René Rast goes from 16th to take victory at Hockenheim

Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s René Rast made the most of an incident-packed race to recover from 16th on the grid to take his first victory of the season at Hockenheim, leading an Audi Sport 1-2-3.

Audi Sport Team Phoenix mechanics were frantically working on the grid to sort a power steering problem on Mike Rockenfeller’s car before the race, with the 2013 champion able to start the race from his grid position.

At the start, BMW Team RBM’s Philipp Eng maintained first position, with Team RMG’s Marco Wittmann slow off the line and falling to fourth and Audi Sport Team Abt Sportline’s Nico Müller jumping up to second place, with BMW Team RMG’s Timo Glock in third.

BMW Team RBM’s Sheldon van der Linde and WRT’s Jonathan Aberdein had a close fight, overtaking the South African’s team-mate Joel Eriksson for ninth and tenth positions on the second lap.

Rockenfeller had to stop on lap six due to a mechanical issue but, as he was limping back to the pits, his team-mate Loïc Duval went off the track at Sachs, burying his Audi RS 5 DTM in the gravel trap.

R-Motorsport’s Paul di Resta pitted immediately before the safety car was called into action. Rast pitted a lap later but, as the 2017 champion returned to the track, the safety car was called back, with the race distance increased to 37 laps.

The restart was made in the side-by-side formation, with Müller getting momentarily ahead of Eng, but the Austrian retaking the lead at Turn 2. Marco Wittmann went into attack mode at Turn 6, colliding with several cars, a move that profited Rast, who went up to ninth place.

Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s Jamie Green collided with BMW Motorsport Team RBM’s Sheldon van der Linde at the Mercedes Kurve, with the Briton getting a drive through for the move. A lap later, WRT’s Pietro Fittipaldo tagged Wittmann at Turn 6, with the Brazilian also getting a drive through penalty.

Rast continued his forward momentum, helped by fellow Audi drivers Robin Frijns and Müller not posing any resistance, and was up to second place, with fresh tyres, by lap 13.

The Audi driver overtook the Austrian on the outside at Turn 6 on the following lap, quickly opening a gap.

Di Resta was also moving forward in the race, overtaking Glock at Turn 6 on lap 15 for sixth place, the best-placed Aston Martin in the race.

At that moment, spots of rain started to fall over Hockenheim, with the race directors allowing wet tyres to be used. Despite that, both Glock and R-Motorsport’s Daniel Juncadella pitted for slicks.

Frijns overtook Eng for second place on lap 18. The Austrian and Müller came in for their obligatory pit stop at the end of that lap, mounting slicks and with the Audi driver returning to the track ahead.

Rast made a surprise second pit stop at the end of the 22nd lap, followed by second-place Frijns a lap later, leaving di Resta in the race lead, who also pitted for the second time at the end of lap 25. As both Rast and di Resta had pitted under the safety car, that tyre change didn’t count as a mandatory tyre change.

After that, Rast was still in the lead, followed by Müller and Eng, with BMW Team RMG’s Bruno Spengler in fourth and under attack from Frijns. The Dutch overtook for fourth position at Sachs on the 30th lap.

Frijns continued closing the gap to Eng, overtaking the Austrian on lap 34, with Müller his next target.

At the chequered flag, Rast took the victory followed by Müller and Frijns, completing an all-Audi podium.

Eng was fourth, followed by Spengler and Glock. Di Resta completed a solid race to finish seventh, ahead of Wittmann and Green. Eriksson overtook R-Motorsport’s Jake Dennis on the last lap to finish in tenth place.

After this race, Wittmann leads the championship on 34 points, with Frijns six behind and Rast up to third with 25.

The next round of the DTM takes place at Zolder on 17th-19th May.