Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website Double podium for the new Audi RS 5 DTM
may 06, 2019 - Audi

Double podium for the new Audi RS 5 DTM

  • Rain and cold in #dtm season opener at Hockenheim

  • Mike Rockenfeller and #robinfrijns in positions two and three

  • René Rast battles for victory until shortly before the end of the race

Audi started to the new turbo era in the #dtm at the Hockenheimring with a double podium. In rain and cold, #mikerockenfeller (Audi Sport Team Phoenix) and #robinfrijns (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline) clinched positions two and three. René Rast (Audi Sport Team Rosberg) suffered misfortune in the first race of the new #audirs5dtm.

From fourth on the grid, the 2017 #dtm Champion fought his way forward to second in cold and wet conditions, and subsequently went on to chase race leader Marco Wittmann in a BMW. The #audi driver seemed to have good chances of celebrating his seventh consecutive #dtm victory when he coasted down his #audirs5dtm with a transmission problem six laps before the end.

“Of course that was extremely unfortunate,” said Head of #audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “René was battling for victory and put a lot of pressure on Marco (Wittmann). We have to live with this and will attack again tomorrow. Today was a race in very difficult conditions from lights to flag. In Mike and Robin we put two drivers on the podium, plus Loïc (Duval) in fifth place. Overall, that’s a good result.”

Mike Rockenfeller in his #audirs5dtm started from the front row alongside Marco Wittmann after having missed pole position by only 66 thousandths of a second. In the race, he was struggling with his first set of tires. “Unlike in qualifying, I hardly had any grip,” said Rockenfeller. “I don’t know the reason. On the second set of tires, everything was okay again but at that time, victory was already lost. Still, it was a good season opener. It’s nice to be on podium and I’m happy about good points.”

Robin Frijns in his #audirs5dtm pulled off a lightning start with which he improved from fifth to second place, but then dropped behind Rast and Rockenfeller. “The conditions especially at the beginning were really extreme,” said Frijns. “So I’m all the happier about the podium.”

Loïc Duval and Nico Müller, in positions five and eight, scored points for #audi as well. Jamie Green had to settle for twelfth place after a clutch issue.

Customer team WRT Team #audi Sport instantly scored a point in its first #dtm race: Pietro Fittipaldi finished his #dtm debut in position ten.

For the second race of the new #dtm era on Sunday (start at 1.30 PM CEST, live on SAT.1 beginning at 1 PM) cold but sunny weather has been forecast.

You might be interested in

september 25, 2023
september 19, 2023
september 05, 2023

Four victories for the Audi R8 LMS GT3 in Asia, Europe and New ZealandExcitement in the TCR Europe after tenth victory of the seas...

The #redbullring is not exactly a home race for ABT Sportsline. Although Kempten is not far from the Austrian border, it is over 5...

Hans-Jürgen Abt himself will be on hand at the #dtm weekend at the Sachsenring next Sunday to congratulate TV partner ProSieben on...