Bruno Spengler has secured BMW’s first Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters win in 20 years at the Lausitzring this afternoon, ahead of Mercedes’ Gary Paffett and BMW’s Augusto Farfus.
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Having started from pole position, Canadian Spengler made it a dream start to the new DTM season for BMW, leading the race from the very start. Second placed Paffett – winner last time out at the Hockenheimring, was just 1.019 seconds further back and applied strong pressure to Spengler throughout the race but was unable to find a way past.
Third-placed Farfus made it two BMW drivers on the podium in only the second race since the Munich-manufacturers return. The Brazilian lost out to Mercedes’ Paffett at the start of the race and was unable to get past thereafter, being forced to settle for third in only his second-ever DTM race.
Jamie Green finished in fourth, despite problems with the left-rear wheel on his car during his pitstop.
The top Audi driver was Swede Mattias Ekström in fifth. The former champion had a close battle with BMW’s Martin Tomczyk at his first pit-stop, with Ekström emerging in front. In the final third of the race Ekström secured fifth by overtaking Timo Scheider, who held on to finish in sixth having started from 12th.
Tomczyk finished in seventh for BMW, ahead of Edoardo Mortara, Filipe Albuquerque and Ralf Schumacher.
Just missing out on the points in 11th was Christian Vietoris, whilst 12th-placed David Coulthard made up the most positions during the race, having started down in 20th on the grid.
There was only one retirement from the race, with Mercedes’ Canadian driver Robert Wickens retiring just five laps from the finish at the pit lane exit.