Doin' The Math.

Most of you will probably know by now that I have decided to swap the Champ Car World Series for the DTM this season and, given the way open-wheel racing is developing on this side of the Atlantic, it may just be the right decision.

Having a roof over my head is going to be strange, but Audi has offered me a fantastic opportunity and I really couldn't be happier. I can't wait for the start of the season now, and can't wait to get going. I've had a few test days, but I can't wait to get back in the car because it is all so new and exciting for me.

Making the move was another typical Katherine thing. Nothing in my career has ever gone normally and it was the same with this. I was absolutely thinking that I'd be in Champ Car again this year - albeit before we knew that there would be no Champ Car - but I'd heard that Audi were testing various girls to replace Vanina [Ickx], so I thought I'd go along and see whether I liked it or not, whether I was any good at it and see where we were at after that.

I tried to get hold of Audi, but couldn't get hold of Dr Ullrich or anyone else because they were all really busy, so I was a bit stumped really. I didn't know if they wanted me there, or whether to take the lack of contact personally, but I wasn't going to be denied, and ended up getting Colin Kolles' number from a friend. Fortunately, Colin suggested that I drive one of his cars and see where that led, so it's thanks to him that I drove in the test at Almeria, because Audi saw what I was capable of and brought me into their test.

It reminds me of a very similar situation a couple of years ago, when I took myself over to the USA and gatecrashed the Kathryn Nunn Scholarship test - very Katherine-esque! I never take no for an answer and am always trying things like that. My motto is that, if you want something badly enough, you'll make sure that you get it. I wanted to do that DTM test; I wanted to show what I was capable of and found a way to be able to do that with Colin.

I don't know if people appreciate my initiative or think I'm cheeky, but the fact of the matter is that Audi wanted to choose somebody who could get the job done and, luckily for me, I was the one they picked. We negotiated over the winter and came to an arrangement. For me, Audi and the DTM are a long-term future. It's a dream come true but, with a company as professional and high-end as Audi, you have to do a really good job and be at your best. They give you everything that you need to get the job done, and you need to give 110 per cent back. I've never really been in a position like this before, but it's been a dream of mine since I was a little girl to be backed by a major manufacturer so, when this opportunity came along, I jumped at it. I'm really excited.

I know that it is difficult to come into the DTM and be really competitive straight away. You see some of the really good drivers do it, but it's definitely one of the most challenging and talent-laden series in the world, so the team and I see 2008 as a learning year for me. I know that I have to finish races and maybe get some points somewhere along the line, but it will be all about seeing where I'm at and doing the best we can. Hopefully, we can compete with some of the 2007 cars, but I think that Audi will be evaluating me as much as anything. Who knows what's going to happen? I'm keeping an open mind and trying to learn as much as I can.

Of course, Audi has its sportscar programme as well as the DTM, and that's something that I'd love to do. As a driver, you have a list of things that you'd like to accomplish in your career, and Le Mans is definitely on that list, so we'll see what happens in the future. For now, and I've spoken to Audi about it, we're going to focus on DTM this year and concentrate on learning that, and then see what it brings from there on in.

Quite apart from the fact that we get to drive an Audi road car - I'll be so excited when I get the keys on my return to Europe - it's fantastic to be part of the 'team'. All the other drivers have been really supportive and really nice. We did the fitness camp a while back and that emphasised the team thing. It was a really supportive environment, where you could get the knowledge and advice of the guys who have been doing it for a while, and who have won championships, like 'Eki' [Mattias Ekström].

The training camp is pretty intense, and I really didn't know what to expect because I've never been to anything like it before. It was definitely a new experience, and I was lucky to have Oliver Jarvis there. We were team-mates for a couple of races in Formula Renault back in 2002 or 2003, and we were both 'newbies' at training camp - the 'first day at school' kids. We didn't know what to expect, and it was hard - but fun as well. It was a team-building experience as much as anything. They test us and show us where we are physically, and then give us the tools to be able to improve. It was one of the most worthwhile things that I've done, for sure.

As well as learning a new car, new team and new discipline, Brands Hatch is the only circuit on the schedule that I know, so I've got the DTM game for my PC. The only circuit it doesn't have on it is Mugello and we've just tested there, so I should be okay now. I've definitely been driving Oschersleben on it for a while now... I'll also try and get one of the guys to take me around the tracks before we go out and show me what they think so that I have a better idea in my head.

Coming back to Brands Hatch will be the first time I'll have raced in Britain for quite a long time. I think 2003 was probably the last time I did so. I really like the long circuit there, and it's sort of my home track, having brought up in Haslemere in Surrey, so it'll be like going home a little bit. I got my first pole there, in Formula Ford, so I hope that's a good omen.

From what I've seen and heard, the DTM is part of a bigger racing festival. I'm used to that from the Champ Cars, which was very much like a travelling circus - but this is going to be like a travelling circus with a family, which is even better.

The question of rivalry with other female drivers, such as Mercedes' Susie Stoddart, is always one that is brought up by the press but, for me, there really is no rivalry. Out here in the US, it was always Danica Patrick and me, but I think that most of the female drivers that are worth their salt think of it the same way as I do, and that's that we're race car drivers. The car doesn't know any different, and I think of Susie as I would any other driver out there - she's one of however many to beat.

This season may be another new beginning for me, but having left Champ Car behind doesn't mean that I will forget about it altogether. I think unification is a good thing for US open-wheel motorsport, and they needed to do it for a number of reasons. NASCAR is taking over the world over here but, in years gone by, the Indianapolis 500 was one of the biggest races in the world. It was beginning to dwindle a little bit but, with unification and having the big names and big teams coming from both sides, it should be a good thing for the race.

I think the way that unification happened maybe wasn't so good, as I think it has left a lot of Champ Car teams rushing around, trying to get ready - I'm still friendly with a few people from the teams over here and they were working 20-hour days to get ready for the tests. It's going to be tough for them, but it's the right thing for US motorsport, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye on it to see what happens.

Of course, being on the Champ Car side of the fence, the Indy 500 was something I never got a shot at and, like Le Mans, it's one of those races on 'the list'. It's a shame, because I would have loved to have done it, but we'll see what the future brings. You can never say never and, maybe, one day, I'll get to race in it.

The immediate future, however, is the build up to the first DTM race of 2008 at Hockenheim, and it's busy, busy. As I write this, I'm still packing and you won't believe what a big task it is to move your life across the Atlantic again. When I came over here, I had literally two suitcases and the excitement of starting a new life. Now I seem to have accumulated a whole lot more in the last three years, so I'm just getting that packed up and ready to be shipped back to Europe.

I've just got to ditch the American accent now....

Until next time,

Katherine