2011 DTM champion with Martin Tomczyk, three victories, a total of eight podium results at ten races, third place in the team standings and winner of the annual Hankook pit stop classification – Audi Sport Team Phoenix finished an impressively successful season in the German Touring Car Masters at Hockenheim. At the Hockenheim Motodrom Ernst Moser’s team made a showing befitting the style of a champion, although – or perhaps because -- Martin Tomczyk had already been determined as the new champion at Valencia: The native of Rosenheim drove the strikingly yellow-green Schaeffler-Audi A4 DTM to a second-place finish which again made him the best Audi driver.
“The finale at Hockenheim in front of this fantastic crowd was brilliant,” said Martin Tomczyk after receiving the champion’s trophy on the podium. “My A4 was perfect and my team did another great job. I wasn’t able to completely keep up with Jamie Green’s pace but that was only secondary today.” By finishing this race as the runner-up Tomczyk crowned his brilliant season. The new DTM champion scored points at all ten races and mounted the podium eight times. The 29-year-old, who never finished any race this year in less than fifth place, won three events – impressive statistics which are worth reflecting on more than once.
For Audi the DTM season was a perfect one as well. In front of an impressive crowd at the Hockenheim finale the brand with the four rings, after the early win of the driver’s title by Martin Tomczyk, also secured the runner-up’s slot in the championship and won the team classification. Edoardo Mortara had previously been determined as “Rookie of the year”.
“You can’t really wish for more than this,” commented Head of Audi Motorsport Dr Wolfgang Ullrich after the finish at the Hockenheimring. “It’s truly been a perfect year for Audi. My thanks go to everyone who has had a part in this great success for Audi.”
In its 84th and – for the time being – last DTM race the Audi A4 DTM made another strong showing. With Martin Tomczyk, Miguel Molina, Mike Rockenfeller, Mattias Ekström, Timo Scheider and Oliver Jarvis on positions two to four and six to eight, six Audi drivers scored points. In its career the A4 DTM has clinched five out of eight possible champion’s titles, 44 pole positions, 31 fastest laps and 34 race victories since 2004.
The decision at the finale at Hockenheim was made as early as at the start which Mercedes driver Jamie Green decided in his favour, followed by a lonely race at the front of the field. Similarly solid were the runs of Audi drivers Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Phoenix) and Miguel Molina (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) that ended on positions two and three.
After receiving a drive-through penalty for jump-starting Tomczyk´s team-mate Rahel Frey had no chance of scoring points. She finished 16th but again left a good impression.
Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
“A fantastic conclusion of the season! We scored points at ten races and achieved another podium at the finale after our early title win. It’s hard to beat such a string of successes. Again, many, many thanks from me to my team, to Martin Tomczyk and to Audi. And of course to all who had faith in us and are happy for us to have achieved this result. It’s a shame that Rahel Frey was a bit nervous at the start and was given a drive-through penalty for jump starting. Unfortunately, that way she deprived herself of some of the fruits of her learning this year.”
Martin Tomczyk (Schaeffler Audi A4 DTM), 2nd place
“It was an outstanding race and a nice conclusion of the season, which I enjoyed very much. I wasn’t able to completely keep up with Jamie’s (Green) pace, but that was secondary today. It was great to finish the year on the podium and to start into the winter break this way. My thanks go to everyone in Audi Sport Team Phoenix and at Audi who has supported me. It’s been a brilliant season.”
Rahel Frey (Glamour Audi A4 DTM), 16th place
“My start was bad and my nerves were shaking. The race had a weak beginning but a good ending. I’m quite pleased. The times were solid; we had two very good pit stops and finished the race without damage. For me it’s been a nice close of the season. My thanks go to all the people that have supported me this season.”
Audi had shown its strength as early as in Saturday’s qualifying. 6-4 for Audi - after winning the drivers title with Martin Tomczyk the brand with the four rings decided the DTM qualifying duel in its favour as well. The Spaniard Miguel Molina gave Audi the fifth consecutive pole position at the finale. Audi showed an impressive overall qualifying performance at the season’s finale: Three Audi A4 DTM cars started from the two front rows, seven from the top ten. Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Phoenix) tackled his first race as DTM champion from position three on the grid. Alongside him on row two was Zandvoort winner Mike Rockenfeller (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline).
Ernst Moser (Team Director Audi Sport Team Phoenix)
“It’s fantastic when you’ve made it into the top four and can start from position three. This has been yet another outstanding performance by Martin Tomczyk! You can tell that he’s no longer carrying a load on his shoulders. Martin is driving totally unencumbered, which his result shows. In the first qualifying segment we made three sets of tyres available to Rahel Frey. We wanted to see her in Q2 at all cost. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out. But the gap is small.”
Martin Tomczyk (Schaeffler Audi A4 DTM), grid position 3
“That was nice! It was really tight today, a nice way to close this year’s DTM season. After Valencia, making it into Q4 was a way of thanking my team. In the last qualifying segment it didn’t quite work out, I lost some time in the last turn. On top of that, I needed two laps in the third session. So my tyres weren’t so fit anymore. Still, I’m pleased.”
Rahel Frey (Glamour Audi A4 DTM), grid position 18
“Time, unfortunately, is passing very quickly. Like at the season opener, I’m on position 18. Now I’ve got to give everything in the race. In qualifying I didn’t feel the same grip as I did this morning in free practice and had slight oversteer. That’s disappointing because I thought that I’d be able to move forward some more this weekend. I feel more comfortable in the cockpit and am better able to handle the car now.”
When Phoenix Racing travels to Australia in February to compete in the famous Bathurst 12 Hours with two Audi R8 LMS cars this won’t be the team’s first overseas commitment. In 1999, the debut year of Ernst Moser’s squad, the team embarked on its first big journey after the end of the Super Touring Cup (STW) season. The destination: Macau.