Abt Sportsline pairing hoping for strong Spielberg result

Abt Sportsline’s Mattias Ekstrom and Jamie Green are aiming for a strong result at this weekend’s DTM race at Spielberg, following disappointing outings at Hockenheim and Brands Hatch.

The Audi pairing have endured a difficult start to the season, with Ekstrom scoring all of the team’s six points in the last round, after the RS5’s strong race pace helped the Swede to seventh place from 12^th on the grid.

The 2004 and 2007 DTM champion believes the nature of the Austrian circuit suits him, and given the car’s performance last time out, he feels that without incidents, the top-three should be his and the team’s aim for this weekend.

“My race here at Spielberg was very good last year too – but, unfortunately, I still barely missed a position on the podium.

“Our speed at Brands Hatch was good, so this time, I’m wishing for a weekend without any kind of incidents.

“The track suits me, so a place at the very front has to be the aim.

“As you can see, [Mike] Rockenfeller can do it, so it’s up to us [to find the sweet-spot in the set up] to do it as well.”

Ekstrom’s teammate, Jamie Green, will be aiming to open his points account this weekend after two disappointing outings for Audi since switching from Mercedes over the winter.

The Leicester man finished 14^th at Hockenheim and then 15^th at Brands Hatch.

However, he is encouraged by Audi’s strike rate of two wins from the last two seasons at Spielberg and as a result, believes he can improve on his best result of fifth around there.

“Audi won there in both of the past two years, and I was sixth once and fifth once.

“That’s definitely a good starting base, so I’ve still got some room to move upward.

“Spielberg is a superb track in unusual surroundings: mountains, fields and cows directly alongside the track – that’s a great atmosphere.”