With Tom Kristensen contesting his final DTM this weekend, his Audi team is bidding a special farewell.
Kristensen has been with the Ingolstadt based manufacturer since they returned to the series in 2004, originally running a car based on their TT coupe. Since then he has accrued a tally for four wins, nine pole positions, 18 podiums and 212 points.
His Audi A4 will run a special livery at Hockenhiem this weekend, with a large portrait of the eight time Le Mans winner on the car's bonnet above the words, in German “Danke Tom für tolle Jahre in der DTM” (English: Thank you, Tom, for Fantastic years in the DTM) as well as “Held og Lykke, Tom” in his native Danish.
But while the team have to let Kristensen go they hope to keep hold of the driver's title, with current championship leader Timo Scheider.
Hoping to see Scheider retain the title Audi will welcome a number of special guests for the weekend with several executive board members attending the race, along with 1,600 Audi employees, replete with a banner.
A 250 square metre banner.
Audi will also welcome a number of celebrity guests with Austrian Red Bull Air Race pilot Hannes Arch visiting Red Bull backed driver Martin Tomczyk and Mattias Ekstrom alongside a more general visit by identical twins Bill and Tom Kaulitz from German band Tokio Hotel.
They and many other Audi guests, many representing the best German exploits in sport and television will be hoping to see Scheider clinch the title, as he goes into the final race with a seven point lead over Mercedes' Gary Paffett.
