Ekström wins at Brno

Mattias Ekström has taken the lead in the drivers standings for the first time this year after winning the race at Brno. It was the first non-Mercedes win this year. Opel made it an extra special race by taking it’s first podium place since last years race at Oschersleben. Frentzen got in third today, just behind Tom Kristensen.

Gary Paffett lost the race befor it even had started. The Mercedes driver drove away from the starting grid while the red lights were still on. The race director gave Paffett a drive through penalty for his jump start, dropping him back down the field. As the race progressed Paffett worked him self back to the front. In the dying laps of the race Mercedes even gave Jamie Green team orders to let Paffett through, giving him fourth place.

The race had very little action in it. The spectacle had to come from the pitstops, in which Ekström managed to take the lead away from Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The race in Brno today proved that DTM indeed is Formula 1 with a roof. There were hardly any close battles, and when they did get close and touched, the race director thought it was necessary to give a warning to the driver.

Tom Kristensen had a fight with Frentzen for a couple of laps, and managed to overtake him in a clean move. Because Frentzens tires were getting older, he almost lost his third place to Allan McNish. However, the Scotsman got a drive through penalty for speeding in the pitlane, dropping him back to 7th place.