The man behind Audi Motorsport – from 3 April 2006

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich has been the man behind AUDI AG’s motorsport exploits for over 10 years. Since November 1993 Ullrich has been directing the motorsport activities of the premium brand from Ingolstadt in his capacity as Head of Audi Sport. Under his direction, Audi simultaneously won the Touring Car Championships in seven countries, clinched as many as five victories in the Le Mans 24-Hour Race and secured seven consecutive victories in the 12 Hours of Sebring (USA). In 2004, the year of the brand’s return to the DTM as a manufacturer, Audi also won all three titles in Europe’s most popular touring car series straight away.

The Audi A4 quattro, Audi R8 and the Audi A4 DTM represent three of Audi Sport’s most successful projects launched during Ullrich’s watch. And the new Audi R10 TDI diesel-powered sportscar has proved its race-winning qualities already!

The 2006 season will be particularly stressful with the DTM, the American Le Mans Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which means Dr Wolfgang Ullrich will be spending more than 20 weekends of the year at the race track.

VIPs experience ride in an Audi A4 DTM – from 3 April 2006

With the start of the new DTM season in April, the Audi A4 DTM racing car will again be one of the main attractions chauffeuring VIPs, partners and winners of various special contests around the circuit at racing speed.

To date, European celebrities such as actors Moritz Bleibtreu and Tom Gerhardt, ski jumper Sven Hannawald, singer Christina Stürmer and swimmer Antje Buschschulte have all taken a hot lap in the A4 DTM racing taxi.

"I would never have imagined how late you can brake a car," is the unanimous tenor of the passengers’ comments.

In only three seconds the Audi A4 DTM racing taxi accelerates from zero to 100km/h. The ride around the respective DTM circuits is anything but a leisurely cruise. Passengers are pressed into the tight seat bucket with a force equalling to two times their body weight.

The Audi DTM drivers’ diet – 4 April 2006

The heat generated inside a racing car is intensive, demanding maximum physical fitness – and thus good nutrition as well. At Audi, Dr Christian John monitors the eating habits of all drivers.

Carbohydrates are considered the "fuel of endurance athletes.” An office worker burns 2,200 to 2,400 kcal, an athlete 5,000 kcal, and during extreme sporting competitions, such as the Tour de France, the consumption may reach 7,500 to 8,000 kcal.

"I changed my eating habits when I became a professional racer,” says Audi driver Martin Tomczyk. "Carbohydrates, such as pasta and lots of liquid are particularly important. Heavy sweating inside the cockpit also results in a loss of magnesium which must be compensated for with drinks that contain electrolytes. The loss of one and a half to two kilos of body weight due to perspiration during a race is not uncommon. "Light meals, in other words, salads, pasta and fruit – particularly bananas – are my choices,” says Audi driver Tom Kristensen, who has another tip in store, "Whenever I contest an endurance race for Audi, I cannot afford to get hungry on the track.”

DTM more popular than ever – from 7 April 2006

More than 138,000 spectators at the DTM presentation in Düsseldorf demonstrated the enormous attraction the DTM now possess. Last year’s finale in Hockenheim was held in front of a record crowd of 148,000 fans. Advanced ticket sales for the opening race of the season in Hockenheim on 9 April 2006 ran out at maximum capacity.

Audi Sport Team Abt strategy pays off – from 10 April 2006

It appears Audi Sport Team Abt’s strategy has paid off as they lead the team’s championship following the first race of the DTM season over the weekend.

The team is known in the racing community for surprising the competition with unconventional ideas, such as the recent decision to perform their final pitstop practices for the DTM season opener in public.

“The more realistic the conditions the better,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, Team Director.

“If you practice behind closed doors the pressure isn’t nearly as high as when fans watch our boys practice. This makes the adrenalin level rise automatically. The perfect interaction between the driver and the pit crew, which may include up to 16 mechanics, can be the crucial factor that determines victory and defeat in the DTM. The drivers must stop their cars with pinpoint accuracy and accelerate again at the right moment – and sometimes that is easier said than done,” said Abt.

When 10,000 hp is unleashed – from 10 April 2006

Almost 10,000 hp was unleashed when 20 DTM cars pushed off into this year’s first race at Hockenheim over the weekend.

Considering the enormous competitiveness of the DTM field, a perfect start is crucial. Cars weigh in at 1,100 kilograms including fuel and driver, without any electronic driving aids (they are prohibited in the DTM). A mere parking brake is all that prevents the car from rolling, and is activated via a paddle in the steering wheel, assists the drivers to some extent. The rest they need to do themselves. This means finding the optimum point to let the clutch drag, releasing the brake at the right moment and not using too much throttle because this would make the rear wheels spin excessively. Yet if the driver is too timid, there is a risk of stalling the engine – in this case a switch must be used by the driver to activate the warning lamps at the windscreen and rear window.