Ingolstadt, December 10, 2004
Having announced its driver line-up for the 2005 DTM season some two
weeks ago, Audi has now allocated its eight drivers to the two teams. As in
the past season when Audi clinched the drivers’, teams’ and
manufacturers’ titles, the Audi A4 DTM will be entered next year again by
the two works teams, Abt Sportsline and Joest Racing. Whilst the team of
Hans-Jürgen Abt will enter the new generation of the Audi A4, it will be the
task of Reinhold Joest’s squad to enter a quartet of this year’s
championship-winning car.
Joest Racing will field the experienced Christian Abt as well as the trio of
DTM newcomers, Rinaldo Capello, Pierre Kaffer and Frank Stippler. Team
Abt Sportsline will run the cars for defending DTM champion Mattias
Ekström, Tom Kristensen, Martin Tomczyk as well as former Formula 1
driver Allan McNish.
"We are happy to be in a position to rely on the two powerful squads of
Joest Racing and Abt Sportsline. The split of the line-up of cars reflects our
aim to allow every team to fully concentrate on preparing and racing only a
single generation of cars”, explains Head of Audi Sport Dr Wolfgang
Ullrich. "I am sure that this arrangement means we have created the best
possible starting position for our title defence.”
The development of the new Audi A4 DTM is currently being carried out at
full speed in the Audi Sport premises in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. The
roll-out of the next generation of the championship-winning car is planned
for the beginning of next year.
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