Loïc Duval: “Clearly much more power” with the turbo engine

What sensations does the new Audi RS5 Turbo provide?

It was the first time I rode it at the Lausitzring test last week; the development had mainly been led by René (Rast) and Nico (Muller), I had only done a few aero tests. It's a big change, we clearly have a lot more power available, and less aero than in the past. The two combined will generate a fairly strong deterioration in the tires, which you will have to learn to manage over long stints.

This should be an additional factor in overruns. After these four days, I have the feeling thatAudi is a little better than the others, while in 2018 we appeared behind at the start of the season. Now, it's just a first feeling, the layout of the Lausitzring is a bit atypical.

Is the car likely to suit you more given your driving style and your past experiences in Proto?

I've been used to driving powerful cars... but I've also been used to cars with more aero! The impression of these first tests is rather positive, they are surely the best I have done since my arrival in DTM. I am quite satisfied with my times and the long stints went well. I am optimistic but now that I know the discipline well, I have no false illusions before the start of the season.

Work done for today! Fastest lap of the day. Learn a lot of this new beast. More to come #Audi # RS5 #dtm #ld28 #racing #turbo pic.twitter.com/sEtFayhjIW

— Loic duval (@loicduval) April 16th

Will the fact that Audi has the advantage in numbers this season matter?

The more cars we have, the more information we gain, so it can only be positive on paper. On the track, when it's very close, it can also be an advantage to have two more cars. BMW was also expected to go up to eight; this was normally expected from the two remaining manufacturers, but They didn't play the game.

What is your opinion on the new arrival Aston Martin?

They are not that new, with the experience of HWA and the presence of two drivers who know the DTM well! And then there are a lot of things in common between the three manufacturers in terms of chassis, shock absorbers, etc. They don't start from a blank sheet. The big difference existing with the Mercedes 2018 is at the aero level. On the track, they do well, they lack a little performance on one lap, but on the long stints, I'm not too worried about them.

MEDIACENTER: Red instead of black: Loïc Duval in MASCOT WORKWEAR Audi RS 5 DTM

>> https://t.co/wEOwLxU79z#OwnEverySecond #DTM #ranDTM pic.twitter.com/r9LuI0KPYf

- Audi Sport (@audisport) April 8th

What are your expectations at the dawn of your 3rd season in DTM?

One or two wins could be cool. But above all be efficient from the first meetings, because we know how important it is in DTM to attract the manufacturer's favor!