Formula E and DTM: A weekend of sports superlatives for ABT

For Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, the Berlin E-Prix is on the agenda on Saturday, May 19. It will be the first race on home soil for Audi in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship since Audi entered the innovative racing series with a factory-backed commitment. “Accordingly, we have high expectations and are very excited about the event,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “The seats in the grandstands in Berlin have been sold out for weeks, which shows the overwhelming interest in Formula E.” A large number of Audi employees are going to travel to Berlin-Tempelhof as well to keep their fingers crossed for the two Audi drivers, Daniel Abt and title defender Lucas di Grassi.

Formula E will visit Berlin for the fourth time on the Pentecost weekend. Daniel Abt and Lucas di Grassi have clinched four podiums at Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler’s home round to date, both having scored a second place as their best results in Berlin.

For the first time, a Formula E race in Germany will be broadcast live on ARD Channel One. The Berlin E-Prix will start on Saturday, May 19, at 6 PM directly before the DFB-Pokal Final between Audi’s partner FC Bayern München and Eintracht Frankfurt at the nearby Olympic Stadium, so spectators at the venue and TV viewers will have the opportunity to watch both sporting highlights.

A large-scale public screening event plus another sporting treat is awaiting fans as well at the DTM’s visit to the Lausitzring located only about 130 kilometers away from Berlin. Following the brilliant season opener, the second race weekend of the popular touring car racing series is coming up. For the first time since 2004, the DTM will again be racing on the longer track version of the Lausitzring. “The reason for the change is for spectators to see more overtaking maneuvers than in the past,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “Thanks to the large grandstand, the atmosphere at the Lausitzring has always been unique. If the two races turn out to be just nearly as good as the ones at the Hockenheim season opener they’ll be rocking the fans in their seats there as well.”

In the DTM at the Lausitzring, Audi has won four of the most recent six races with the Audi RS5 DTM. SAT.1 will start airing live coverage at 1 PM (CEST) on both Saturday and Sunday. The free practice sessions and qualifying can be watched on live streams at www.ran.de.