Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller has taken a step closer to the 2013 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters title by clinching victory in the sixth round of the season in Russia, ahead of fellow Audi driver Mattias Ekström and BMW’s Augusto Farfus.
Click here for the full Round 6 Results.
Rockenfeller was able to take his third victory in the DTM and second of the season with ease, after closest championship rival Bruno Spengler was spun out of eighth by Rockenfeller’s Phoenix Audi team-mate Miguel Molina on just the fourth lap of the race. Whilst Molina was forced to retire, BMW’s Spengler was unable to recover and finished down in 19th position, a lap down.
Spengler had been struggling on the harder compound tyre in the opening laps of the race, slipping from fourth to seventh by the time Molina attempted to follow Dirk Werner past into turn one on the fourth lap. The resulting contact forced Molina out of the race with damage to his front-right wheel.
Rockenfeller has consequently opened up a 27 point lead in the championship over Spengler, with 25 points available for a win.
Augusto Farfus held on to finish in third, the Brazilian’s second podium finish of the season. Adrien Tambay also enjoyed his first points finish of the season in fourth, with the Frenchman also setting the fastest lap of the race in the process.
Brits Gary Paffett and Jamie Green finished in fifth and sixth for Mercedes-Benz and Audi respectively, with the duo involved in a late race battle inside the last ten laps which saw Paffett pass Green heading into turn one.
American Joey Hand took his BMW to seventh, having started from 15th, ahead of BMW’s Dirk Werner, Audi’s Timo Scheider and the only other Mercedes inside the top ten of Christian Vietoris.
Edoardo Mortara’s nightmare season continued as the Italian retired after 31 laps with handling problems after earlier contact in the race.