With the likes of Red Bull, Audi Financial Services and Schaffer being just a part of the plethora of global companies that are associated with the brand with the four rings, Audi Sport will be able to have the secure backing of already strong partnerships for the 2013 DTM season.
Today’s first day of testing at Hockenheim saw the cars in their final liveries for the very first time, as both newcomer Jamie Green and 2-time DTM champion Mattias Ekstrom will be sporting the colours of Red Bull on their Team Abt Sportsline RS 5 DTM machines this season, with red markings on Ekstrom’s car and yellow on Green’s making it easier for all to distinguish between the two drivers either on track or in the pit lane.
Edoardo Mortara‘s Team Rosberg livery will be the same as last year, sporting the colours of quattro GmBH and Playboy magazine, whereas Audi Financial Services will show its extended support of the Ingolstadt squadron, with Filipe Albuquerque‘s RS 5 DTM being awash with the livery that shows their intent. “We’re supporting Audi in the DTM because we’re firmly convinced of this strong squad’s success,” says Managing Director Anthony Bandmann. “For us, a commitment in this multi-faceted sport together with this superb Audi team is a natural choice.”
Team Phoenix brings a addition of brightness to Audi Sport, as Miguel Molina‘s RS 5 DTM is in a fiery red, which advertises the production vehicle counterpart and plays against the yellow and green livery that is sported on 2010 Le Mans 24 Hours winner Mike Rockenfeller‘s car, which will be sporting the Schaffer Group banner, along with its INA, FAG and LUK brands. The Spaniard loves his new colour, as he likes the fact that his car will be easy to spot on track.
Timo Scheider will continue to be associated with AUTO TEST magazine, the 2-time back to back champion requested a colour change from the yellow and white livery his A5 DTM sported last season: “I clinched both of my titles in a black car – maybe that’s a good omen for the new season.” He will again be partnered by French driver Adrien Tambay, who will have the same livery as last season, promoting AUDI AG’S ULTRA lightweight design technology, as both drivers comprise Team Abt for 2013.
A long-term partner since 2009, Akrapovič exhausts have been used on Audi’s Sports Prototypes, such as the R18 e-tron quattro, with the partnership now extending to the DTM, as six of the cars will be labelled with the logo of the company: “After our successful cooperation in the sports car area, it was actually just a question of time when we’d be working together in the DTM as well,” stated Managing Director Uroš Rosa.
Other premier motorsport-affiliated brands, such as Tag Heuer, Alpinestars, Eibach, O.Z. Wheels and Audi Top Service, help to support the ongoing DTM commitment by Ingolstadt, as Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich explained further on how it has helped its successes: “Without the backing of these strong partners we wouldn’t be able to be active in motorsport on this level. I’m particularly pleased to see that the companies truly ‘live’ the DTM topic and are involved with passion – this provides our teams and drivers with a big dose of additional motivation to reciprocate this enormous trust by delivering good results.”
