Test: Ekstrom on top form
Audi's championship leader Mattias Ekstrom simply needs a second place finish in the penultimate DTM round of the season at Brno in the Czech Republic to wrap up the 2004 title. He is aiming to take the crown with a win, however, and set the fastest time in testing on Friday by almost half a second
Brno is the longest track on the DTM calendar, and Ekstrom whirled his Audi A4 around it in 1m54.121s late in Friday afternoon's session. Opel led the chase, with Marcel Fassler second fastest in his Vectra GTS, albeit 0.484secs in arrears. Timo Scheider's fastest time from this morning's session was good enough for third, just pipping Audi's Oschersleben winner Tom Kristensen.
Ekstrom's nearest title rival, Christijan Albers of Mercedes, was fifth fastest, ahead of Opel's ex-F1 star Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Peter Dumbreck is driving a new Opel this weekend, to replace his usual racecar that was wrecked in his Zandvoort smash. He was seventh fastest, while fellow Brit Gary Paffett, the only other man who can overhaul Ekstrom, was down in 10th in his Mercedes, 1.1secs off the pace.
Mattias Ekstrom, Audi A4, 1m54.121s
Marcel Fassler, Opel Vectra GTS, 1m54.605s
Timo Scheider, Opel Vectra GTS, 1m54.738s
Tom Kristensen, Audi A4, 1m54.759s
Christijan Albers, Mercedes C-Class, 1m54.985s
Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Opel Vectra GTS, 1m55.162s
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