Hockenheim/Germany, 23rd October 2011 – A blue sky and bright sunshine – the DTM finale at Hockenheim was a motorsport festival for 120,000 fans during the weekend. Next to Martin Tomczyk (Audi), who already had secured the championship title, British driver Jamie Green had the most reasons to celebrate. The Mercedes-Benz driver scored his first win of the season in Sunday’s last DTM race and finished ahead of Tomczyk, who came second. Spaniard Miguel Molina (Audi), who started from first place, took the chequered flag in third position.

Mattias Ekström decided the battle for runner-up spot in the final drivers’ standings in his favour. For the Audi driver, sixth place in the race was enough to topple Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz), who finished ninth and only had a two points’ advantage on Ekström prior to the race, and become runner-up with a margin of just one point over Spengler in the final drivers’ standings. Thus, the Swede completed the 1-2 for the car manufacturer from Ingolstadt. However, Martin Tomczyk undisputedly was the best driver of the season. The 29-year old scored points in all the races, even came in the top 5 in every round and dominantly won three DTM races. The new champion’s Audi Sport Team Phoenix also won the Best Pit Stop Award that exclusive tyre partner Hankook had initiated at the start of the season. The quickest pit stop crew of the season that has now come to an end will be rewarded with a team barbecue. The trophy will be presented during the Essen Motor Show at the Hankook booth.

For tyre partner Hankook, the maiden year in the DTM was a success. There were no retirements due to the tyres, the Ventus racing tyres dominantly mastered all the challenges in their premiere season, from the sand at Zandvoort via the water at Norisring to the high kerbstones at Hockenheim. The tyres allowed all teams and drivers to adapt their car to every race track in the most optimal way. Moreover, Hankook succeeded in offering a tyre that combines the decisive criteria for success like top performance, consistency and maximum safety.

At the start of its DTM involvement, the company had no teething problems and was fully accepted by manufacturers and teams as a reliable partner in the most popular international touring car series right away.