Maro Engel: “Those were the longest five or six laps of my life”

Mercedes AMG driver Maro Engel scored his maiden DTM victory at Moscow Raceway, after 52 races in the category.

The German had competed in the DTM between 2008 and 2011 for Mercedes, with a 6th place as his best result. Engel returned to the series this season, having had a difficult season so far.

Engel’s fortunes changed today with a strong strategy; the number 63 C63 DTM completed its obligatory pit stop at the end of the first lap, a move that played into the Germans’ hands with the intervention of the safety car.

“That was an incredible race. I had to stay patient behind Nico Müller and look after my tyres. But my car today was mega,” said Engel.

Despite having an strategic advantage, the final laps were far from easy for Engel, as Audi’s Mattias Ekström was relentlessly approaching the Mercedes. “At the end of the race, I saw Mattias getting close, but I didn’t know it was the last lap. Fortunately, the race came to an end at this moment. Those were definitely the longest five or six laps of my life. I was surprised to see the chequered flag. I wasn’t aware that the race was already over,” said Engel.

Ulrich Fritz, Head of Mercedes AMG Motorsport DTM, was full of praise for his driver: “Congratulations to Maro on his maiden victory in the DTM. Of course, we were lucky with the safety car, but, despite Müller attempting to back up the field to enable Ekström to win, he stayed cool and wrapped it up at the finish line. It was a brilliant achievement.”