Paul Di Resta wins Race 2 in Hockenheim
Paul Di Resta scored a lights-to-flag win in today’s Race 2 held in Hockenheim, host of the 2016 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season premier. The Briton was accompanied in the podium by Timo Glock and Augusto Farfus.
As it had been the norm over the weekend, the heat was a key player in the race, with air temperatures over 27 degrees Celsius and a track temperature over 45. The drivers had to complete a compulsory pit stop during the second third of the race but faced a low-grip track, due to the heat and the dirt from the WRX.
At the green lights, Paul Di Resta made a perfect start to keep the first position into the first corner, as the Scot had stated it was his main strategy.
Augusto Farfus was slow off the line, being overtaken by fellow BMW driver Maxime Martin and Mercedes AMG’s Gary Paffett.
At the hairpin, António Félix Da Costa went on the inside of Esteban Ocon, pushing him against Bruno Spengler. The trio spun and collected Audi drivers Jamie Green and Edoardo Mortara. Both Tomczyk and Mortara were able to continue in the race, but the rest had to retire, with the safety car being deployed for two laps.
The positions in the pack were stable, with Nico Müller being, in tenth place, the top driver for Audi Sport, with the Ingolstadt cars clearly struggling with the low grip.
Maximilian Götz and Mattias Ekström had an intense battle, overtaking each other and with the Swede colliding twice with the German driver from Mercedes. Ekström would have to retire later in the race.
BMW’s Maxime Martin and Timo Glock were the first ones to come into the pits for the compulsory pit stop. António Félix Da Costa picked up some debris on the track and had a puncture, having to retire with damage.
Gary Paffett was sent out of his pit stop as team-mate Robert Wickens came in, hitting the rear left corner of the Canadian’s C63 DTM. The Briton had managed to close down the gap to Paul Di Resta as the Scot had a difficult stop, but received a ‘drive-through’ penalty for an unsafe release. This sent Paffett back on track on 11th place, ruining his chances of a podium result.
The positions were stable, but with Timo Glock on a charge to gain positions, taking Maxime Martin and, later, Augusto Farfus.
On lap 23 Audi Team Abt driver Miguel Molina, who was the last driver to not have completed his tyre change, jumped over a kerb when coming into the pits, spinning against the pit wall. The Spaniard was forced to retire at that point.
Lucas Auer went wide at Sachs Kurve, and managed to move his Mercedes in the gravel trap before being stuck definitively, also having to retire. Daniel Juncadella went off at Sachs a few laps later, also having to retire and causing the only slow zone of the race.
Gary Paffett led an impressive charge, recovering positions to reach fifth place, where the alliance between BMW’s Augusto Farfus and Maxime Martin allowed the Belgian to use the DRS to defend from the Briton.
On the last lap Mercedes AMG driver Christian Vietoris was given a ‘drive-through’ penalty for not respecting the slow zone.
At the chequered flag, Paul Di Resta scored his seventh DTM victory, followed by Timo Glock and Augusto Farfus on the podium.
Maxime Martin was fourth, followed by Gary Paffett, Robert Wickens, Tom Blomqvist, Nico Müller and BMW drivers Marco Wittmann and Martin Tomczyk completing the top ten. Audi’s Edoardo Mortara, winner on Saturday, was 12th and didn’t score any points.
Next round of the DTM is at the Red Bull Ring, in Austria, from the 20th to the 22nd of May.
