Photo: Audi Media

Regulation freeze sees major financial reward

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The regulation freeze for the 2010 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season has already benefited Audi financially, in what are still uncertain times for many industries worldwide.

During the 2009 season the German Motorsport Federation (DMSB) and the ITR, along with both competing marques, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, unanimously agreed to freeze the regulations for the 2010 season.

This meant that the same specifications of cars seen in 2009 would again line-up on the grid in 2010.

Audi have already witnessed the financial benefits, stating that the costs for fielding their cars in the upcoming season have dropped by more than 30 percent compared to last year. The massive saving is helped by the fact that building new cars, and all the research and development that goes hand-in-hand with the builds, has been eradicated this time around.

The current Audi A4 DTM car is a development of the 2008-specification car, which was developed during the close season prior to 2009.

In both of these seasons, Audi has emerged victorious, each time with Timo Scheider at the wheel, which will surely be in the minds of the Mercedes-Benz teams as the season approaches.

During 2009, both Audi and Mercedes-Benz provided the DMSB with a set of parts, as well as Computer Aided Design diagrams, for their components. These parts and diagrams will be used as a reference to ensure compliance of the regulation freeze through the season.

In terms of cars, Mattias Ekström, Martin Tomczyk, Markus Winkelhock and Alexandre Prémat will all continue in the same cars in which they competed in 2009.

Oliver Jarvis will move into the car vacated by Tom Kristensen, whereas Mike Rockenfeller will take over Jarvis’ old car.

DTM rookie Miguel Molina inherits Katherine Legge’s 2009 machine, and Katherine Legge will move into Mike Rockenfeller’s old car.

Only double champion Timo Scheider will not use a car which was previously used in 2009, he will instead use a new chassis which was prepared last season, but never raced.