Ekström new DTM champion - Green wins season finale
Mattias Ekström (Audi) is the new DTM champion. In an
exciting finale at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg,
the Swede claimed the title in the most popular international
touring car series for the second time with his Audi A4 DTM.
In the tenth round of the season, third place was enough for
Ekström, who finished ahead of Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz).
The Canadian was fourth. At Hockenheim, Jamie Green (AMG Mercedes
C-Class) scored his second DTM race win ahead of Timo Scheider
(Audi).
Mattias Ekström DTM champion 2007
The season finale of the 2007 DTM at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg
couldn’t have been better: Audi driver Mattias Ekström
is the new DTM champion. With a margin of only 0.4 seconds,
the Swede crossed the finish line in third place with his
Audi A4 DTM ahead of his fiercest rival Bruno Spengler from
Canada (Mercedes-Benz). Thus, Ekström won the title for
the second time after 2004. “The feeling of being champion
again is great and indescribable”, the 29-year old cheered.
With a victory and six podium finishes, Ekström was the
most consistent driver of the season. Victory in the season
finale went to British Mercedes-Benz driver Jamie Green from
Ekström’s fellow Audi driver Timo Scheider. For
Green, it was already the second victory in a row.
The DTM finale electrified the crowds. A total of 152,000
spectators was a new record crowd for a DTM weekend. Also
several VIPs like Veronica Ferres and Franziska van Almsick
watched the thrilling final. Already at the start, there were
fascinating battles. Pole sitter Tom Kristensen (Audi) briefly
lost the lead to his fellow Audi driver Scheider, but he got
his position back right away. Title candidate Martin Tomczyk
got stuck with his Audi A4 DTM between the cars of Mercedes-Benz
driver Jamie Green and Timo Scheider and damaged his car.
Thus, the driver from Rosenheim had an early setback in the
battle for the title. Eventually, Tomczyk finished ninth at
Hockenheim and third in the final points’ standings.
Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) was also involved in an accident
on lap one, after which his car was stuck on the track. The
safety-car led the field around the 4.574 kilometres long
track for one lap.
During the race, the new champion made his way up into the
lead, but was overtaken by Green and Scheider. Spengler also
tried everything to secure his maiden DTM title. Being two
points down, the 24 year old would have had to finish ahead
of Ekström. Spengler climbed up from sixth on the grid
and was even leading for a while because of the pit stops.
After all drivers had completed their two mandatory pit stops
and the situation was clear again, the two title candidates
were immediately behind each other in third and fourth place.
For many laps, Spengler tried to reduce the gap. Eventually,
he was 0.4 seconds short of the newly-crowned champion Ekström.
Spengler ended the season as runner-up.
Mattias Ekström (DTM champion 2007, 3rd place,
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): “The feeling
of being champion again is great and indescribable. So many
so great people have been working for this the whole year.
That this great effort has been crowned with the championship
is just fantastic. Thanks to all the mechanics and the engineers
for the great support.”
Jamie Green (winner, Salzgitter AMG Mercedes): “I
am really happy with my second win in a row. It is quite strange.
Firstly, I don’t win a race for two years and then two
in a row, but that is the way it is. This victory counts even
more than the one in Barcelona. Back there, I already showed
that I have the pace to win. Today, I have proven that I can
do so without external factors as well.”
Timo Scheider (2nd place, Audi Sport Team Abt):
“I am super happy with my maiden podium finish in the
DTM. And victory for Mattias in the championship on top of
that, it couldn’t have been better for me and for Audi
today.”
Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich:
“This was a great crowd that this finale also deserved.
Everybody enjoyed this race in which we have seen touring
car racing at its best. I am happy that we eventually won
the championship, also for the team that has been working
very hard throughout the season. Especially so as we had a
very strong opponent with Mercedes-Benz. Winning this top-level
championship is great. I am really happy and I am looking
forward to the party tonight. Unfortunately, Martin Tomczyk
didn’t have race luck on his side today. Still, he has
shown a good performance. I am very happy for Timo Scheider.
On Friday, some people even joked that he didn’t want
to finish on the podium, but he has finally broken his duck.”
Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug:
“Congratulations to Audi for winning the championship.
I am happy that we have staged such an exciting finale. We
have no reason to be disappointed. This was ‘DTM at
its best’, a finale as good as it comes: from the weather
up to the competition. Many thanks to our team with which
we were able to win seven out of ten races. During the season,
all new C-Classes have won and with Gary Paffett also a driver
with a year-old car. I think that this is a worthy end of
this hardly-fought championship, and we can live with the
result. Over the years, our record is very good.”
Suveränt – a great job well done:
Mattias Ekström is DTM champion
When he wouldn’t be for real, the Swedish author Astrid
Lindgren would have had to invent him: Mattias Ekström,
the seemingly ever-upbeat racedriver from Falun, Sweden. At
the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, the Audi driver
won his second title in the DTM drivers’ classification
on Sunday after 2004. “I dedicate this victory to my
entire team, because you can only win the title when everybody
is working together and perfectly harmonising”, a visibly
moved Ekström said.
Ekström is looking upon a season performance that was
typical for him. Above all, he was the most consistent driver
by far, with seven podium finishes. He only didn’t score
any points in two races. He won the season opener at Hockenheim
and then had to wait until the sixth of ten season rounds
before taking the lead in the points’ standings again.
In difficult situations, like after his tenth place at the
EuroSpeedway Lausitz, he was especially built up again by
his girlfriend Tina Thörner. “I owe her the most”,
Ekström says about his partner who, a navigator in rallying
herself, knows what it important in motorsport.
The two are living together at Lake Constance in Switzerland.
“That is a magnificent area, ideal for walks with my
dogs Moss and Lou”, Ekström says. Always down-to-earth,
he is still eating porridge like his mother makes it every
morning. He is feeling at home at Lake Constance, and in the
DTM. For a long time this season, his team-mate Martin Tomczyk
was his fiercest rival, but the two have a very close friendship.
Ekström says: “We understand each other blindly
and trust each other. Privately, we are doing a lot of things
together, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t
become selfish when we are donning our helmets.”
Since Ekström’s title in 2004, Mercedes-Benz-drivers
Gary Paffett and Bernd Schneider claimed the title in the
most popular international touring car series. Audi’s
motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich was particularly
happy. “I am happy that Eki eventually won the championship.
I am happy for the team that has been working hard throughout
the season.” But also colleague Norbert Haug from Mercdes-Benz
congratulated Ekström: “My congratulations to Audi
and Mattias for winning the title. I am happy that we have
staged such an exciting finale.”
Mattias Ekström announced to turn the DTM end-of-season
gala at Hockenheim into a long night. Maybe, Astrid Lindgren
wouldn’t have made her plot end like that, but after
all, she is not writing about the most beautiful stories that
motorsport can write.
The race at a glance
Spectators during the race weekend: 152,000
Air temperature: 17.4 °C
Asphalt temperature: 25.1 °C
sunny
Start Scheider in front from Kristensen, Tomczyk and Ekström.
Prémat runs wide
Lap 1 Ekström is second, Tomczyk defends his position
from Green. Ekström takes first at the hairpin. Margaritis,
Paffett spin. Tomczyk hit in the sandwich between Scheider
and Green. Safety car as Paffett's car can not be moved
Lap 2 Ekström is leading from Kristensen, Green, Scheider,
Spengler, Schneider, Margaritis, Abt, Winkelhock and Di Resta.
Tomczyk into the pits - resumes after quick repair
Lap 3 Restart. Green past Kristensen under braking for the
hairpin, the Brit is now second.
Lap 5 Ekström is leading by 1.6 seconds from Green, Kristensen,
Scheider, Spengler
Lap 6 Spengler is the first driver to come in for his mandatory
pit stop, Häkkinen also into the pits
Lap 7 Kristensen, Abt, Margaritis into the pits
Lap 8 Warning for Mathias Lauda for pushing another car. Lauda
into the pits
Lap 9 Jamie Green overtakes Mattias Ekström at the hairpin
and gets past. Tomczyk into the pits
Lap 11 Bruno Spengler overtakes Alexandre Prémat under
braking for the hairpin and gets past. Margaritis also past
Prémat. Prémat, Ickx into the pits
Lap 12 Kristensen runs wide, Winkelhock gets past
Lap 13 Stoddart into the pits
Lap 15 Spengler attacking Winkelhock, the Canadian gets past
coming out of the hairpin. Winkelhock into the pits
Lap 17 Schneider into the pits
Lap 18 Scheider, Abt into the pits
Lap 19 La Rosa and Luhr battling, so are Kristensen and Schneider.
Kristensen into the pits. The Dane also gets a warning for
pushing another car
Lap 20 Spengler past Luhr
Lap 21 Schneider past La Rosa. Green, Ekström, Luhr into
the pits
Lap 22 Di Resta, Rockenfeller, Häkkinen into the pits
Lap 23 La Rosa, Prémat into the pits
Lap 24 Schneider into the pits
Lap 26 Lauda into the pits
Lap 27 Ekström, Winkelhock into the pits
Lap 28 Ekström rejoins ahead of Schneider. Green, Scheider,
Spengler, Margaritis, Tomczyk, Stoddart into the pits
Lap 29 Spengler battling with Kristensen, gets past. Luhr,
Ickx into the pits
Lap 30 Di Resta, La Rosa into the pits
Lap 31 Ekström past Rockenfeller for third
Lap 33 Schneider and Spengler past Rockenfeller. Spengler
past Schneider. Rockenfeller gets slow
Lap 34 Spengler is 2 seconds behind Ekström
Lap 37 Green wins from Scheider, Ekström and Spengler,
Schneider, Kristensen, Margaritis and Di Resta. Ekström
is the DTM champion 2007
DTM attracts numerous VIPs to season finale
Not only 152,000 spectators came to watch the big DTM season
finale at the Hockenheimring. Numerous VIPs wanted to watch
the decision in the battle for the title between Swede Mattias
Ekström, Martin Tomczyk from Rosenheim (both Audi) and
Canadian Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz) live. The guests not
only watch the race, they also were given a look behind the
scenes of the DTM. During guided pit tours, they were informed
about telemetry, strategy and radio contact between the pit
wall stand and the drivers. Germany’s most famous cosmetic
surgeon Prof. Dr. Dr. Mang and actor Fritz Wepper even sat
down behind the wheel and drove Christian Abt around the Hockenheimring
prior to his final DTM race. Fürstin Gloria von Thurn
und Taxis kept her fingers crossed for her son Fürst
Albert. The 24-year old is competing in the ADAC GT Masters
and has fair chances to win the title. In the ARD Chart Show,
Status Quo and the Hermes House Band caused a great atmosphere.
The tenth and final round of the 2007 DTM season
was seen live by:
Markus Babbel VfB Stuttgart
Matthieu Delpierre player VfB Stuttgart
Veronica Ferres actress
Günther Fleig board member human resources Daimler AG
Sven Hannawald winner four hills ski-jumping tournament
Horst Heldt team manager VfB Stuttgart
Thomas Hitzlsperger member German football team
Niki Lauda Formula 1 legend
Raphael Schäfer player VfB Stuttgart
Rupert Stadler chairman of the board AUDI AG
Dieter Thoma ski-flying world champion
Franziska van Almsick multiple swimming world champion
Dr. Thomas Weber board member Daimler AG
Willi Weber manager Michael Schumacher
Ralph Weyler board member marketing AUDI AG
Frank Wörndl world slalom champion
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