René Rast wins the 2017 DTM title as Marco Wittmann wins the race

Outgoing DTM champion Marco Wittmann scored his first victory of the season at Hockenheim in his BMW ahead of Audi driver René Rast, who became the first driver in 24 years to win the title during his maiden season. Mattias Ekström, who arrived at the final round of the season with a 21-point lead, could only manage eighth, finishing as the runner-up by just three points.

At the start, Tom Blomqvist held the lead from pole, with René Rast slow off the line. Mercedes’ Lucas Auer took the inside at Turn 1 and, as Rast tried to retake the position, both were overtaken at Turn 2 by BMW’s Marco Wittmann.

Further back, Audi drivers Mattias Ekström and Jamie Green were in the middle of a scruff with Mercedes’ Maro Engel, with the Briton having the worst part as the Swede tagged him and fell to the back of the pack.

Rast soon lost a position to Mercedes’ Robert Wickens, but was able to retake fourth place at the Mercedes Kurve on lap five, becoming the new virtual championship leader and starting to close the gap to Auer. Rast overtook Auer for third place at the hairpin on lap nine, while at the same point, Mike Rockenfeller overtook Wickens for fifth.

Rast moved past Auer as the Austrian pitted on lap 12, and began closing the gap to Blomqvist. Wittmann also pitted, leaving Rockenfeller in third. Further back, Ekström overtook BMW’s Bruno Spengler and, as the front-runners pitted, the Swede was up to seventh with Green immediately behind.

Green overtook Ekström on the outside at Turn 7 on lap 21, taking fourth position, as the Swede was struggling with his tyres.

Rast pitted at the end of lap 23, together with Rockenfeller, staying ahead of the 2013 champion. When he returned to the track, Rast was caught by Blomqvist and Wickens, who didn’t attack the Audi driver.

Wickens attacked Blomqvist at the Hairpin on lap 24, hitting the Briton and causing a yellow flag. The stewards handed the Canadian a drive-through penalty, although both drivers retired to the pits. Ekström and Green pitted at the end of that lap, leaving Wittmann as the new race leader.

Rast overtook Spengler, who was the only driver to not have pitted, at the hairpin on lap 30, taking second place from the Canadian.

Green then caught Auer, passing him for ninth the hairpin on lap 31, with Mortara as his next target. Rockenfeller moved up to third ahead of Spengler on the following lap, as Ekström overtook Auer and moved into tenth. The BMW driver then finally pitted at the end of lap 32, falling to the back of the pack.

The positions remained stable, though Rast closed the gap to Wittmann in the final laps. Wittmann went on to score his first victory of the season with Rast, in second place, taking enough points to become the champion in his first full season in the DTM, while Rockenfeller completed the podium.

Mercedes’ Gary Paffett was fourth, with Green taking fifth position from Martin on the last lap. BMW’s Augusto Farfus was seventh, followed by Ekström. Mortara and Auer completed the top ten.

René Rast now wins the drivers’ championship on 179 points, three ahead of Ekström on 176, with Green on 173 and Rockenfeller with 167.