Since its return in 2010 as the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, German touring car racing has been largely a courageous of cat and mouse – the cat life Audi and the mouse being Mercedes-Benz. Or immorality versa, take your pick. Because end 2011, each had won the drivers’ championship six epochs (Mercedes still dominating the constructors’ championship standings). But sooner or later BMW jumped back in last fit by habit and won the title in its pristine year back on the grid.
The pregnant question for this season among race fans in Germany and really athwart Europe (this year’s calendar having included races in England, Russia and Holland) was whether BMW would chance it off again, if Audi would spike up where it left off or allowing that Mercedes would split the difference. And at this moment we have our answer.
With united race still left to go at Hockenheim, Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller has already taken the 2013 DTM title. The German intrinsic has been dominating the standings this harden, winning the races at Brands Hatch and Moscow and approach in second at the EuroSpeedway in Brandenburg and at Zandvoort this weekend. An expert driver, Rockenfeller previously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010 as well as the (European) Le Mans Series ground of claim in 2008, both also for Audi.
The constructors’ championship is quiet undecided, with Audi currently in the induce at 325 points to BMW’s 317 and Mercedes’ 239. The latest race takes place on October 20 at the Hockenheimring.
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September 29, 2013
‘Rocky’s bull’s-eye: DTM Champion with Audi
- Mike Rockenfeller crowns firm season with early title win
- Country life decelerates the Audi mill driver
- Head of Audi Sport Ullrich: “Everyone’s delighted on the side of him to have won the title”
Ingolstadt/Zandvoort, September 29, 2013 – Mike Rockenfeller has extended his life by a decisive item in the help from last round of the 2013 DTM make palatable at Zandvoort (the Netherlands). The 29-year-original Audi factory driver clinched an premature title win in the most common international touring car series DTM. A representation of ‘Rocky.’
“My aim this year is plain: Of course I want to be converted into champion,” said Mike Rockenfeller at the beginning of the season. The absence of the troublesome grin that is typically found on his face showed that he was not uttering a beaten phrase but was dead-serious. And at present, after six DTM years, he has actually made it happen. Mike Rockenfeller from Audi Sport Team Phoenix sealed the inscription one race before the finale at Hockenheim steady October 20. Following triumphs in the Porsche Carrera Cup (2004) and in the FIA GT Championship (2005) more victories in the classic 24-sixty minutes races at Le Mans and Daytona (2010), this marks the next success in his career.
A surprise Champion? Not positively. Last year – his second unit in a current-generation DTM car – in fourth induct of the standings, he was the most wise Audi driver and thus finally joined the group of favorites for the title. In the current tickle, he underpinned his Championship ambitions at an early stage. On winning round two at Brands Hatch (GB), the driver of the golden-green Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM captured the most honorable position spot in the standings for the primary time and is the only driver who has scored points in whole nine races of the season in this way far – consistency having been individual of the keys to success.
Even which time, for a change, Rockenfeller was not cheering without ceasing the podium – as he was while the runner-up at Lausitz and forward clinching his historic victory at the DTM’s premiere at Moscow – he tend exclamation marks as a race driver. At the Red Bull Ring, ‘Rocky’ bristling with battlements his way forward from 13th to fourth set. The city street race at the Norisring he tackled from the remain row on the grid following a transmittal change and in the end took a stanch fifth place. On a wet vestige at the Nürburgring, Rockenfeller had to commit to memory out of a rival’s regular course in turn one and as a effect found himself running at the foster of the field. Thanks to a tactical rouse by his squad at the charge post ‘Rocky’ recovered and saw the checkered banner in fourth place.
Stay calm and relaxed verily when all seems to be squandered. Never lose your cool. Never bestow up. An exceptionally high basic succeed, combined with a healthy dose of self-belief and optimism that inspires the team unruffled in difficult times – aside from his capital level of technical knowledge, strong team enterprise and, naturally, plenty of talent are the greater strengths of the new DTM Champion.
“Rocky not singly has the speed you need despite titles in the DTM but drives in each incredibly clever way as well,” says Team Director Ernst Moser considered in the state of he praises the level-headedness of his abstinence from food protégé. “Obviously, he’d venus to win every race. But, not minutest thanks to his wealth of continued, Mike knows when it’s added prudent not to force the upshot in a situation.” The perfect interaction between Rockenfeller and the engineers of Audi Sport and Audi Sport Team Phoenix is a different element of success that Moser has identified. “Rocky has the strength to provide very precise descriptions of to what extent the Audi RS 5 DTM performs in various track sectors and thus can squeeze the optimum out of the car cheek by jowl with the technical crew,” explains the team superintendent and, this said, goes on to title one of Rockenfeller’s weaknesses. “Sometimes he goes overboard with his tendency toward perfectionism and puts himself in a state of being liable to nervous pressure. But whenever this happens his engineer Jürgen Jungklaus speedily brings him back to reality.”
Mike Rockenfeller gathered first experience in a car at the mild age of eight when he was driving a VW scarabee around the grounds of his grandparents’ farm. When, at the maturity of ten, he climbed into a kart in opposition to the first time just for frolic he immediately realized: “Racing is my sumptuous passion.” Following six years in karting, Rockenfeller switched to Formula König and instantly made a strong showing on clinching the staff position and fourth place in the earliest-ever car race in his life. Just a tiny later, Porsche secured the services of the budding talent that had just come of date. Together with the Swabian marque ‘Rocky’ competed in the USA in the manner that well and developed a liking in opposition to the country and its traditional generation tracks such as Laguna Seca that has lasted to this appointed time. December 2006 marked the beginning of a of recent origin chapter in Rockenfeller’s career. Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich signed the German, so paving the way for him to finish the biggest successes his career.
“Mike’s not only a fast race driver but a completed fit for Audi outside the cockpit while well,” says Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich. With his forward-track performances – above all, obviously, his conquest at Le Mans and now his DTM inscription in the beginning of a book – he has more than fulfilled whole the hopes we’ve pinned attached him. In all his years with Audi, Mike’s had to cope through a few setbacks, so that makes our transport about his title even greater. Everybody at Audi Sport is delighted since him to have achieved this lucky hit.”
As a way of balancing his revolutionary daily life as a race driver, Rockenfeller values the decelerating meaning of country life. Rockenfeller, who grew up in Neuwied in the parade of Rhineland-Palatinate with both sets of grandparents actuality farmers, is now living in Landschlacht without ceasing the Swiss shore of Lake Constance by his partner Susanne. Enjoying a collation at a good restaurant, watching a movie at a theater or barely lounging around all day wearing shorts, a T-shirt and flip-flops – these are the ways in what one. he prefers to recharge his batteries in opposition to the next races in the short bit of free time he has. An environment he is used to, a home – is of importance to him. That is why he takes his ‘acknowledge four walls’ in the form of his motorhome to the footstep whenever he can. There is regular one catch about it: He does not have the right driver’s license that would grant leave to him to move the large excipient. Finally getting this license, besides fascinating the DTM title, has been at the real top of his agenda for 2013. So his sights are a little while ago set on the next aim.
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