Audi’s Mattias Ekström has been haded a five-place grid penalty for blocking in qualifying for the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) at Zandvoort, dropping him from fourth to ninth on the grid.
Ekström was originally fourth fastest in the Q3 segment of qualifying, just 0.156 seconds off pole position. However the Swede will now start from ninth, after having been adjudged to have blocked Mercedes’ Gary Paffett during Q1.
The decision means that Jamie Green (Audi), Nico Müller (Audi), Pascal Wehrlein (Mercedes), Martin Tomczyk (BMW) and Joey Hand (BMW) will all move up one position, with Ekström starting ninth.
The stewards decision was made with the benefit of on-board cameras inside Ekström’s car when the Swede was on a slow lap and Paffett on a fast lap.