Audi says Green is not its only hope of Norisring DTM victory

Green won on the streets of Nuremberg four times as a Mercedes driver, and his switch to Audi over the winter prompted talk that he could finally bring the manufacturer's losing streak at its home race to an end.

Abt Sportsline team boss Hans Jurgen Abt said that Green "may be able to give our squad the crucial impulse in the right direction", but Audi's head of DTM Dieter Gass says that the Briton will not be its focal point.

"I'm not only focused on Jamie with his past Norisring victories in this respect," said Gass.

"We've got a strong team in general and will try to get as many of our guys to the front of the field."

Green, who scored his first points for Audi last time out at Lausitz, also played down expectations.

"The characteristics of the Norisring can't be compared with any other track," he said. "That's why it's difficult to make a prediction.

"Naturally, I've got a special relationship with this race.

"But even though I've won there four times that's no guarantee for anything."

AUDI'S LAST NORISRING WIN

An Audi last won the DTM race at the Norisring back in 2002, before the manufacturer had returned to the series as a fully-fledged works entrant.

That year, eventual champion Laurent Aiello chased down the Mercedes of Bernd Schneider in the closing laps, having twice snatched the lead from the German earlier in the race.

Aiello then stalked Schneider until the final turn of the final lap, when he dived down the inside of the Mercedes. The pair made contact in the middle of the corner, and Aiello then won the drag race to the line by 0.197s.