Photo: Audi Sport

A lap around the Lausitzring with Audi’s Mattias Ekström

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Audi’s Mattias Ekström has not had the easiest time of things over the last few seasons.

The 2004 and 2007 DTM champion endured a winless season last year, and in 2013, retired from the Hockenheim season opener after qualifying fifth. Despite putting in some impressive recovery drives to score points in the next two rounds at Brands Hatch and Spielberg, he generally suffered appalling luck in qualifying, which put him out of position relative to his RS5’s pace.

Ekström then, will be hoping for a change of luck at this weekend’s race at the Lausitzring, a track where he has won twice; once in 2004, and again in 2006.

Before the cars take to the track for this evening’s newly re-instated Friday Roll-Out, the Swede took the time to explain what makes for a quick lap around the circuit.

“At the start/finish straight at the Lausitzring and the first two corners, the only really difficult thing is to find the right braking spot and hit the kerb on the left and the right corner in the perfect way.

“Corners three, four and five are a very important section in the first sector. Here it’s really important to have the right line to exit the last corner to bring the speed to the end of the sector on the back-straight.

“The hairpin left, or the shortcut corner, is a very special corner on the Lausitzring and it’s where there is the best opportunity to overtake.

“Turn 7, the APCOA-Kerhe, is the quickest corner of the lap, as it’s about 150, 160 kilometers per hour. We do it in fourth gear and here it’s very important to have a very good aero balance on the car.

“The infield section, or Turn 8, you come from high speed to bumpy braking into a second gear corner. It looks easy, but it’s really important to get a good exit to get the speed down to the last two corners.

“Now we are coming to the slowest section on the track, the Coca Cola Turn. But it’s the most important, as in the first right hander, you need to have a good clean exit, staying on the inside to bring a perfect line into the last corner to bring the speed for the very long straight that is soon coming.

“Then we come to the last corner on the Lausitzring track, which is the tri-oval corner. In the dry it is easy full, so you have to have 100% focus to keep your foot flat on the gas, but in the wet it can be really difficult so you have to watch out.”