Audi signs three rookies for 2011

The new additions will all drive older-spec cars, and replace Markus Winkelhock, Katherine Legge and the already-dropped Alexandre Premat.

Audi motorsport boss Dr Wolfgang Ullrich said the new trio had earned their chances by standing out in the winter driver evaluations that the team had carried out.

"All three made an excellent impression during our driver sighting tests in December," he said.

"I'm convinced that they will be a genuine reinforcement to our driver squad and that we are in a good position for the 2011 season."

Mortara won the F3 Euro Series crown as well as taking a second Macau win last year, and has been linked with an Audi DTM move for much of the winter.

Sometime Red Bull protege Albuquerque had fallen off the single-seater ladder in recent years and spent 2010 racing an Audi in Italian GTs, but came back to prominence by defeating a host of famous names to take a shock Race of Champions win last winter.

He will drive for the Rosberg Audi squad alongside Mortara, as Rosberg's former drivers Legge and Winkelhock are dropped after three and four years in the DTM respectively.

Ex-single seater racer Frey, who briefly appeared in GT1 with Matech Ford last year, will join ex-Abt driver Martin Tomczyk in the Phoenix team.