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Abt Sportsline confident of strong result at Hockenheim

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Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline team principal, Hans-Jurgen Abt, believes Audi can begin its 2013 DTM season with a strong result at Hockenheim after a difficult 2012.

Abt Sportsline endured a difficult 2012 and failed to win a race all season despite having Mattias Ekstrom behind the wheel of the #3 Audi RS5 DTM. However, Abt believes that after a good winter, the team can challenge for a strong result from the off at the Hockenheim season opener next week.

“It’s great that we’re finally getting started again,” said Abt. “We used the winter to again perfectly prepare ourselves as a team for the new challenges of this season.”

“After a difficult year in 2012, the motivation of the whole team is at an all-time high.

We’re going to try and pick up a lot of momentum for the season right away by clinching a good result at Hockenheim.”

Abt also singled out Jamie Green’s arrival to Audi after eight seasons with Mercedes as one of the reasons for the squad’s confidence going into the new season.

“Our newcomer, Jamie Green,” he continued, “immediately gelled really well with us and brought a fresh breeze to the squad.”

Ekstrom is equally as confident as his boss for success at Hockenheim, and described the circuit as his “absolute favourite” given its opportunities for on-track action and overtaking.

“Hockenheim has been and will remain my absolutely favorite track. I love the layout,” said the 2004 and 2007 title winner.

“You can overtake and fight tough duels. Technically, the first sector with turns 1 and 2 is particularly challenging.

The best opportunity for overtaking is at the end of the Parabolica on the way to the hairpin turn. Another very important place is the last section with the Sachs corner and the Opel corners.

Hockenheim has simply got everything you wish for as a racer – for me, it’s the highlight of the year.”