Jarvis confirmed as Kristensen replacement
Oliver Jarvis will step up to the DTM seat vacated by Tom Kristensen in 2010, according to Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. “We are thus giving our youngest ‘factory’ driver the chance to prove his prowess in a current DTM car” said Ullrich. “The performances Oliver has shown in his first DTM years at the wheel of a year-old A4 speak in his favour.”
Jarvis takes over from eight time Le Mans winner Kristensen, who will now concentrate on sportscars, alongside former DTM champions Timo Scheider and Mattias Ekström in the Abt Sportsline team.
The 25-year-old Briton joined Audi in 2008, having raced previously in British and Japanese Formula Three, driving a year old A4 to two points finishes for the Phoenix team. In 2009 Jarvis scored a podium in the opening race at Hockenheim before becoming the first driver to claim pole position in a year old car at Zandvoort.
Dr. Ullrich made clear that all other personnel decisions, for the DTM and Audi’s Le Mans campaign, would be made in the next few weeks, saying “We want to position ourselves as best we can for the DTM and the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Le Mans Cup in terms of our drivers’ line-up and are therefore deliberately taking our time”.
Audi also confirmed that up to nine vehicles will continue to be run by the Abt Sportsline, Phoenix and Rosberg teams in 2010, but there was no mention on whether the privateer Kolles Futurecom – TME squad will continue in the series.
While regulations for the DTM remain frozen in 2010, Audi confirmed that work on the successor to the A4, to the new technical regulations that come into force in 2011, has already begun at Audi Sport in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm.
