Audi looking forward to a ‘challenging’ Zandvoort
This weekend the fourth round of the 2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters takes place at Zandvoort. Audi Sport heads to the Dutch track still leading the standings, and with hopes of succeeding at one of its favourite circuits.
The Ingolstadt manufacturer maintains the performance weights from Norisring, but the rival Mercedes Benz C63 DTMs are closer, due to their results at Nuremberg. Thus, Jamie Green, points’ leader, thinks that “the weight situation is more favorable for us than at the Norisring.”
The Briton from Team Rosberg has had a stellar season so far, with three wins in six races, but has never visited the podium in Zandvoort. Still, Green hopes to achieve a good result at this ‘fantastic’ track: “The circuit has unique characteristics and the fast turns pose a real challenge to any racer. It’s time to change my luck here. This year, I’ve got a perfect car.”
Second in the drivers’ standings is Mattias Ekström, four times winner in Zandvoort. The Swede, fresh from his victory in the World Rally Cross in Höljes, highlights the importance of having a good setup for a very challenging track: “The circuit offers a fantastic combination of fast and slow corners. The tarmac has a lot of grip, so the tires degrade heavily in the race. Having a car that works well over the distance is a great advantage. With our Audi RS 5 DTM, we’re well set.”
Audi has won seven times in Zandvoort since their full fledged works comeback in 2004. Dieter Gass, Head of DTM for the four-ring manufacturer, hopes that the return to a ‘conventional’ circuit will allow his cars to continue their good track record there, mindful that the performance weights will still favour one of their rivals: “We’re looking forward again to a ‘normal’ race track, which happens to be one of the most challenging ones on the DTM calendar. We’re determined to again present a more cohesive display than what we did at the Norisring. We’re aiming for two victories. But Mercedes can always be expected to be in contention. They were strong at Hockenheim and at the Norisring and only had a bad patch at the Lausitzring. Plus, the BMW are still able to run with clearly lighter weight than our RS 5 DTM cars. Let’s see how much of an effect that’ll have.”
The fourth round of the DTM takes place in Zandvoort from the 10th to the 12th of July.
