DTM 2007 ? Press Release No. 71

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Ekstr?m new DTM champion - Green wins season finale
Mattias Ekstr?m (Audi) is the new DTM champion. In an exciting finale at the Hockenheimring Baden-W?rttemberg, 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 Ekstr?m, 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). An extensive press release with quotes from the drivers and the motorsport directors will follow shortly.

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 Ekstr?m. Pr?mat runs wide
Lap 1    Ekstr?m is second, Tomczyk defends his position from Green. Ekstr?m 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    Ekstr?m 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    Ekstr?m 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, H?kkinen 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 Ekstr?m at the hairpin and gets past. Tomczyk into the pits
Lap 11   Bruno Spengler overtakes Alexandre Pr?mat under braking for the hairpin and gets past. Margaritis also past Pr?mat. Pr?mat, 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, Ekstr?m, Luhr into the pits
Lap 22   Di Resta, Rockenfeller, H?kkinen into the pits
Lap 23   La Rosa, Pr?mat into the pits
Lap 24   Schneider into the pits
Lap 26   Lauda into the pits
Lap 27   Ekstr?m, Winkelhock into the pits
Lap 28   Ekstr?m 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   Ekstr?m past Rockenfeller for third
Lap 33   Schneider and Spengler past Rockenfeller. Spengler past Schneider. Rockenfeller gets slow
Lap 34   Spengler is 2 seconds behind Ekstr?m
Lap 37   Green wins from Scheider, Ekstr?m and Spengler, Schneider, Kristensen, Margaritis and Di Resta. Ekstr?m is the DTM champion 2007

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DTM 2007 ? Press Release No. 72
Mattias Ekstr?m DTM champion 2007
Hockenheim. The season finale of the 2007 DTM at the Hockenheimring Baden-W?rttemberg couldn?t have been better: Audi driver Mattias Ekstr?m 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, Ekstr?m 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, Ekstr?m was the most consistent driver of the season. Victory in the season finale went to British Mercedes-Benz driver Jamie Green from Ekstr?m?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 Ekstr?m. 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 Ekstr?m. Spengler ended the season as runner-up.

Mattias Ekstr?m (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.?

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DTM 2007 ? Press Release No. 73
Suver?nt ? a great job well done: Mattias Ekstr?m is DTM champion
Hockenheim. When he wouldn?t be for real, the Swedish author Astrid Lindgren would have had to invent him: Mattias Ekstr?m, the seemingly ever-upbeat racedriver from Falun, Sweden. At the Hockenheimring Baden-W?rttemberg, 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 Ekstr?m said.

Ekstr?m 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 Th?rner. ?I owe her the most?, Ekstr?m 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?, Ekstr?m 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. Ekstr?m 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 Ekstr?m?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 Ekstr?m: ?My congratulations to Audi and Mattias for winning the title. I am happy that we have staged such an exciting finale.?

Mattias Ekstr?m 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.