ABT Sportsline competed in the DTM with Audi for 25 years. The Nürburgring holds a very special place in the company’s 75-year motorsport history: it was in the Eifel that ABT Sportsline secured its first victory in Germany’s most important racing series in the 2001 season. And no other racetrack has seen the Kempten-based team celebrate more DTM victories: There have been 15 in total, with the last triumph coming last year in a memorable rain-soaked race.
“We know and love the Nürburgring,” says ABT Motorsport Director Martin Tomczyk. “Both the Nordschleife and the sprint circuit that we use in the DTM. The atmosphere is always fantastic. I always enjoyed driving at the Nürburgring during my active career and, as team director, I also look forward to being there every time. We have used the short summer break in the DTM to develop further as a team. Our goal for the second half of the season is to catch up with the best with our package. We will see whether we succeed in doing so over the next few race weekends.”
One person who is particularly looking forward to the Nürburgring is Nicki Thiim – and not just because his partner lives in the Eifel region. “For me, the Nürburgring is the home race of the DTM and the centre of German motorsport,” says the Dane. “Whether it’s the NLS, the 24-hour race or the DTM, there’s just so much going on up there. And in my father’s days, the DTM sometimes raced at the Nürburgring three times a year – on the sprint circuit, the Grand Prix circuit and the Nordschleife. The Nürburgring is an important part of the DTM’s DNA, a very beautiful track and a real challenge. We’ve all recharged our batteries after the Norisring and are looking forward to getting back to it.”
“We know and love the Nürburgring. Both the Nordschleife and the sprint circuit that we use in the DTM. The atmosphere is always fantastic.”, says ABT Motorsport Director Martin Tomczyk.
Teammate Mirko Bortolotti has fond memories of the Nürburgring sprint circuit: in 2023, he won Saturday’s race in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, and the Italian also finished on the podium in the Eifel last year. Despite a difficult first half of the season, the defending champion remains fully motivated. “We are doing everything we can to solve our problems and get back to where we want to be, namely winning races, as has always been the case in the past for both ABT and me,” he says. “The team is extremely motivated, and we will not give up.”
The two races will start at the usual time of 1:30 PM CEST on Saturday and Sunday. In German-speaking countries, the DTM will be broadcast live on Joyn, ran.de, ProSieben and Servus TV while the series can be watched live all around the world on TV and YouTube. All DTM races can also be viewed on Red Bull TV.
Did you know that ...
... ABT Sports Marketing Director Harry Unflath is delighted that almost all of the team’s partners will be attending the DTM at the Nürburgring with guests or customers?
… two professional football players from RB Leipzig are also planning to visit the team at the Nürburgring?
... that SAP Garden Munich Business Partner has invited guests to a joint event with ABT Sportsline at the Nürburgring?
... the guests at the Nürburgring will be able to enjoy race taxi rides in an ABT XGT driven by Ferdinand Stuck?
... Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of the ABT Group, and Thomas Biermaier, CEO of ABT Sportsline, will also be supporting the team at the Nürburgring?
... classic DTM cars will be doing demo laps as part of the supporting programme for the DTM race at the Nürburgring, including an Abt-Audi TT-R from the 2000 season?
... the DTM teams will compete in a race with their team trucks on the start-finish straight of the Nürburgring on Saturday evening, with Julian Coskun driving for ABT Sportsline?...
... Nicki Thiim used the summer break in the DTM to spend a lot of time with his children and also made a detour to his adopted home of Dubai?