Ingolstadt - February 28, 2006
Frentzen aims for maiden DTM win in Audi A4 DTM
After a lengthy contract negotitions, Frentzen had to accept a pay cut toto
secure one of the best cockpits in the the most popular and leading
international touring car race series.
"We are convinced of his driving skills. He showed what he was capable
of in Formula 1. In our opinion, Heinz-Harald hasn’t previously been able
to show his true potential in the DTM,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dr
Wolfgang Ullrich. "We know that Heinz-Harald is very popular with both
the fans and media. It’s a reflection of his personality.”
The Monaco domiciled German, who was born on 18 May 1967 in
Mönchengladbach, swapped from Formula 1 to the ultimate touring car
series in the 2004 season. He started from the front row twice in 2005,
and finished on the winners’ podium in third position at Brno and
Zandvoort. "It’s now time for me to win some DTM races and also fight for
championship honours,” says Frentzen. "I’m delighted that Audi is giving
me the chance to show the DTM fans exactly what I can do in a touring
car. I’ve always been a fan of the Audi brand with their modern design and
their technical expertise. Audi has been one of the most successful
manufacturers for years in motorsport. And alongside Formula 1, DTM is
quite simply one of the best racing series in the world.”
Heinz-Harald Frentzen is regarded as an extremely gifted technical driver
and brings all the experience gained from a decade of Formula 1 to Audi.
He was 1997 World Championship runner-up and third overall in 1999.
He won three Grands Prix during his Formula 1 career.
Frentzen lives with his wife Tanja and their two daughters in Monte Carlo.
He will line up in the DTM with an evolution of the A4 DTM, which has
been developed over the winter by Audi Sport and which will be run by
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline.
Following a seat fitting in the Audi A4 DTM last week and a brief visit at the
Audi fitness camp, he will be testing the Audi A4 DTM for the first time at
the official DTM tests at Vallelunga (Italy) from Wednesday onwards.
The DTM season starts at April 9th at Hockenheim. 4 of the 10 races will
take place in other European countries. After Opels descent, only
Mercedes and Audi are the only engaged manufacturers. Last years
champion Gary Paffett was promoted to a Formula 1 test driver ... for sure
2006 will see a new champion .. the games may begin.
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