Audi Sport on success track

Five of ten possible victories, 16 podium places and seven pole positions mean that Audi has already been experiencing its most successful season in the new DTM since its entry in 2004 - with one more race to go at Hockenheim, which opens up the opportunity for further top achievements.

This means that, for the first time in the new DTM, Audi keeps its chance to successfully defend the title open all the way up to the finale. The basis for this has been created by another special performance, delivered by Timo Scheider. The 29-year-old Audi factory driver, who was signed in 2006 and climbed up in the ranks last year to drive his first car of the current season, achieves a proud interim tally before the finale. After Audi has clinched a one-two-three victory led by Mattias Ekstrm at the Hockenheim season opener, Scheider claims his first DTM triumph and takes the lead at Oschersleben - and won't relinquish it again up to the finale. In the past five years, no other driver has been continually heading the DTM standings for such a long time. Before, only Laurent Aiello, in 2002, prevailed in front from the beginning to the end - and became champion in the Abt-Audi TT-R.

The chances for Audi to be successful at Hockenheim are good from a statistical perspective: the Audi A4 DTM has won two of the past three races at Hockenheim - the season openers in 2007 and 2008, respectively. At the 2007 finale, Audi clinched the title there.

Should Timo Scheider - just six months after his first DTM race victory - secure the sixth title for Audi (following Hans-Joachim Stuck in 1990, Frank Biela in 1991, Laurent Aiello in 2002 as well as Mattias Ekstrm in 2004 and 2007) another top mark would have been achieved.

Credits: JRC