8/5/1967
Record updated 08-May-07
German Racing Driver. Currently competing in the DTM series
Christian Abt is a successful racing driver born in Kempten, Germany. His family is well-known in motorsports with three generations involved in the family business, established from blacksmiths set-up in 1896.
Christian’s father Johann began racing bikes in the early 1950s and his elder brother, Hans-Jürgen Abt, runs the Abt Sportsline Audi racing teams as well as their tuning company for Audi and Volkswagen.
Christian Abt started his career in motocross before moving on to German Formula BMW, becoming the 1991 champion.
He moved up to Formula 3, finishing sixth in the German championship in 1993.
After further success in Formula 3 and GT racing, Christian started racing touring cars, driving a privately entered Audi A4 with the quattro 4-Wheel-Drive in 1996.
He won the German Supertouring Championship STW in 1999, the last season of the series. In controversial circumstances, Christian was taken out by Roland Asch in the last corner but later it was decided that the results would be based on the second to last lap, giving Abt the championship.
In 1999 Christian also drove at Le Mans and the Nurburgring 24-hour race.
In 2000 he was third at Le Mans in an Audi R8 as well as contesting the DTM in an Abt-Audi TT-R.
Christian no longer drives a car run by the Abt team. Audi switched him to the Team Phoenix operation for the 2005 season finishing ninth in the points with a best result of second at the Norisring.
He stayed with Phoenix for 2006.
In 2006 Christian drove the 2005-spec Audi A4 DTM, used by Martin Tomczyk last year. Abt had a strong season in 2005, finishing ninth in the points with a best result of second at the Norisring. He will confidently expect to at least match that success in 2006 and will be hoping to go one better by taking his first DTM race win.