In its racing debut, the new Audi A4 DTM will be starting from the pole position. At the Hockenheim season opener, defending champion Mattias Ekström drove the fastest time in Saturday's Super Pole qualifying session to secure the best starting position for the race on Sunday (start at 2 p.m., live on ARD from 1.45 p.m.). Martin Tomczyk and Tom Kristensen, as well, qualified for the single car qualifying of the fastest ten. The best drivers of last year's Audi A4 DTM cars were Christian Abt and DTM newcomer Frank Stippler on positions twelve and 13 respectively.

Mattias Ekström won the first qualifying at Hockenheimring Baden Württemberg. He was followed by Gary Paffett on second position and Jamie Green who finished third. This is the qualifying and super-pole overview.Ekström secures Hockenheim pole

The 2005 DTM season has kicked off, and once again the young guns succeeded in setting the pace. In the first qualifying of the season, reigning champion Mattias Ekström secured the pole position for tomorrow's race (14:00hrs) by completing a fabulous lap. Behind the wheel of his Audi A4 DTM, the Swede lapped the 4.574-kilometre Hockenheimring in 1:35.251 minutes, with last year's runner-up, Gary Paffet (AMG-Mercedes C-Class), being just 32 hundreds of a second slower than the Swede, thus qualifying for the second first-row grid position.

The first round of the 2005 DTM season will start tomorrow at 14:00hrs, with German TV station ARD beginning its live coverage at 13:45hrs.

Mattias Ekström (pole position, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "I was really confident during my lap. I hoped to have set an even better time, but the track was getting slower. Our wish to secure a good result has been fulfilled. It's like a dream to have clinched pole position for the season opener. I'm relieved.

Audi Motorsport Director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: "The Super Pole was thrilling up to its very last minute. Mattias Ekström performed a great lap without making the slightest mistake. We are very happy with his pole position. Altogether, this has been a good and thrilling start into the new season."

Quotes after qualifying

Mattias Ekström (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline #1)
1st place Super Pole, 1m 35.251s
"Clinching the pole position today has made a small dream come true. We knew that our new Audi A4 is a good car, but not exactly where we're standing in comparison to the competition. Track conditions today changed between the qualifying and the super pole. That's why there was a little luck involved on my fast lap as well. My thanks to the team and the Audi engineers, who were working in the right direction."

Martin Tomczyk (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline #2)
7th place Super Pole, 1m 36.222s
"Because of the change in track conditions, it was very difficult today. We made some changes to the car for the super pole, but they didn't work out. My lap left a lot to be desired, the car was understeering heavily. But starting from position seven is something you can live with."

Tom Kristensen (Audi Sport Team Abt #5)
9th place Super Pole, 1m 36.489s
"After being fastest yesterday and second in free practice and in qualifying, I am obviously deeply disappointed with my starting position. We are still playing around in different areas, trying to find the best possible setup, and the car was very nervous in Super Pole. I lost everything in turn 1 when the rear snapped away and then the car kept oversteering for the remainder of the lap."

Christian Abt (Audi Sport Team Joest Racing #14)
12th place, 1m 35.464s
"My car was a lot better than position 12. Unfortunately, I sacrificed nearly three tenths of a second in my best lap in the first sector. Fifth place would have been possible, and my team would have deserved this today as well. But if you know me, you know that I'll be fighting in the race."

Frank Stippler (Audi Sport Team Joest Racing #19)
13th place, 1m 35.467s
"Starting from position 13 in my DTM debut is okay. Still, I'm a bit disappointed, because my sixth place in the free practice session would have been possible in the qualifying here as well. The track was quick only in the very beginning, and that's where I allowed myself to become a bit distracted by a competitor. The DTM field is so tight that you always have to be wide awake."

Allan McNish (Audi Sport Team Abt #6)
14th place, 1m 35.625s
"First of all, it's very, very tight, which is what I expected. I am happier now than I was this morning or yesterday. Because now, we have got a feeling for the car. We made some changes between the sessions and we gained straight away. It's a couple of tenths from the top ten where ultimately we should be. But from the weekend's point of view, we are going in the correct direction. And I beat Mika Häkkinen at his debut..."

Pierre Kaffer (Audi Sport Team Joest Racing #15)
18th place, 1m 35.915s
"Overall, I feel comfortable in the DTM. The car is running well, too. But I didn't get it quite right today. There was probably a certain amount of nervousness involved as well, because, after all, everything is new. The times are extremely
close. Three tenths less, and I would be as much as a few rows further ahead on the grid. I know that I'm always very strong in the race and that my car has good balance. That's why I'm going to attack again tomorrow."

Rinaldo Capello (Audi Sport Team Joest Racing #18)
20th place, 1m 36.020s
"Today, the fast time had to be driven with the first set of tyres. Unfortunately, I didn't manage to do this. I think I didn't warm up the tyres enough. In the second corner I had big understeer, which cost me a lot of time. That's a question of experience."

Hans-Jürgen Abt (Team Director Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline): "The pole position is a great reward for all the hard work of the past few months. We've all been working towards this and are very happy. Of course we're still in a learning process with the new car, but that's normal. We got it right today and are continuing to work hard. We want to put on a great race tomorrow for the many Audi fans in the grandstands."

Ralf Jüttner (Technical Director Audi Sport Team Joest): "Generally, things are going very well this weekend. Only the qualifying, unfortunately, didn't work out all that well. Christian recorded a best sector time, but then unluckily got caught behind another car. During the other two attempts the track was slower. This was particularly bad for our new drivers, who, due to their lack of experience, simply would have needed several trials. In the race, we'll try to work our way up further towards the front of the field."

Dr Wolfgang Ullrich (Head of Audi Motorsport): "I think there could hardly be a more thrilling qualifying session than this one. Matthias proved yet again that the higher pressure the stronger he gets. He drove a perfect lap. And that did it, because making even the smallest mistake meant you couldn't be at the very front. I'm delighted about our new Audi A4 DTM starting from position one on the grid in its debut. That's a great way to start the season."

Hockenheim as seen by Audi driver Ekström

Baden-Württemberg's Hockenheimring sets the stage for the 2005 DTM season opener. Audi driver Mattias Ekström comments on the 4.574 kilometre Grand Prix circuit and his first race as the DTM Champion.

How does it feel to come back to Hockenheim as the champion?
Mattias Ekström: "Of course it's a great feeling to have 'number one' on my Audi A4's livery. But this doesn't do me a whole lot of good this weekend. All of the 20 drivers are starting into the race with zero points because - unfortunately - there's no such thing as a champion's bonus in the DTM ..."

What are the key points for you at Hockenheimring?
Mattias Ekström: "The entrance to the 'Parabolika' is important. This is where you need to take the first right-hander in an optimum manner in order to take as much speed as possible with you onto the long straight. If you lose just one kph here, you'll be short of this one kph on the entire 'Parabolika' as well. And that costs a lot of time."

Where do you see the best opportunities for overtaking?
Mattias Ekström: "Braking into the hairpin is, no doubt, a good point for overtaking - unfortunately, it's also a good point for being overtaken yourself. Last year, our Audi A4 was very good at passing in the tight 'Motodrome' as well."

What do you expect in the first turn after the start?
Mattias Ekström: "The start in the first race of the year is always something special. There are a few new guys in the field, who still have to get used to the pace in the DTM. But here in Hockenheim this will not create any problems because the asphalted run-off area is very large."

The grandstands at the 'Motodrome' will be sold out in the race. As a driver, do you even notice this turnout of fans?
Mattias Ekström: "The atmosphere here is unique. Entering the crowded 'Motodrome' after the long and rather lonely straights is a moving experience for every driver. Especially at the end of the formation lap with all the air horns, flags and smoke the atmosphere is overwhelming. That's my idea of an ideal start to the season."

Ballast weights limited to a maximum of plus/minus 20 kilograms

The DTM ballast weights will be limited to a maximum of plus/minus 20 kilograms. This is the result of an agreement made the DMSB and the manufacturers involved in DTM: Audi, DaimlerChrysler and Opel. The manufacturers regard this decision as a further step to an even increased competitiveness of the DTM field. The goal of this measure: to provide the crowds with even more thrilling races and to prevent an ongoing technology battle, at the same time.

Basing on this regulation, all 2005 spec cars of a manufacturer who has won a race will have to contest the following event with an additional weight of ten kilograms aboard. In the - rather improbable - case of a further win in the following round, another ten kilograms will be added. According to this measure, the weight of the cars of a make will be reduced by a maximum of 20 kilos should it have been only third in two consecutive races.