Photo: Daimler Global Press

Lucas Auer and Mercedes lead the standings after Hockenheim

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Mercedes AMG driver Lucas Auer was the strongest driver of the 2017 DTM field during the season opener at Hockenheim, with the young Austrian now leading the drivers’ standings.

Auer scored pole position for Saturday’s race, managing the tyres to achieve his second DTM victory. On Sunday the Austrian was running second but had difficulties when the rain started falling over the Baden-Wüttemberg track, finishing in fourth position.

The results mean that Lucas Auer leaves Hockenheim with 40 points. “We have to see at what happened today, but it seems that maybe I missed the pit board. There was big confusion around, some people pitted earlier than us and others later, but at the end I was fourth. Maybe more was possible but this what we want in the end,” the Austrian told TouringCarTimes.

The series heads to the Lausitzring, where Auer scored his first victory last year. The Team HWA driver refuses to read too much into his strong Hockenheim performance: “I knew I would be strong before the start of the season, but we cannot read too much about leading the championship after the first round, I didn’t expect it, because I never was able to have it together at Hockenheim. I expect we can get a good result at Lausitzring, because I’m strong there, especially with the new rules, so it might be different now. But, usually, I’m on it at Lausitzring.”

Audi’s Jamie Green is second in the championship tied to 26 points with Auer’s team-mate Gary Paffett. Timo Glock is the best placed man for BMW Motorsport in fourth position, with 25 points in his tally.

Team HWA BWT, which manages Lucas Auer’s and Edoardo Mortara’s C63 DTMs, leads the teams table with 53 points, 19 over Audi Sport Team Rosberg. HWA’s Mercedes me is third with 26 points, with BMW’s Team RMR in fourth with 25 points.

On the manufacturers’ front, Mercedes AMG had a strong performance in their home event, with Gary Paffett’s second place on Sunday celebrating the 400th race for the Stuttgart-based team, leaving Hockenheim with 92 points in its account, 15 more than Audi Sport. BMW Motorsport is third with 26 points.

Next round of the 2017 DTM season takes place at the Lausitzring in two weeks’ time.