Mattias Ekström extended his lead at the top of the DTM standings with victory in race one at the Red Bull Ring, after getting past Audi stable-mate Jamie Green, who led much of the race, in the final laps.
Pole-sitter Green led much of the race, getting away well when the lights went out and managing a comfortable lead in the early phase of the race as other drivers behind him pitted.
Further back, Ekström past Nico Müller for second on the second lap of the race as the Swiss racer played the team game, with the leading trio then settling into formation ahead of the pit-stop phase.
Ekström was the first of the leading trio to pit on lap 13, followed by Müller on lap 14 and Green on lap 16. When they emerged the order remained the same, before they rose back to the front of the field as the other drivers pitting later in the race made their stops.
Then, on lap 36, two-time champion Ekström made a decisive move on Green heading into Turn 2, with the aid of his Drag Reduction System, to take the lead.
Green had the option of using his own DRS for the first time in the following laps, but the Brit dropped back from the Swede and was unable to mount an attack to regain the position.
The win gives Ekström his first victory of the season and crucially hands him a 28-point advantage over Green, who moves up to second in the standings, guaranteeing Ekström that he will leave the Styrian Mountains at least as the joint leader at the top of the table, irrespective of what happens on Sunday.
Robert Wickens was the leading Mercedes driver in fourth, despite contact from René Rast on lap 15, whilst battling for ninth, causing damage to his C63. The Canadian was able to continue and emerged in the position he was in before the pit-stop phase.
Team RMG’s Marco Wittmann was the best of the BMW drivers in fifth, ahead of Team RBM’s Maxime Martin in sixth. Martin had earlier had to fend off a challenge from Audi’s Rast on lap 17 as the German tried to pass at Turn 3, resulting in Rast spinning out of the position and eventually finishing down in 13th.
Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller took seventh, ahead of Mercedes’ Lucas Auer in eighth. Along with ninth-placed Edoardo Mortara, Auer made up ground in the race but the result sees him 31 points adrift of Ekström heading into Sunday in Austria.
BMW’s Timo Glock completed the points-paying positions in tenth after a relatively quiet race for the German.
Augusto Farfus was the race’s only retirement, with the Brazilian calling it a day after 28 laps. The BMW driver had earlier gone off the road at high speed whilst battling with Auer for 11th on lap two, sending his BMW airborne and dropping him to the rear of the field.
Race two takes place at 15:18 CEST (14:18 BST) on Sunday.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 5 | Mattias EKSTRÖM |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 57:00.812 | 1:23.890 | 3 |
| 2 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 0.398 | 1:23.742 | 1 |
| 3 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 0.602 | 1:23.936 | 2 |
| 4 | 6 | Robert WICKENS |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 21.625 | 1:24.382 | 7 |
| 5 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 22.118 | 1:24.366 | 4 |
| 6 | 36 | Maxime MARTIN |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 22.748 | 1:24.399 | 8 |
| 7 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 23.067 | 1:24.039 | 5 |
| 8 | 22 | Lucas AUER |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 23.452 | 1:24.445 | 12 |
| 9 | 48 | Edoardo MORTARA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 23.761 | 1:24.510 | 14 |
| 10 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 25.559 | 1:24.106 | 9 |
| 11 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 25.938 | 1:24.601 | 11 |
| 12 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER | |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 26.447 | 1:24.373 | 13 |
| 13 | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 26.788 | 1:24.142 | 6 |
| 14 | 77 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 27.096 | 1:24.160 | 17 |
| 15 | 63 | Maro ENGEL | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 27.514 | 1:24.316 | 18 |
| 16 | 31 | Tom BLOMQVIST | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 32.951 | 1:24.341 | 16 |
| 17 | 2 | Gary PAFFETT | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 45.721 | 1:24.149 | 15 |
| R | 15 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 28 | DNF | 1:24.402 | 10 |