Dieter Gass (Head of Audi Motorsport)
“With two one-two-three wins it was a superb weekend for Audi. We weren’t sure where we’d stand with the same weight compared to our two competitors. We were pleased to see that the RS 5 DTM at the Red Bull Ring with the same prerequisites for all three manufacturers was the fastest and, above all, the most consistent car. That we were perfectly sorted already on Saturday was another crucial factor. It was obvious that the field in qualifying on Sunday was clearly closer together and that, as a result, racing was more spectacular. In both races, we saw fantastic teamwork in our squad and some of our rivals playing hardball. On Sunday, Mattias (Ekström) definitely got nothing for free. But gifts are not what we want, but earn victories and titles with the best car. It’s a shame that Lucas Auer was deprived of valuable points on Sunday. Otherwise the situation before the finale at Hockenheim would be even more thrilling because Mercedes-Benz has always been very strong there. But even so, the DTM fans can look forward to a spectacular showdown.”
Mattias Ekström (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM #5) position 1 / position 5
“I’m very happy. I had two great races with a victory and fifth place, and was able to score many points. At the restart on Sunday, I definitely had the worst tires in the field. On the whole, this weekend has been great fun.”
Nico Müller (Playboy Audi RS 5 DTM #51) position 3 / position 3
“The second race was real fun. From position five on Sunday it was more difficult to finish on podium than on Saturday. It was great that it worked out. I had a number of fantastic fights. Plus, we celebrated two one-two-three wins for Audi. I’m very happy that I was part of them. The strongest driver of the weekend was missing on Sunday: Jamie (Green). He would have deserved the 25 points. This year has been a bit slow for me. That’s why Spielberg felt good. And I’m happy for my guys about the podium places. They worked hard for them.”
René Rast (AUTO BILD MOTORSPORT Audi RS 5 DTM #33) position 13 / position 1
“On the one hand, I’m happy about victory. These are important points for the championship. On the other hand, I’m a little sad because a perfect team result would have been possible on Sunday. I’m sorry for Jamie (Green). He was the dominant driver this weekend. I wouldn’t have begrudged him victory. But a race is only over when the checkered flag has fallen. It wasn’t a perfect weekend for us Rosberg boys but we’re back in the game for the championship. That should give us tailwind for Hockenheim.”
Mike Rockenfeller (Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM #99) position 7 / position 2
“I’m happy about the podium. But I would have also been happy about third place because in terms of the sport Jamie (Green) was simply stronger on Sunday. It was great coming second from fourth on the grid. The restart was the highlight for me. Before the pit stop, nothing was working for me, and some drivers passed me. But on the second set of tires the car felt good again. And then the safety car came. After a good restart, I was able to stand my ground against Marco Wittmann. On Saturday, we could have finished on podium too with a good strategy. That we didn’t manage that sticks as a little negative.”
Jamie Green (Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM #53) position 2 / position 14
“This weekend Team Rosberg and I showed a strong performance. The Audi RS 5 DTM with the same weight as the competition was really strong. I’m proud of the two pole positions. On Sunday, I was very close to a race victory until three laps before the end a shifting problem occurred. That was frustrating. But now we need to look ahead.”
Loïc Duval (Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM #77) position 14 / position 8
“That we managed to score points again on Sunday is a positive. But on the whole things didn’t go as expected. Audi did a great job this weekend and showed that we’ve got the best car. Personally, I had difficulties in both qualifying sessions. There are always a few small things missing that keep us from performing as planned. In the races, though, we’ve been able to keep pace well. I hope that we’ll do better in qualifying at Hockenheim – that would make life easier for us, because, as we all know, you have a hard time in the DTM without a good grid position.”