Mattias Ekström (Audi Sport Team Abt / Audi A4 DTM #5)
1st place
"It’s always been my biggest dream to clinch the title in the DTM. Today,
I’m simply overjoyed. My thanks go to Audi Sport for the fantastic Audi A4
DTM, to my Team Abt Sportsline for their perfect performance in the pits
and to my team-mates for all the backing they’ve given me during the
season. I know people are saying that I tend to avoid long parties – today,
I’ll prove them wrong, though."
Tom Kristensen (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline / Audi A4 DTM #12)
2nd place, + 2.313s
"Mattias is a truly deserving champion. He’s a great guy. He’s a natural
talent. He has car control. And he’s got lots of experience in the DTM and
in the team. These are five things he’s put together perfectly. And if a Dane
has so many positive things to say about a Swede, that really means
something. Today, my A4 was better than ever. This has enabled me to
complete Audi’s 1-2 victory."
Emanuele Pirro (Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest / Audi A4 DTM #44)
5th place, + 33.220s
"In many of the races this year we were defeated below our actual
performance level. Today – finally – we were not struck by bad luck and
thus able to take home a good result. This has been very important for the
whole team. Congratulations, as well, to Mattias. This has been a big day
for Audi and a good one for Team Joest."
Christian Abt (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline / Audi A4 DTM #11)
13th place, + 55.904s
"Normally – after two or three races – a team will agree on a team strategy.
But Mattias didn’t need any of that this year, because he’s simply been the
strongest driver of the whole field. I’m proud of my team, because they’ve
made no mistakes during the pit stops in any of the nine races and have
therefore contributed their part to this success. Today, my joy about the title
win outweighs my anger about being touched by a rival, which ruined my
chances of finishing in the points."
Frank Biela (Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest / Audi A4 DTM #45)
14th place, + 56.885s
"For me, the race was practically over right after the first corner when I was
forced into a spin and then had to follow the rest of the field. ’Well done’ to
Mattias: during the course of the season he kept working to achieve an
excellent starting position and locked it all in today."
Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Abt / Audi A4 DTM #6)
retired (accident)
"Of course, I have mixed emotions about today’s race, but the positive
ones are clearly dominant. Mattias deserves the title, and I think that both
of us deserved winning the team title as well. We have worked together
extremely well as a team this year. Having been forced to retire here is
really too bad for me, as it has cost me my fourth place in the
championship. In the end, though, Christijan Albers shot himself in the
foot by what he did."
Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline):
"Congratulations to Mattias. He joined us in 2001, immediately became a
member of our family and absolutely deserves this exploit. From a
wholehearted team player, whose first-ever DTM victory in 2002 secured
our title, he has evolved to the level of a worthy champion. I want to thank
every one of our mechanics for their professional performance, without
which we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this triumph. Today, we’ve
managed to claim the team championship title in the DTM – and that’s the
best reward of all."
Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Infineon Team Joest)
"I share Audi’s and Mattias’ happiness about the championship title. And,
of course, I’m happy about the fact that we had a good race as well.
Emanuele has deserved the fifth place he clinched. His start was
absolutely fantastic, and the team did perfect work: we had four good pit
stops and the right strategy. It’s too bad, though, that Frank – yet again –
was a victim of bad luck in a major way."
Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport)
"I feel that Mattias is a truly deserving DTM champion. He has earned the
title on his own merits, by applying his driving skills. Of course he has also
had the benefit of a team fully backing him, and a quick and reliable car –
the Audi A4 DTM – as well as a drivers’ squad supporting him to the extent
possible. For Audi this is a marvellous feat to have claimed the title right in
the first year of their DTM comeback. The entire squad can be rightfully
proud of this. The sporting spirit continuously displayed by Audi in motor
racing is transferred to our production models as well."
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