Zeltweg, 7 September, 2003![]() ![]() In the ninth DTM race of the 2003 season, Mattias Ekström impressively ![]() fought his way up to third place with several excellent overtaking ![]() manoeuvres and collected six points. The Swede actually started from fourth ![]() place on the grid, but lost nine places at the start when he was forced to wait ![]() behind his team colleague Martin Tomczyk who had stalled the engine of his ![]() Abt-Audi TT-R. Audi Junior Tomczyk fell from his front row starting position ![]() back to 14th place, and was forced to retire due to a loose flat-bottom after a ![]() collision. Karl Wendlinger collected his first point of the season. The ![]() Austrian inherited eighth place from his team colleague Christian Abt, who, ![]() after being held up by a puncture on his Abt-Audi TT-R during the final lap, ![]() still finished eleventh. DTM Champion Laurent Aiello was ninth, and the ![]() second Audi Junior Peter Terting crossed the finish line fourteenth. Going ![]() into the last race of the 2003 DTM season, Mattias Ekström is the best ![]() placed Audi driver in the drivers’ championship with 38 points in fourth ![]() place. Laurent Aiello is fifth with 37 points. ![]() ![]() The race at a glance ![]() ![]() Weather ![]() clear blue sky, 26 degrees Celsius ![]() ![]() Spectators: 62,000 ![]() ![]() Start ![]() #14 Tomczyk stalls on the line, as a result also holds up #5 Ekström, #2 Abt ![]() lies in eleventh position after the start, ![]() following behind are #1 Aiello and #5 Ekström, #6 Wendlinger is 13th, #15 ![]() Terting 18th ![]() ![]() 5th lap ![]() The Abt-Audi quintet lies in the order ![]() #2 Abt ![]() #1 Aiello ![]() #5 Ekström ![]() #6 Wendlinger ![]() #14 Tomczyk between tenth and 14th position ![]() ![]() 7th lap ![]() #2 Abt in the pits, #6 Wendlinger also come in to the pits ![]() ![]() 8th lap ![]() #14 Tomczyk makes first compulsory pit stop, but collides with Dumbreck ![]() who is just about to leave his pit ![]() ![]() 9th lap ![]() #15 Terting is eighth, #5 Ekström second ![]() ![]() 10th lap ![]() #5 Ekström makes first compulsory pit stop, #1 Aiello leads briefly, but ![]() comes in at the end of the lap. The stop, at 21.5 seconds, is very long ![]() ![]() 12th lap ![]() #15 Terting still hasn’t made his first pit stop, as a result he is in third place, ![]() #5 Ekström is eighth, #2 Abt lies in eleventh position, #6 Wendlinger is 12th, ![]() #1 Aiello 17th ![]() ![]() 13th lap ![]() #14 Tomczyk visits pits for second time, does not rejoin the race. Menu ![]() spins after being touched by #15 Terting in hotly contested battle ![]() ![]() 16th lap ![]() #15 Terting spins, but can continue ![]() ![]() 19th lap ![]() #5 Ekström overtakes Alesi, he is now fifth ![]() ![]() 21st lap ![]() #2 Abt and #5 Ekström make second compulsory pit stops ![]() ![]() 22nd lap ![]() #6 Wendlinger and #1 Aiello in the pits, the Frenchman collides with Jäger ![]() when pulling away ![]() ![]() 25th lap ![]() #5 Ekström lies in fourth place, #2 Abt is eighth, #6 Wendlinger is ninth, and ![]() #1 Aiello is eleventh. #5 Ekström catches up with the third placed Reuter ![]() ![]() 31st lap ![]() #5 Ekström attacks Reuter, gets past, and is now third ![]() ![]() Finish ![]() #5 Ekström is third, ![]() #6 Wendlinger collects one point for eighth position ![]() #1 Aiello is ninth ![]() #2 Abt eleventh and ![]() #15 Terting 14th ![]() |
1. ![]() |
Christijan Albers ![]() |
Mercedes ![]() |
36 laps![]() |
2. ![]() |
Bernd Schneider ![]() |
Mercedes ![]() |
+ 5.337![]() |
3. ![]() |
Mattias Ekström ![]() |
Abt-Audi TT-R ![]() |
+ 14.478![]() |
4. ![]() |
Manuel Reuter ![]() |
Opel ![]() |
+ 14.975![]() |
5. ![]() |
Jean Alesi ![]() |
Mercedes ![]() |
+ 15.368![]() |
6. ![]() |
Marcel Fässler ![]() |
Mercedes ![]() |
+ 24.230![]() |
7. ![]() |
Jeroen Bleekemolen ![]() |
Opel ![]() |
+ 27.899![]() |
8. ![]() |
Karl Wendlinger ![]() |
Abt-Audi TT-R ![]() |
+ 32.329![]() |
9. ![]() |
Laurent Aiello ![]() |
Abt-Audi TT-R ![]() |
+ 39.878![]() |
…![]() |
11. ![]() |
Christian Abt ![]() |
Abt-Audi TT-R ![]() |
+ 45.005![]() |
14. ![]() |
Peter Terting ![]() |
Abt-Audi TT-R ![]() |
+ 1.6.075![]() |
Mattias Ekström (Team PlayStation2 Red Bull Abt-Audi TT-R #5)![]() “The start-finish straight is very narrow, that’s why I lost so many places ![]() behind Martin’s stationary car. Obviously, after that I didn’t think about a ![]() place on the podium, but thanks to perfect strategy and excellent pit stops it ![]() worked out. I really fought hard for it and gave everything. It was a great way ![]() to finish after such a bad start.” ![]() ![]() Peter Terting (S line Audi Junior Team Abt-Audi TT-R #15) ![]() “A hectic race. At the beginning everything was running well, at the first round ![]() of pit stops I briefly held third place. Closely fought battles and light touches ![]() are often the result of racing at this circuit. I spun once, when I wanted to let ![]() Mattias (Ekström) past and ended up in the dirt, at least I could continue. ![]() Later I settled into my rhythm and was even able to overtake Joachim ![]() Winkelhock.” ![]() ![]() Martin Tomczyk (S line Audi Junior Team Abt-Audi TT-R #14) ![]() “The botched up start was my mistake. I stalled the engine and had to fire up ![]() my TT-R again. The bonnet was loose on my car after the collision in the pit ![]() lane, and had to be taped down. However, when I noticed that the flat-bottom ![]() was loose I headed for the pits. That was it.” ![]() ![]() Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director) ![]() “I’m proud of Matthias’ performance. He drove a fantastic race and really ![]() earned his place on the winners’ rostrum. That also applies to his team, ![]() who, despite his delay at the start, made the best of it with a great strategy. A ![]() huge compliment goes to the team. Our car was up with the best, the lap ![]() times showed this. We’ll now focus on the forthcoming final and will attack ![]() there as well.” ![]() |