Double podium for Audi at Nürburgring

Audi Sport had mixed feelings after today’s race at Nürburgring. Despite scoring a double podium with Mike Rockenfeller and Edoardo Mortara, half of the RS 5 DTM cars did not make it to the end of the race.

Two separate incidents led championship contender Mattias Ekström and Abt Sportsline’s Miguel Molina to parking their cars in the garages following damage from contacts on track. Disaster continued as Timo Scheider was pushed into stablemate Nico Muller’s Audi RS 5 by a hit from behind under braking by Robert Wickens and his Mercedes.

“Having two drivers on podium in the DTM is basically a good result,” said Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “Congratulations to Rockenfeller and Mortara. Obviously, it’ is not satisfactory that only these two managed to make use of their good grid positions.” Gass also discussed about driving standards:”There were a couple of scenes today we need to carefully look at again. Losing four out of eight cars due to collisions is painful.”

Audi’s day was not all-negative at all, though, as Rockenfeller and Mortara completed the podium, the former chasing championship leader Marco Wittmann for the whole race: “I am happy about second place,” said the 2013 Champion. “This was a weekend the way it should be. Of course I had hopes of beating Marco Wittmann with ten kilograms less in my car. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out, but to be’ honest second place is a nice result. We should have managed that more often this year. I’ am traveling to the next races with a positive feeling and am going to give my best as long as everything is still open. Let’’s see how that pans out.”

Rockenfeller was partnered on the podium by Edoardo Mortara, who is now tied on points with Abt Sportsline’s Mattias Ekström in second place, albeit some 64 points behind in the standings: “I had a good race weekend here at the Nürburgring. The weekends before were very difficult. The race wasn’t necessarily perfect. My start could have been better – but from the right-hand side it’s always more difficult. But in the end, I was very pleased. I’m hoping that things will continue this way in the next races.”