DTM countdown: Oliver Jarvis follows in Tom Kristensen's footsteps
Ingolstadt, February 5, 2010 -- There is one Audi driver who is looking
forward to the opener of the new DTM season at the Hockenheimring on
April 25 with particularly eager anticipation: Oliver Jarvis. Jarvis, who
at the age 26 is the youngest Audi "factory" driver, will take the place
of Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen in Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline
to make his debut in the most popular international touring car series in
a current-specification Audi A4 after a two-year "apprenticeship" in a
prior-spec model. This automatically moves him into the group of
candidates for the title.
"Of course I'm very pleased that Head of Audi Motorsport Dr. Wolfgang
Ullrich has given me this opportunity," says the young Briton who -- like
two-time DTM Champion Mattias Ekstrom -- lives in Ermatingen on the Swiss
side of Lake Constance. "I'll give everything to do a good job and will
do my part to see the title goes to Audi again at the end of the season."
Jarvis leaves nothing to chance when it comes to preparing for the 2010
season. "I'm working intensely on my fitness," says the Briton.
"Actually, I'm not doing anything different from what I did in previous
years. But I'm taking advantage of the fact that I'm now living in
Switzerland by skiing and snowboarding regularly. This is excellent
fitness training plus also good fun -- and the fresh air is
invigorating."
Daily work-outs in the gym are on his agenda too. "Shortly before the
season starts I would like to fit in an additional fitness week in the
sun of Gran Canaria," says Jarvis who is also studying German -- after
all, he drives for a German automobile manufacturer and in a racing
series that has its roots in Germany.
Once a week, Jarvis visits his new team, Abt Sportsline, where he has
started to feel at home. "I've known the guys at Abt from the past two
years and during the 'DTM on Snow' event in December I got to know them
even better. I think that we'll be working together superbly." The same
goes for his new vehicle engineer, Franco Chiocchietti, who took care of
Tom Kristensen's A4 during the past six years. "Each time I visit we
jointly study the data that was logged last year. This will help me when
the season finally starts."
Oliver Jarvis already tested his new equipment, the 2009-spec A4 DTM,
before Christmas. "You can feel that the car has more downforce than the
previous model I drove before. A lot of small things have been optimized
and together, they're reflected by the lap time."
For the first time in the DTM, Oliver Jarvis will have the same material
as Mattias Ekstrom, Timo Scheider and Martin Tomczyk. "I can hardly wait
for the season to start," he admits. "I know that competing with my
team-mates and the Mercedes guys will be a tough job -- but I look
forward to the challenge."
The young Briton does not feel any special pressure now that he has
joined the group of hopefuls for the title. "As a racer, you're always
under pressure," says Jarvis. "But I put most of the pressure on myself
because, obviously, I want to be successful." And Jarvis has definitely
been successful ever since he started racing. In 2005, he won the British
Formula Renault Championship. In 2006, he finished his first year in
Formula 3 as the runner-up in the British Championship and became "rookie
of the year." In 2007, he took third place in the ultra-competitive
Japanese Formula 3 Championship, won the famous Formula 3 Grand-Prix in
Macau and the race at Zandvoort in the A1 Grand Prix of Nations series
for his country.
Since 2008, Jarvis has been contesting the DTM for Audi and has been the
most consistent driver at the wheel of an A4 with prior-year
specifications. Therefore, he was the logical choice when Tom
Kristensen's slot in Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline became vacant.
Oliver Jarvis primarily owes the fact that he became a racer to his
father, Carl, who was active himself in Formula Ford and infected his son
with the motorsport bug. As a six-year-old, Jarvis contested motocross
races, at the age of eight he started his carting career, and at 18 his
career as a professional racer.
Now, he has the chance to fight for the DTM title. "Of course I'm
dreaming of becoming DTM Champion but the main thing is for Audi to win
the Championship," stresses Jarvis. "I'm excited about working with my
new team colleagues Mattias, Timo and Martin. I've come to know them
pretty well over the past two years. But of course driving as a member of
the same team with them is a different story.
If Oliver Jarvis succeeds in continuing his performances of the past two
years his name will soon be mentioned in the same breath with those of
his team colleagues.
-source: audi
