Photo: DTM Media

Jamie Green thanks Audi team-mates for help to his first victory in Zandvoort

Jamie Green’s victory at Zandvoort in Race 2 lifted the Briton to second in the drivers’ standings ahead of the DTM’s one-month break, and the Audi Team Rosberg driver thanked his Audi compatriots for the help during the pit sequence which allowed him to break away from the chasing Mercedes of Robert Wickens and Gary Paffett.

Green set the fastest lap of the weekend to secure pole position for the second race at the Dutch circuit, and powered away into the lead despite a sluggish start where he was under early threat from ART Mercedes driver Gary Paffett.

The 34-year-old’s toughest challenge came from the HWA Mercedes of Robert Wickens, who was allowed through after two laps to chase down Green’s Audi RS 5, and with the Canadian having shown good pace all weekend, Green’s chance of victory wasn’t assured.

“The first stint was difficult, my mirror was full of Mercedes guys and I was thinking to win today would be hard work,” said Green. “But after the pit stop I had a gap; my team did a quicker stop than Robert. We had similar pace so I was able to maintain that gap. Then there were a lot of backmarkers – I think the key was overtaking Daniel Juncadella. I had DRS and I could pass him into Turn 1, otherwise he would have cost me a lot of time. Then there were a few Audis around that didn’t cost me any time, so thanks to them for not slowing me down when they were on different strategies.”

Green’s win makes it nine different winners from ten races in an intensely competitive season, with only Audi’s Edoardo Mortara able to claim two victories so far this season. Green’s win and fourth podium of the season puts him seven points behind the ultra-consistent Marco Wittmann of BMW ahead of the next round of the championship in Russia on August 20th.

“This is the first win I’ve had this year, and it’s always nice to get out of the way,” he added. “Personally, (looking at) the bigger picture, a win at Zandvoort wasn’t on my CV in DTM. I’ve won here in Formula 3, but not in DTM, I don’t think I’ve even been on the podium to be honest, so to get that win at Zandvoort, which I class as a real, proper race track, is nice and shows that I can win not just at Norising but all different sorts of tracks.”