Paul di Resta back in the lead after tough Red Bull Ring race
Mercedes-AMG driver Paul di Resta drove a physical race at the Red Bull Ring to finish in fourth position and return to the championship lead as team-mate and championship rival Gary Paffett had a troublesome race.
Di Resta started from fourth on the grid and was the first of the front runners to change tyres at the end of lap 15 and was then involved in several fights to recover lost positions, although was unable to get ahead of the winning Audis.
After team-mate at HWA Daniel Juncadella lost his victory due to a drive-through penalty on the last lap, di Resta was promoted to fourth, the best classified Mercedes-AMG driver in the race.
“There was a lot of confusion today on the drying track, but it was obvious that it would be a tough race,” said di Resta. “At one point, it looked worse than it actually was. Towards the end, I was in a good position for the re-start but got caught out by a slow start, which, unfortunately, also cost Dani the win.”
Paffett had a very difficult race, starting from tenth on the grid and was caught in a first lap incident with Audi drivers Robin Frijns and Loïc Duval. The Briton ended was demoted to back of the pack, then having multiple incidents with other drivers which caused him to lose further ground.
In the end, thanks to Juncadella’s and fellow Mercedes-AMG driver Edoardo Mortara’s penalties, Paffett was able to finish tenth and score a single consolation point.
“Bruno Spengler pushed me off track in the first turn and hit me and Duval in Turn 3. After that, my car was badly damaged, and I fell back to the of the field. When your car gets badly damaged, it’s impossible to push forwards. All in all, a very disappointing day,” said Paffett.
Di Resta leads the championship with 216 points, nine ahead of Paffett and 42 over Audi’s René Rast.
Sébastien Ogier had a very eventful first race in the series, with the five-time World Rally champion starting from last on the grid but finishing 12th after the penalties had been applied.
“Variable weather conditions made for a tough start to my first DTM race weekend,” said the Frenchman. “Still, I got away safely off the line and gradually increased my pace. The second stint went pretty well for me, and I can use everything that was positive in tomorrow’s race.”
The Team HWA was also investigated for bringing the tyre trolleys onto the starting grid before the light at the end of the pit lane was green, with the team receiving seven separate team warnings, one for each driver, for the infringement of article 38.1 of the sporting regulations.
Mercedes-AMG still leads the manufacturers’ championship with 825 points, 280 ahead of BMW and 391 over Audi Sport that was the highest scoring manufacturer at the Red Bull Ring today.
