Mike Rockenfeller cautious over Zandvoort title; Ekström gives advice

Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller is cautious about his chances of taking his first DTM title this weekend at Zandvoort, despite heading into the weekend with a 33 point margin over his nearest championship rival, BMW’s Augusto Farfus.

Rockenfeller has scored in all eight rounds of the 2013 DTM season so far, and only needs a second place finish in either of the two remaining races of the season at Zandvoort and Hockenheim to take his maiden DTM championship.

Despite his significant points advantage, the Phoenix Audi driver is cautious about his chances of taking the title at a track which he describes as his “favourite.”

“I‘m traveling to the North Sea coast with guarded optimism,” said Rockenfeller. “Zandvoort is my favorite track, [so] I’m looking forward to the race with huge anticipation and would obviously like to win the championship there as well.

“[However], you can’t force that to happen: we’ve got to do our job with high concentration and then see if that’s enough or not.

“If it isn’t, then we’ll just be experiencing a hot finale at Hockenheim.”

Rockenfeller’s Audi stablemate, double DTM champion Mattias Ekström, also gave advice on how to win the title ahead of this weekend’s potentially decisive race.

“Anyone battling for the title in the penultimate race of the DTM season typically doesn’t need a lot of advice anymore,” said Ekström. “That’s true for Mike as well, who’s on a unique roll this year; he’s scored points in each race and thus no doubt deserves the title.

“Of personal help to me in the hot phase of the season has always been the strong team around me, which would calm things down and thus back me.

“Being relaxed is important because if the situation in the pits is tense you quickly become tense in the cockpit too.”