Historic Race Marathon

The historic race marathon caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will begin for Audi Sport on the first weekend in August with the DTM season opener, which was postponed by three months. At Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium), the popular touring car series will contest its first two of 18 races in the 2020 season.

From August 5 to 13, the brand will continue directly from the middle of the following week in Berlin (Germany). After the five rounds held so far and a five-month interruption, the 2019/2020 Formula E season for all-electric open racing cars will be concluded there with a total of six more races within nine days. On each of the following two weekends, two more DTM rounds will be held at the Lausitzring (Germany).

Three Audi factory drivers will be competing in all twelve of these races in August 2020: René Rast, Robin Frijns and Nico Müller.

In addition to a fast and reliable race car, excellent physical condition of the race drivers is crucial for success. A special challenge for Audi Sport in the upcoming race marathon: The factory drivers Rast, Frijns and Müller must switch between very different vehicles, with very different requirements, as quickly as never before.

Mentally, the head is a very decisive factor for success or failure during the completely new permanent stress. “Whether in the DTM or Formula E teams, all of the Audi Sport employees are absolute professionals, who are experienced in dealing extremely well with the highest pressure and stress on the race track day and night,” emphasises Dr. Tota. From many years of experience in a wide variety of racing formats he knows: “The more stress the drivers are subjected to, the better their performance.” Robin Frijns adds: “In addition, Nico and I had a five-month break from racing, René even almost ten months. So, we are fully motivated and have a never-ending desire to race.”

A strong head and full concentration are especially required in Formula E, the Dutchman says. Frijns: “Because, during the race you constantly have to observe all the different software-controlled car systems and constantly readjust them on the steering wheel. Optimal energy management, that’s the core task in Formula E racing. This means: using the power supply available for the race, which is fed from the battery storage and by energy recovery during braking, as efficiently and effectively as possible over the distance.”

Another factor: homesickness. “I will probably not see my home for almost a month,” says Nico Müller. The Swiss thus mentions another psychological challenge for him and his driver colleagues Rast and Frijns during the unique twelve-race marathon. “After the last day of racing at the Lausitzring, I’m sure I feel like taking four or five weeks of holiday,” says René Rast.

At all of the upcoming DTM and Formula E racing events, strict hygiene and quarantine rules are applied to protect against the further spread of the coronavirus. The contact of drivers and teams with competitors and the public is avoided as far as possible. “Particularly in view of Formula E’s already very tight schedule, this requires even better communication within the teams and absolute concentration on the current respective priorities,” predicts Robin Frijns. Because: “Only in this way, will it be possible to limit the error rate, which is probably higher for each of us due to the unusual continuous stress.”

Light and easily digestible! Audi Sport supplies its DTM and Formula E teams at Spa, Berlin and the Lausitzring according to this strict motto. “During the day there, carbohydrates are on offer, proteins in the evening, or vice versa, depending on the eating habits of our colleagues, who come from all over the world,” says Dr. Tota, still leaving room for individual preferences. Also, nobody has to do without a well-deserved beer after work. “However, everyone is only allowed to enjoy this alone in their hotel room, because sitting together comfortably will not be possible for safety reasons,” says the team doctor.

Sufficient relaxation and sufficient sleep: This is what drivers, technicians, mechanics and all of the other Audi Sport team members should definitely get during the race marathon in August 2020. “The human brain needs at least eight hours of sleep at a stretch, otherwise fatigue accumulates in the body and leads to ever greater exhaustion,” notes Dr. Vincenzo Tota.

The central means of relaxation for the Audi Sport factory drivers is autogenic training. Each one of them learned this as a young race driver and knows exactly how to “drive down” his mind himself, which is stirred up by the massive demands of a racing day. Audi Sport provides its Formula E crew with shift work during the exhausting Berlin week to give them more time and opportunity to rest. “Still, there’s one thing we won’t be able to prevent with this: Every one of us will be pretty tired after this mammoth program,” says Dr. Tota. “But the more successful we will be on the race track, the easier and better it will be to master all of the new extra challenges.”