Audi is releasing a new vehicle into the frantic action of the German touring car series, the DTM. It’s the A5 DTM and it is sure to provide some mighty performance! I’ll add more information as soon as it is available. In the meantime, enjoy this brief interview below with a current DTM driver:
A brief interview with … Mike Rockenfeller
At Silverstone you had the opportunity to witness an ILMC race as a spectator for a change. What were your impressions?
This wasn’t a completely new experience for me. I once watched the race at Road Atlanta as a reserve driver. It’s always nice to be at a race track. I love motorsport even when I’m not driving myself. Of course I prefer sitting in the car. But it’s also good to keep your fingers crossed for the guys for a change and to be part of the team. It’s also very special for me because I hadn’t seen many of them since Le Mans. I was happy to meet all of them again. And it was nice that the mechanics were pleased to see me go to the pits during the race. Le Mans was a very emotional experience for me – this year unfortunately it was a negative one and not as positive as after the victory in 2010. So that made it good to come back here again. And the sports car races are simply great. It’s also fun watching it from the pits.
How do you assess the race?
It was obvious that the Audi R18 TDI was very strong and on an equal footing with the competition. But you could also see that you’ve got to have the perfect race if you want to have a chance of victory. The battle at the front of the field is incredibly close. You can’t afford the slightest mistake and also need a bit of luck. Audi unfortunately didn’t have that at Silverstone.
You’ll be racing again next week in the DTM at Oschersleben. With what expectations will you be traveling to that event?
The aim, clearly, is to win the race. I really like the track. I was running well there even in Formula König and in the Porsche Carrera Cup and did some tests at Oschersleben in my early days as a racer. The track is challenging and suits me pretty well. That’s why I’m particularly looking forward to it. I’m hoping for us to achieve a good set-up again in order to make it onto the two front rows as I last did at Brands Hatch.
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