•Edoardo Mortara wins in Audi R8 LMS in Malaysia
•Nico Müller at Westside Race Festival
•Mike Rockenfeller about the DTM race in Moscow
Audi driver Edoardo Mortara proves his abilities in GT3 sports car: in the Audi R8 LMS Cup in Malaysia he won the second race, the first race was won by Alex Yoong. Phil Hanson and Nigel Moore triumphed once again in the Dunlop Endurance Championship at Silverstone.
Yoong and Mortara take Audi R8 LMS Cup victories
The race victories in Sepang (Malaysia) during the third Audi R8 LMS Cup race weekend went to defending Champion Alex Yoong and guest starter Edoardo Mortara. In the first race at his home event, Yoong beat Mortara and Swiss lady Rahel Frey. At the start of the weekend’s hotly contested second race, Mortara held a lights to flag lead to cross the finish line ahead of Alessio Picariello and Frey in second and third places respectively. Yoong retained the championship lead in the Audi one-make cup thanks to his second victory of the season. The next two races are held in South Korea on September 24-25.
Another win for Hanson/Moore
Phil Hanson and Nigel Moore celebrated another race win at the sixth round of the Dunlop Endurance Championship. The duo, behind the wheel of an Audi R8 LMS ultra from Tockwith Motorsports, crossed the finish line in first place after two and a half hours of racing. They have now extended their lead in the drivers’ standings.
DTM weekend up for auction with Audi Sport Team Rosberg
Audi Sport partner Hoffmann Group will be auctioning a DTM weekend at the DTM finale at Hockenheim. The auction will take place on “ebay for charity” from August 16–26. The proceeds will go towards the Hoffmann Group Foundation, which is supporting the development of a new facility for disadvantaged children and youths. The winning bidder will not only get the chance to meet Jamie Green personally, but they will also enjoy a behind the scenes look at Audi Sport Team Rosberg during the season finale at the Hockenheimring.
Audi driver Nico Müller at Westside Race Festival
Visitors of the Westside shopping and leisure center in Bern caught a whiff of motorsport air at the Westside Race Festival. Initiator of the ten-day event was Audi DTM driver Nico Müller. The Norisring winner who lives in Bern signed autographs and was available for conversations. In addition, the fans were treated to plenty of action. At a total of four DTM race simulators, they had the opportunity to compete live with Müller. A mobile kart track in front of the center’s main entrance was available for use free of charge. An Audi RS 5 DTM as a show car and other Audi production models were displayed in an exhibition area.
A word from … Mike Rockenfeller
DTM driver Mike Rockenfeller provides a personal perspective of the upcoming races at Moscow Raceway.
How did you spend the DTM summer break?
With the team we continued to work on improving the set-up for the next races. In addition, I had a number of commitments including events with our partner Schaeffler and at Audi in Neuburg. Naturally, I spent as much time as possible with my family at Lake Constance. A few days ago, our second son, Paul, was born – he’s doing well and we’re very happy.
What’s your impression of Moscow?
I’ve had several opportunities to get to know the city even aside from the DTM races. Most recently, I visited the new Audi City where I watched the Le Mans 24 Hours – almost directly on Red Square. It’s generally a metropolis that’s really worth seeing. At the races I always enjoyed the friendliness of the people. And the interest shown by the local journalists is impressive as well. I’ve seldom seen so many members of the media at a press conference as I did following my victory in the DTM’s premiere in Moscow in 2013.
What is characteristic of Moscow Raceway?
The track has a good grip level. The surface is very even and has hardly any bumps. The left-hand turns, some of which are very fast, are technically pretty challenging to drive. You can’t brake as straight on entering and then turn in, but only brake while you’re driving through the corner. This poses the challenge of adjusting the set-up and your driving style so that you hit the brakes as late as possible without the rear of the car swinging out due to the lateral acceleration or the front wheels locking. In addition, the long straight offers a good opportunity for overtaking with DRS.
What are your expectations for the two races next week?
As always, it’s difficult to predict the outcome of the race. Having scored two victories, I’ve always felt very comfortable there. We hope that we made the right steps forward during the summer break and, as a result, will be well-set for the race weekend. In that case, I expect us to be in contention for victories again.
Coming up next week
19-21.08 Moscow (RUS), DTM races 11 and 12
19-21.08 Zandvoort (NL), ADAC GT Masters races 11 and 12
19-21.08 Zandvoort (NL), Spezial Tourenwagen Trophy races 9 and 10
20.08 Nürburgring (D), VLN round 6
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