Audi test in Italy

Today sees the Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R team complete a five day test at Vallelunga in Italy. Laurent Aiello first tried the 2002 contender in Portugal two weeks ago with Christian Abt at Estoril, Portugal, and this week he was behind the wheel from Monday to Friday. Mattias Ekstrom and Karl Wendlinger joined the test yesterday and the privateer team were working on set-up and aerodynamic alterations.

"The days at Vallelunga have made me very optimistic," said Aiello. "We had time to try and improve many details. But our list which we have to work through by the season's start is still very long."

This season DTM sees the introduction of a mandatory double rear wing, which has bought some teething problems for the TT-R. "The new package doesn't deliver the performance we had hoped for." Said chief technician Albert Deuring. With no exisiting data to fall back on for the new wing, engineers face a challenge to maximise performance.