Audi Sport

Six titles for four rings: since the works team returned to the DTM, Audi Sport has taken the DTM Championship title six times with Mattias Ekström, Timo Scheider, Martin Tomczyk and Mike Rockenfeller. Audi also won the manufacturers’ title four times over the same period. There can be no doubt that the brand treats the DTM with a great deal of respect.

For Audi Sport the popular touring car series is a fundamental part of its extensive involvement in motor racing. And that’s not all. The Ingolstadt-based car maker is also involved with the Audi Sport TT Cup as part of the DTM support programme. Here two young hopefuls from the Audi Sport racing academy will be lining up on the grid, looking to follow in the footsteps of Ekström or Rockenfeller someday.

Audi Sport is laying the foundations for a successful future. Nico Müller is one of the young drivers from the current DTM team. These youngsters are capable of being just as successful as the drivers mentioned above. The affable Swiss comes across as convincing on and away from the track. Furthermore, no other Audi driver combines the worlds of the Audi driving experience and the Audi Sport racing academy better than the 24-year-old DTM shooting star. Müller not only advertises the Audi Sport racing academy in his Audi RS 5 DTM – he can also identify totally with the concept of the Audi driving experience.

“As a racing driver, controlling the vehicle is of course a very important element in our skills. Audi driving experience tackles this issue on all possible surfaces and offers all participants the opportunity to develop further,” says Müller, who has been one of the Audi works drivers since 2014. “I always find it useful to build on my wealth of knowledge with extraordinary driver training, such as on snow and ice.”

Sheldon van der Linde from South Africa and the Dane Nicklas Nielsen have also had experience of unusual terrain. The two drivers are enjoying the support offered by the Audi Sport racing academy and are also competing in the Audi Sport TT Cup. Here, they made a very positive impression on several occasions during the course of their first season: both van der Linde and Nielsen made equally convincing racing drivers as they did professional interview partners.

As testimonial to the young racing driver programme, Nico Müller also appreciates the advantages: “It’s great to see that Audi and in particular Audi driving experience is getting involved even more in promoting up-and-coming racing drivers. The boys and girls on the programme are given the ideal preparation for their preferred career. This kind of outstanding, extensive coaching in the areas of driving technique, marketing or public relations is priceless.” Just as priceless as the fame that accompanies each DTM champion.