The Audi program for 2009

Audi has decided to keep the same winning driver combination for the 2009 DTM season. Anxious to concentrate on its three factory teams, the brand with the rings has however ended its partnership with Futurecom TME.

Published on 22/03/2009 à 15:42

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The upcoming season of Audi Motorsport in DTM seems to have been placed under the sign of change in continuity, since the Ingolstadt manufacturer has just announced that it will retain the same workforce as in 2008.

Indeed, Audi's leading drivers in the DTM will be, as in 2007 and 2008, Timo Scheider, the reigning champion, Tom Kristensen, Mattias Ekström and Martin Tomczyk. All four of them will have a latest model Audi A4, under the banner of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportline.

As for Mike Rockenfeller and Markus Winkelhock, they will again be entered by Audi Sport Team Rosberg, just as Oliver Jarvis and Alexandre Prémat will be retained by Audi Sport Team Phoenix, but they will have to make do with a model from the previous year. .

Dr Ullrich, head of Audi Motorsport: “2008 was the most successful year in Audi's motorsport history. The drivers were an important factor in this success and that's why we saw no reason to change anything with these proven crews. »

The only changes of note concern Katherine Legge, who moves from the Futurecom TME team, owned by Colin Kolles, to Audi Sport Team Abt Sportline and Christijan Albers, who also rode for TME in 2008, but who was not selected. for this new season as for him. This time Legge will have a car from last season, while she drove a two-year-old Audi in 2008.

Even if its presence in DTM is strongly compromised, Colin Kolles? team nevertheless maintains strong links with Audi, since it will enter two private R10s in LMS and in the 24h of Le Mans This year. On the other hand, his new team of F3 Euro Series will use Volkswagen engines.

In conclusion, Audi's ambitions for 2009 are clear: to become the first manufacturer to win the new formula DTM championship three times in a row.

“With our crews, I believe we are well positioned to achieve this. However, it is perfectly clear that the challenge is still much greater than last year and that the competition could even be closer. Mercedes will do everything to win the title in 2009,” continued Dr Ullrich.