Photo: Audi Sport

Robin Frijns tests Audi DTM car

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Ex-Sauber F1 reserve, Robin Frijns, has taken part in a young driver test with Audi at Monteblanco in Spain.

The highly rated Dutchman won the Formula Renault 3.5 championship in 2012, and also won a race in GP2 this year. However, he was forced to drop out of the series due to a lack of funding.

Frijns also took part in a DTM test with Mercedes earlier this year, and on the back of his recent outing with Audi, described the series as “one of the best options available to any driver” to Autosport.

“DTM is one of the best options available to any driver, so it was nice to be invited along,” said Frijns.

“It’s a big manufacturer, one of the biggest [so] it’s always good to test with them and put your name on the board so they know you.”

However, Frijns stopped short of stating whether he is in the running for a full-time DTM drive with Audi in 2014.

“I don’t know what the situation is for next year, I just showed up and did my best. I can’t do anymore than that.”

Eight other young drivers took part in the test, alongside Frijns. These include the regular 2008 and 2009 DTM champion, Timo Scheider and his Abt Audi team-mate Adrien Tambay.

Audi’s head of DTM, Dieter Gass, said that the inclusion of the young drivers in the test was to help Audi find any long-term opportunities for its future.

“We regard this talent scouting event as an investment in the future,” said Gass. “We’re absolutely happy with our current driver line-up but would still like to give young talents an opportunity to take a peek behind the scenes of the DTM from time to time.

“As in previous years, the event for young drivers between 17 and 22 years of age was not only focused on driving the fastest lap time but on technical understanding, dealing with engineers and mechanics, giving feedback on changes made to the car and handling a racing simulation.

“This is how some of our current drivers got started as well and today they’re part of the DTM or other series.”

Audi’s Young Driver Test line-up

Timo Scheider (DTM driver)
Adrien Tambay (DTM driver)

Robin Frijns (GP2 race winner/2012 FR 3.5 champion)
Marvin Kirchofer (German Formula 3 champion)
Thomas Schöffler (Superstarts GT champion)
Ferdinand Stück (VLN GT driver)
Stefan Wackerbauer (Formula Renault Eurocup racer)
Jordan King (British F3 champion)
Harry Tincknell (European F3 race winner)
Alessandro Latif (Race winner in Speed Euroseries in 2013)