One point separates Timo Glock and Gary Paffett ahead of the Hungaroring
The DTM ventures outside of Germany for the first time this year this weekend for the third round of the season at the Hungaroring, with BMW’s Timo Glock and Mercedes AMG’s Gary Paffett on top of the championship and Audi Sport on the back foot after a tough start to the season.
The two rounds held at Hockenheim and the Lausitzring have delivered exciting racing action, with Paffett scoring two victories against one for Glock and another for fellow Mercedes driver Edoardo Mortara. But it has been the BMW driver’s consistency that has paid off, with Glock heading to the Hungaroring with 72 points to his tally, one ahead of Paffett.
The standings leader is optimistic ahead of this weekend’s races: “Budapest is always a highlight and the track has always really suited me in the past. I’m excited to see if we will continue to have a good pace there.”
Paffett is looking for his first podium finish at the Hungaroring: “It has been a near-perfect start to the year for me and we started the year really strong. We want to try and keep this form going in Budapest. I like the track and haven’t been on the podium there yet, but I certainly intend to put that right next weekend.”
Mercedes AMG has held the upper hand so far in the season and leads the manufacturers’ championship. Audi Sport, on the other hand, has suffered the most with the aerodynamic changes in this year’s regulations, and stands a distant third a whopping 160 points behind their Stuttgart-based counterparts and with Mike Rockenfeller as their best-placed driver in the championship in tenth place, 50 points behind Glock.
Reigning champion René Rast will be back in action in his rebuilt RS 5 DTM after his massive shunt at the Lausitzring, hoping to score a good result at the track that saw his first series victory a year ago: “The Hungaroring in Budapest has been one of my favorite tracks not only since my first DTM victory in 2017.”
The 4.381-kilometre Hungaroring is located 20 kilometres north east from Budapest and will host the DTM for the fifth time. Qualifying will be vital for the drivers ahead of the races, with the main overtaking points in the braking areas of Turns 1, 3 and 8.
Timetable:
Friday 1st of June
16:05: Free Practice 1
Saturday 2nd of June
8:35 – Free Practice 2
11:20 – Qualifying for Race 1
13:30 – Race 1 (55 minutes plus one lap)
Sunday 3rd of June
8:30 – Free Practice 3
11:20 – Qualifying for Race 2
13:30 – Race 2 (55 minutes plus one lap)
