 10 November 1978 in Lahnstein and lives
with his fiancé Jasmin and son Loris in Altach, Austria.
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