"... starting with a bang scoring twice in a row"

Audi is chipping in a brand new A4, France an additional race, and the DMSB (German Motor Sport Federation) a few new rules. What influences this will have on Mattias Ekström’s title-defending campaign will be seen on April 13, when the DTM season starts with the race at the legendary Hockenheimring.

Traditionally the DTM season begins and ends at the Hockenheimring. This won’t be any different in 2008: 182 days after the season finals of 2007, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) greats will be competing on the legendary racing circuit and trying to hinder Mattias Ekström from successfully defending his title. Naturally he has different plans, and already intends to lay the foundation for yet another DTM title in Hockenheim: “Last year I won here; that’s my intention again in 2008,” Ekström says. Alongside the 29-year-old Swede, his team-mate Martin Tomczyk – two-time winner and overall third in 2007 – is also a favorite.

Starting with a bang

As early as a week after the first race of the season, the cars will take to the track again in the second race in Oschersleben. This is pleasing for Ekström and Tomczyk for both the circuits are Audi-friendly. On the advantage of an intense start to the season – the last time being in 1990, when two racing weekends were held one after the other – Martin Tomczyk has this to say: “If things go well, you can start with a bang by scoring well twice in a row. That’s my goal.”

Nine Mercedes, ten Audis, eleven races

A series of interesting changes in 2008 are awaiting Ekström and Tomczyk: competing against their ten-strong Audi-Armada are nine new cars fitted with stars. To domesticate the contest between Audi and Mercedes, which almost literally went bumper to bumper last year, new rules have been introduced. For example, as in Formula 1, team order is banned; a series of alterations regarding pit strategies have also been introduced. This year the obligatory pit stops have to be made in the middle third of the race. Fans can look forward to a season highlight in October when the DTM returns to Le Mans. Here the race won’t take place on the legendary 13.5 km, 24-hour Le Mans circuit, but on the Circuit Bugatti which is also used for the MotoGP.