Photo: Audi Motorsport

Audi keen for Oschersleben

By

Everyone connected with Audi has good cause to be confident ahead of the next round of the DTM, as the series visits Oschersleben for racing on the first Sunday of August. The marque has enjoyed great success at the Northern German circuit in recent times, and will be seeking to continue this trend.

“Mr Le Mans”, Tom Kristensen will be especially looking forward to the round, as he has a similar affinity with Oschersleben as he does with Le Mans. In four races at the circuit, he has started from the front row every time, twice claiming victory, with the fans duly referring to him as the “King of Oschersleben”.

Drivers have always experienced stronger feelings for certain tracks, and few will be stronger than the way Timo Scheider feels for Oschersleben. He claimed his first ever DTM victory there in 2008, and that victory catapulted him onwards to claim the drivers title in the same year. After a poor race last time out at Zandvoort, he is obviously using his fondness for the track to focus on the next race, “I’m going to Oschersleben with a pretty good feeling”.

Double DTM champion Mattias Ekström also has a special relationship with the circuit despite never being victorious there. Nevertheless, out of the six times he has started a DTM race at Oschersleben he has finished in the points every time. The desire to end that streak with a victory is obvious, “I’ll give all I’ve got to finally win this year.” said the Swede.

Katherine Legge will contest the 2009 race in the very same car in which Timo Scheider took victory last year. With this in mind, and considering the performance equality of the year-old cars at Zandvoort in the last round, the young Briton could be in for a good showing this year.

Audi are still under investigation by the DMSB with regards to a number of overtaking manoeuvres involving team mates during the race at Zandvoort, but Audi’s Head of Motorsport, Dr. Wolfgang Ulrich is hoping that this will be brought to a close before the racing resumes at Oschersleben, especially in Audi’s centennial year. In this special year, Oliver Jarvis sensationally claimed Audi’s 50th pole position in the DTM. However, the marque is stuck on 49 wins, and given the special circumstances of the year, would be ecstatic to take the 50th victory on German soil at Oschersleben.