BMW’s Timo Glock scored his and BMW Team MTEK’s first victory in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters at a wet Hockenheimring, finishing ahead of Mercedes’ Roberto Merhi and fellow BMW driver Bruno Spengler.
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Glock, who started from fourth on the grid, led the vast majority of the race, having elected to stay out for the longest on his first set of tyres. The German looked to be under threat from a resurgent Merhi in the final stint of the race, but held on to secure his first win since joining the DTM at the start of the season.
Merhi’s second place is the best finish of his career, in two seasons in the German series so far. The Spaniard looked to be in for an outside shot at victory before the final pitstops of the race, but the Spaniard was forced to settle for second. Merhi’s strong result came despite starting from the back row of the grid and being forced to serve a drive-through penalty for a jump start.
Poleman Bruno Spengler finished in third, guaranteeing the Canadian third overall in the driver’s championship. Spengler has thus finished inside the top three in the standings for the past four consecutive seasons.
Fourth was Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Mattias Ekström, despite a late-race charge that saw him finish just over a second behind Spengler. Ekström had been in contention for the win, until he was tapped into a spin on lap 28 by Daniel Juncadella whilst running in second.
Miguel Molina took a fourth consecutive points finish in fifth for Audi, with his points crucially helping Audi Sport Team Phoenix to secure the team’s championship for the first time.
Andy Priaulx finished in sixth, scoring his best result of the season and equalling his best since joining the DTM in 2012. He finished ahead of Mercedes’ Christian Vietoris, who battled through the field from 20th on the grid.
BMW’s Dirk Werner finished in eighth, ahead of the Mercedes’ pair of Gary Paffett and Juncadella who completed the top ten. Juncadella’s strong drive came despite having to serve a pit-stop penalty for the earlier contact with Ekström.
BMW Team RBM’s Augusto Farfus, safe with second in the championship, outside of the points in 11th having earlier been turned around by Glock on the opening lap of the race and dropping to the back of the field.
New champion Mike Rockenfeller had a difficult race, never finding a good rhythym and finishing down in 16th, the last of a quintet of Audi drivers who finished outside the points.
Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s Filipe Albuquerque was the only retirement of the race, stopping after one lap as a result of contact with Robert Wickens. BMW’s Marco Wittmann also stopped with four laps remaining, but was classified in 21st and last.