Auer wins high-quality DTM season opener

Start of Race 1
Start of Race 1

DTM fans got to see a high-quality and thrilling season opener at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, with Lucas Auer as the buoyant winner. Having started from pole position into the first of this season’s 18 races, the Austrian Mercedes-high-quality and thrilling season opener at the Hockenheimring Baden-Wurttemberg, with Lucas Auer as the buoyant winner line. In a race marked by numerous overtaking maneuver's, duels and different strategies, Timo Glock (BMW) came home second after 36 laps. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi), who only had started from 16th place on the grid, took the third and final podium slot.

For Auer, the way to his second DTM race win was anything but a walk in the park. “The race was incredible, I am overjoyed," Auer commented after the race. “We had a strategy, but the execution wasn’t quite easy without the radio communication. As a driver, you are out there on your own. I knew that I would stand a chance when I would manage to hold off two attacks by Glock." The 22-year-old made use of this chance and secured the second race win of his DTM career.

The season-opening DTM race at Hockenheim has shown the positive effect of the rule changes on the racing action: the enhanced engine performance, the revised aerodynamics, the new slick tires, the ban on tyre warmers and the pit stop rules are suitable for the DTM and ensure entertaining racing action throughout. While Auer and Glock started the first race of the season from the first two rows on the grid, both Rockenfeller and fifth-placed Mattias Ekstrom (Audi) made up more than ten positions in the race, and they did so with different strategies. Rockenfeller already came in for his tyre change at a very early stage, on lap nine, while his fellow Audi driver Ekstrom was the penultimate driver to do so, on lap 25. Both strategies were successful.

From left, Glock, Auer and Rockenfeller
From left, Glock, Auer and Rockenfeller

Edoardo Mortara finished fourth in his first race for Mercedes-AMG while Audi’s Rene Rast came home in sixth place behind Ekstrom. Gary Paffett in seventh, Paul Di Resta in eighth, Nico Muller in ninth and reigning DTM champion Marco Wittmann in tenth position rounded out the top ten.

After the first race, Lucas Auer is leading the DTM drivers’ standings with the maximum score of 28 points from Timo Glock (18 points) and Mike Rockenfeller (15 points). Action already continues tomorrow, Sunday, with second qualifying from 12.20 hrs and the second race from 15.15 hrs.

RESULTS – 36 LAPS:

POS DRIVER TEAM CAR TIME/BEHIND
1 Lucas Auer HWA Mercedes 57m23.598s
2 Timo Glock RMR BMW 1.942s
3 Mike Rockenfeller Phoenix Audi 3.351s
4 Edoardo Mortara HWA Mercedes 3.984s
5 Mattias Ekstrom Abt Audi 4.275s
6 Rene Rast Rosberg Audi 5.855s
7 Gary Paffett HWA Mercedes 6.956s
8 Paul Di Resta HWA Mercedes 13.648s
9 Nico Muller Abt Audi 17.510s
10 Marco Wittmann RMG BMW 19.190s
11 Maxime Martin RBM BMW 20.800s
12 Bruno Spengler RBM BMW 21.504s
13 Augusto Farfus RMG BMW 25.351s
14 Loic Duval Phoenix Audi 34.343s
15 Robert Wickens HWA Mercedes 43.948s
16 Tom Blomqvist RMR BMW 44.956s
17 Maro Engel HWA Mercedes 51.525s
18 Jamie Green Rosberg Audi 1m02.944s