"My sincere congratulations go to Timo Scheider - and the entire Audi squad. With his strong performance, his consistency and his strong nerves, Timo is a worthy champion, who thrilled the fans this season," he continued.

"This triumph in the DTM crowns what has been a successful motorsport year for Audi, in which – in addition to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans – we were able to celebrate the titles in the American Le Mans Series and the European-based Le Mans Series.

"During the course of the year and particularly here at Hockenheim, Timo and Paul di Resta delivered thrilling, top-calibre motorsport. This makes us all the happier about our triumph in front of this impressive turnout at the finale. The Audi A4 was unbeatable during this DTM season and led the standings from the first to the last race. We're already looking forward to the opportunity of defending the title in the next season."