Audi Withdraws From DTM Event After Mercedes Drivers Employ Demolition Derby Tactics

The title decision in the 2007 DTM will only be made in the finale at Hockenheim on 14 October. 42,000 spectators at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona (Spain) witnessed an excessively rough race in which one Audi driver after the other was bumped off the track by Mercedes drivers – among them all four drivers of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline including the two candidates for the title, Mattias Ekström (Sweden) and Martin Tomczyk (Germany). When the situation threatened to escalate, Audi decided to withdraw all seven Audi A4 DTM cars that were still in the race.

From the start, the quickest in qualifying, Martin Tomczyk, had taken the lead before being bumped off the track on lap seven by the two-time Formula World Champion Mika Häkkinen. After the incident, Tomczyk was at first able to continue the race in eleventh place but later had to retire because the radiator of his Audi A4 DTM was damaged in the collision.

Leader of the standings Mattias Ekström had advanced from tenth to sixth place after the start and was very quick after an early first tyre change. While overtaking Daniel la Rosa, who had not pitted yet, he was hit hard by the Mercedes driver. This meant the end of the race for the Swede as well.


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Agent009 - 9/24/2007 11:31:42 AM

+6 Boost

I guess with F1 out the window for 2007, Merc is trying to seize whatever they can. DTM is top rung after F1 for them.

MeanVulcan - 9/24/2007 11:53:58 AM

+7 Boost

I've been following DTM since 2000. MB has always practiced dirty tactics and conveniently "interfered" with leading Audi cars. Lately, it has become more evident given Audi's dominance. Half of the few wins in DTM MB has so far this year have come at the expense of convenient interference of MB against Audi cars. Account for that an you have AUDI DOMINANCE. After the embarrassment of the spying case in F1 with Team McLaren MB has nothing to loose.

It is no surprise then that MB's dirty tactics in DTM took the next step in the negative direction. It is NO coincidence that the top two contenders for the Drivers Title were Audi drivers who happened to be leading this race on which a win would have almost guaranteed a Drivers Title as well as Manufacturer's Title. Not to mention the other leading Audi drivers who were also conveniently bumped off the road by non-leading MB cars. MB has reiterated its class, first in F1, now in DTM, that is it has no class.

Agent009 - 9/24/2007 1:38:20 PM

+4 Boost

Most teams are happy when winning.

S4cabriofoxone - 9/24/2007 5:27:47 PM

+2 Boost

Ouch, this is bad news for DTM. I hope Mercedes gets a ton of bad press for this.

Bill - 9/24/2007 6:04:11 PM

-2 Boost

Get real. Obviously another titled edited to start a flame war. Accidents happen in motorsports. A driver fails to control his car and rams another one - purely an accident, and then the press can say anything they want. This is probably the case here.

moto - 9/24/2007 10:23:13 PM

+3 Boost

Bill, you obviously didn't see the race, did you? No need to display your ignorance here.

Anybody with eyes could see that Mercedes drivers were intentionally targeting Tomczyk and Ekström in an effort to push them off the track. Mercedes should be penalized severely.