Ingolstadt, June 18, 2004


Last Sunday, Audi works driver Rinaldo Capello, driving an Audi R8, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the second time in succession. Now the Italian stands before his DTM debut: Capello will drive an additional Audi A4 DTM at the invitation race in Shanghai (China) on 18 July. “Dindo”, as he is known, drives the Audi Sport test car in Shanghai, which will be looked after by Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest. The Audi supported ‘star of tomorrow’ Peter Terting (20), the youngest driver in DTM history last year, additionally lines up in an Abt-Audi TT-R.

Audi enters a total of eight cars at the DTM away race in China. Christian Abt, Mattias Ekström, Tom Kristensen and Martin Tomczyk (all Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline), as well as Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro (both Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest) drive their actual DTM race cars in Shanghai.

“I’m really looking forward to my first race in the DTM, as this series has always interested me,” says Capello. “Obviously I know just how hard the DTM is, but I’ll get tips from my team colleagues and prepare myself well. I want to make the most of this opportunity – you never know, maybe I can raise a few eyebrows in Shanghai.”

Capello, who is 40-years old today (Thursday), was successful for Audi in touring car racing between 1994 and 1998, before swapping to sports prototypes with the Audi works team. He is the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) most successful driver with a total of 16 victories and is considered a specialist for street circuits such as Shanghai. Capello won on similar tracks in Adelaide (2000) and Trois-Rivières (2001) in an Audi R8. “I simply like street races,” says the Italian. “Nevertheless, Shanghai will be a very special challenge, as there is very little practise time available there and, up to now, I have completed a mere six laps in a DTM car.”

Peter Terting leads the German SEAT Leon Supercopa after five races and is instructor for the ADAC VW Polo Cup this year. “I’m really very happy that I’ll be able to start for Audi again at this extraordinary race,” says the youngster. “Shanghai is an incredibly interesting city, and there will definitely be a unique atmosphere around the circuit in the city centre. But I am most happy about being able to compete in a race in a DTM car.”

“The race in Shanghai is a good opportunity for Peter to gather more experience in the DTM,” explains Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich. “’Dindo’ was a logical choice for the seventh A4 DTM: We can look back on many successful touring car years together.”