Hockenheim, 5 October, 2003

At the DTM finale held in front of 105,000 spectators at Hockenheim, Audi driver Mattias Ekström occupied second place and, as a result, finished on the winners rostrum for the fifth time this year. Last year’s champion Laurent Aiello fought his way up to fifth place in his Abt Audi TT-R after qualifying in a lowly fifteenth position. Audi Junior Peter Terting (19) collected the first points of his short DTM career with eighth place.

The race at a glance

Weather
cloudy, cool

Spectators
105,000 (entire weekend)

Starting positions
1 #5 Ekström
4 #14 Tomczyk
11 #15 Terting
12 #2 Abt
15 #1 Aiello
16 # 6 Wendlinger

Start
#5 Ekström takes the lead
#14 Tomczyk drops down to fifth place

Lap 1
1. #5 Ekström; 5. #14 Tomczyk; 10. #2 Abt; 12. #1 Aiello; 14. #15 Terting; 15. #6 Wendlinger

Lap 5
#14 Tomczyk is touched by #8 Menu at the hairpin, spins and falls back to 14th position, #1 Aiello overtakes #2 Abt

Lap 7
#2 Abt and #15 Terting make first compulsory pit stop

Lap 8
#5 Ekström comes into the pits as leader for the first fuel stop, is held up as he pulls away. #6 Wendlinger also in the pits

Lap 9
#5 Ekström drops behind #10 Alesi, #14 Tomczyk enters the pits

Lap 14
2nd #5 Ekström; 7th #1 Aiello; 10. #2 Abt; 11. #15 Terting; 16. #14 Tomczyk; 19. #6 Wendlinger

Lap 18
#1 Aiello now in fifth place after tyre failure of #3 Schneider, 8th #2 Abt, 9th #15 Terting

Lap 20
#2 Abt makes second compulsory pit stop

Lap 21
#5 Ekström pits

Lap 22
#1 Aiello completes his second pit stop

Lap 23
Second pit stop for #15 Terting and #14 Tomczyk

Lap 32
#15 Terting ousts #2 Abt from ninth place

Lap 35
Drive-Through-Penalty for #6 Wendlinger after collision with #17 Bleekemolen

Lap 36
#15 Terting climbs up to eighth place

Lap 37
#5 Ekström attacks #10 Alesi, but doesn’t find a way past

Finish
2 #5 Ekström; 5 #1 Aiello; 8 #15 Terting; 9 #2 Abt; 13 #14 Tomczyk; 14 #6 Wendlinger

First DTM point for Audi Junior Peter Terting

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

…

13

17

2003 DTM Final standings after 10 races

Drivers

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Manufacturers

1

2

3

Frank Biela and Emanuele Pirro competed in an unusual supporting race held at the DTM finale in Hockenheim. Both Audi works drivers were among the select starter field chosen to compete in the “Bye, bye Lupo Cup“-Charity Race, in which numerous ex-DTM drivers raced. Emanuele Pirro fought his way up to second position from eleventh on the grid, therefore managing to mount the winners’ rostrum. “The race with the small VW Lupo was great fun,” said Pirro. “And it was all for a worthy cause.” The race helped to raise a donation of almost 100,000 Euro for a foundation for homeless children. Frank Biela was touched by a fellow competitor during the opening stages of the race; the three-time Le Mans winner brought his battered car home in ninth place. The race was won by Roland Asch.