Mattias Ekstrom talks Audi A5 DTM and the 2012 DTM season |  |
| Mattias Ekstrom talks Audi A5 DTM and the 2012 DTM season Posted: 20 Feb 2012 11:41 AM PST We still have just over 2 months until the DTM 2012 season kicks off at the Hockenheimring but we’ve already been treated to a lot from Audi and Mercedes-AMG as well as new (old) comer BMW. All three will have new cars as well. With Audi, we will see the A5 takeover after seven years of competition in the A4. The A5 DTM will also have to live up to four DTM titles out of those seven. Powered by the V8 engine, the output will be around 460 horsepower. In a little more than ten weeks from now the new DTM season will start, marking a completely new era for the DTM. Are you excited about that? I'm definitely very excited because we've been waiting for this for a long time in the DTM. A new manufacturer is joining the series and the regulations are new. At Audi, we've been doing a lot of development work over the winter. That's why I'm very eager to finally go to Hockenheim and to see how good our work has been compared with BMW and Mercedes. Tests never really give you the right answer to this; that only happens at the first qualifying session and the first race. The new DTM vehicles will be homologated on March 1. What does that mean for the next two weeks? Obviously, our technical staff would be much better qualified to answer this question. But principally speaking there's only fine-tuning work left at this stage. The key decisions were made a long time ago. Every manufacturer will now try and guard their little secrets up to the last moment. After March 1 the cards will be revealed a little more – also during the track tests. You've already covered many kilometers at the wheel of the new Audi A5 DTM. What's your impression? Where does Audi stand compared with the competition? What can the fans expect of the 2012 DTM season and, most importantly, of Audi? The car is definitely a bit different to drive than the A4. The biggest difference is made by the new Hankook tire which is a bit wider – that changes the driving style to some extent. And we've got the gearshift on the steering wheel now. That, too, makes a bit of a difference. There are many things you can't fully judge at this point in time because we haven't driven the latest racing version yet. But I'm pretty sure that the new cars will be about as fast as the A4. We've got a little more downforce but also slightly higher weight. I think these two aspects balance each other. Nobody can tell at the moment where we stand compared with the competition. We really have to wait until the first race at Hockenheim. In any event, the fans can expect things to get really tight. The new regulations have reduced the freedom of the engineers quite a bit. That's why the whole field will be very close. Saturday will be the most important day for a successful weekend. You've simply got to be very far at the front of the grid. The fans can expect Audi to run at full throttle to repeat the champion's titles of the past few years. But BMW and Mercedes-Benz will be driving flat out as well. The three premium manufacturers in the same championship with the same aims: That'll be a tough number! If I were a fan I definitely wouldn't miss that. Technical Specifications: Audi A5 DTM (2012) Vehicle type: DTM touring car Related posts: You're reading Mattias Ekstrom talks Audi A5 DTM and the 2012 DTM season originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.
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| New Audi R18 Hybrid LMP1 to debut in Munich Posted: 20 Feb 2012 06:07 AM PST Audi will present its new hybrid race car dubbed the R18 Hybrid at their annual press conference on February 29th. While we were hoping to see the Audi R18 Hybrid run at the 12 Hours of Sebring this year, it will not be. Audi will be running three of the 2011-spec R18 TDI’s at the FIA WEC season opener. Look for our full coverage leading up to the 29th. The place and date for the world premiere of the new Audi hybrid race car for the Le Mans 24 Hours have been set. The forward-thinking LMP1 vehicle will be presented at the Munich Airport on February 29 before the Audi Annual Press Conference 2012. Red carpet: The Annual Press Conference on March 1 is one of the most important events in AUDI AG's fiscal year. And exactly on this occasion Audi Sport will be presenting its major and arguably most ambitious project for the 2012 motorsport season: the new hybrid race car for the Le Mans 24 Hours. The Le Mans prototype will be celebrating its world premiere at the Munich Airport on the eve of the Annual Press Conference. The evening to which about 300 journalists from around the world have been invited is billed as "Looking to the future – tomorrow's automotive technology." Six out of eight: Slightly modified Sporting Regulations are designed to add suspense to the new FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). In the manufacturers' classification of the top LMP1 category only the best-placed vehicle of one automobile manufacturer will score championship points. In addition, only the results of six of the eight races – including the Le Mans 24 Hours for which the points awarded are doubled – will be counted. In the 2012 WEC Audi is fighting with Toyota for the World Champion's title. Related posts: You're reading New Audi R18 Hybrid LMP1 to debut in Munich originally posted on oneighturbo.com. If you've enjoyed this article, be sure and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube.
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