Abt seeking change of luck at Lausitzring

Hans-Jurgen Abt, the team principal of the Audi teams Abt Sportsline and Team Abt, is hoping his drivers will have a change of luck in this weekend’s DTM race at the Lausitzring.

Since the start of the season, each of the four Abt drivers – Mattias Ekstrom, Timo Scheider, Jamie Green and Adrien Tambay –  have either been involved in on-track incidents, or suffered appalling luck due to circumstances beyond their control.

The Hockenheim season opener saw Scheider fall from pole to sixth in the race due to a miscalculated strategy, as well as Tambay’s car burning to the ground after just a handful of laps.

In the same race, Ekstrom failed to finish and Green was penalised on his Audi debut after switching from Mercedes over the winter.

Brands Hatch was a similar affair, despite Ekstrom and Scheider finishing seventh and ninth. Tambay and Green once again failed to score due to penalties.

Spielberg saw Ekstrom put in a remarkable recovery drive from 15th to fifth and was the only Abt driver to score, as Scheider fell from fifth on the grid to 16th due to another pitstop problem.

Jamie Green who once again suffered his third penalty ridden weekend in succession, finished two places behind in 18th.

Tambay finished 11th, just missing out on points by around four seconds.

“My wish for the Lausitzring is that we’ll be showing a cohesive team performance,” said Abt. “[To] be on the button in every respect, [and] that racing luck will return.

Despite his team’s difficult start to the season, Abt believes a good result is possible.

“If the drivers will be making use of their real potential, a top result should finally be possible for us again.”

Abt Sportsline and Team Abt, lie seventh and eighth respectively in the teams’ championship.