Audi-driver comments from qualifying

Despite cautious words before the premiere there was nothing stopping the new Audi A4 during the qualifying session. Timo Scheider took pole position with team mate Mattias Ekström in third – both driving the new Audi A4. Here follow comments from all Audi-drivers.

Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM #10): “Sensational! We were strong from the very first practice session onwards. Straight from my first lap I had a very good feeling. We changed almost none of the settings on the car after the first practice session. That’s unusual for a race weekend. Normally, we do a lot more mechanical work. Very minor changes resulted in perfect balance. That’s why we’re on pole. I want to thank Audi and the Abt squad for a great car.”

Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #1): “I feel really comfortable in the new A4 DTM. I’m convinced we are well prepared. We did a good long run during the test, managed a strong qualifying performance, and I’m on the front row. Our chances for the race on Sunday are good.”

Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM #9): “Audi did a superb job during the winter months. The car is good and quick. Personally, I still need a few more kilometres in the car. Honestly: today the car was better than I. In the last sector I spun a bit several times. That cost me third place. Nevertheless, my starting base is okay. As early as on Friday I had the impression that the car, during the long run, felt better than any other Audi before it.”

Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM #2): “It was really okay – except for the last trial. Between the second and third section we changed the camber. We were running out of time, so I had only one trial on new tyres. I set my time on this set of tyres on the third lap – without the slightest chance to achieve a top time. That’s too bad because a better result would probably have been possible.”

Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM #15): “That was really pretty tough! I could hardly believe how quickly the various sections were over. The qualifying format is very demanding. You’ve got to constantly drive at the limit and can be pleased if you manage two trials in one session. I’m delighted to have finished among the top eight in my first qualifying practice. Now I’m hoping for a strong race on Sunday.”

Alexandre Prémat (Audi Bank/Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM #14): “Finishing in eleventh place was a decent result. Of course I’d have liked to make it into the third part of the qualifying session, which would have been possible, too. But on my new set of tyres I made a mistake. Since we’ve got a very setup, I’m hoping to achieve a nice result in the race.”

Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM #18): “It’s disappointing. In the free practice session this morning we were still pretty good. With the same time in qualifying, I wouldn’t have looked too bad. The circuit and the car’s balance changed a lot. I also didn’t manage a really good lap, so it was my fault. We’d been hoping to finish among the top ten. Twelfth place is a pretty sobering experience. We’re going to fight in the race, but the gap to the new cars shows that it’ll be difficult to keep the pace.”

Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM #19): “Qualifying wasn’t perfect. After the free practice I’d been hoping to achieve a better result because the car worked very well then. I was running on a new set of tyres when I made a mistake and had to stop the lap. So, I drove my personal best time on new tyres only on the second lap which is normally clearly slower. What’s more, I didn’t catch a free lap. But considering all this, my time wasn’t bad. Balance, however, significantly changed between the morning and the afternoon. I’m disappointed. On Sunday, things have got to get better in the race.”

Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM #21): ”I think we did a very good job with the team. I’m satisfied. In the free practice session the car was very difficult to drive. In qualifying, though, I managed driving a fast lap. Hopefully, on Sunday, it will even be a bit better. I think it was a smart move to drive only on used tyres in the second trial. I’m eager to see what that will do for us tomorrow.”

Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM #20): ”My first DTM qualifying was a fascinating experience, even though it didn’t go quite the way we’d been hoping it would. On my first set of tyres I made a mistake. On the second set I lost a lot of time, partly because I was slowed by another car.”

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): “So far we’ve got every reason to be satisfied because we showed a very strong team performance. Obviously, the new Audi A4 DTM functions very well. I’m hoping that we’ll be a credit to the fantastic road-going model with our racing car. Clinching pole the first time out – that’s definitely a superb accomplishment. What’s more, we’ve shown a solid team performance. I’m particularly happy for Timo (Scheider), who has been very strong all weekend and managed to translate this strength into the pole position. But all the others showed a really good performance as well. And you cannot overemphasize that Oliver Jarvis – in his first DTM qualifying of his career – finished among the top eight. He can rightfully be proud of this.”