Motorsport: Nico Müller continues in the DTM
Many have been waiting for this news. Audi has announced the new DTM squad for the 2017 season. Only four of last year's eight drivers are still on board - including Nico Müller from Bern. The three DTM manufacturers are only fielding six cars for cost reasons. Nico Müller has always been cautiously reserved when asked about [...]
The good times continue: it is not yet clear whether Nico Müller will continue to advertise for the men's magazine Playboy and enjoy its amenities.
Nico Müller always kept a low profile when asked about 2017. However, Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport, had nothing but praise for the Swiss driver until the very end. "Nico impressed us last season with consistently good performances and his first DTM victory," said Dieter Gass, explaining the decision to extend his contract. Nico Müller's first comment: "I hope to be able to show that this upward trend will continue." With only 18 drivers from Audi, BMW and Mercedes left, the air will be even thinner than it already is in the coming years.
Two new drivers in the Audi DTM squad for 2017
All three manufacturers have sorted out their squads, kept the best horses in the stable and brought in new ones. In the case of Audi, these are the current drivers Mattias Ekström, Jamie Green, Nico Müller and Mike Rockenfeller. René Rast, who previously stood in as a replacement, has been given a regular DTM seat at Audi and the fast Frenchman Loïc Duval has joined from the disbanded LMP1 team. Miguel Molina, Edoardo Mortara (switching to Mercedes), Timo Scheider and Adrien Tambay have retired.
The fact that the Swiss driver was chosen over Spaniard Miguel Molina, who won two races in 2016, is not entirely unexpected for Nico Müller: "I'm sorry for him. But he had these two highlights, nothing else. The consistency certainly spoke in my favor." The 2017 DTM season begins on May 6 and 7 in Hockenheim.
www.audi-motorsport.com
Photos: Audi Motorsport
