Alex Prémat, meanwhile, made a strong impression in the series
en route to eleventh spot in the final drivers' standings for Audi Sport Team Phoenix in 2007, and remaining with the squad for 2008, the Frenchman is in confident frame of mind.
“I'm really looking forward to starting my second DTM season at Hockenheim,” the former GP2 race-winner claimed, “and I want to leave a good impression. We should definitely be able to manage this because the 2007-spec cars were very quick at Hockenheim last year. Why shouldn't a podium be possible again with a 2007 model?
“At Oschersleben the Audi was strong in the past as well, and the tests prior to the season went superbly there. My car feels good; this makes me feel confident.”
“One of the main factors in making my decision was to join Colin Kolles again, and the number of people working at his team that I still know,” added series returnee Christijan Albers. “A number of these guys I already worked with in the past when I was racing in Formula 3, winning the championship in 1999.
“Working with these guys will certainly help me to enjoy racing again. It won't be an easy first year back in DTM, especially racing a two-year-old car, but I like to fight hard and will try to make it back to the top.”
Both Prémat and Albers celebrate their birthdays around the Hockenheim weekend – the former turned 26 five days ago, and Albers will hit 29 in six days' time – and their respective team bosses clearly expect great things of all of their young charges in 2008.
“We've got two quick, highly-motivated drivers and a great car,” asserted Audi Sport Team Phoenix team director Ernst Moser. “I'm convinced that we're well-positioned with last year's championship-winning car. At the tests before the start of the season we saw how competitive the Audi A4 is.
![Markus Winkelhock - Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline [pic credit: DTM Media]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/323724.jpg)
