BMW Team RMR driver Philipp Eng executed an fantastic drive to take his first DTM race win in the first race at Zolder since 2002, crossing the line over eight seconds clear of BMW Team RBM’s Joel Eriksson and Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline driver Nico Müller.
The Austrian pitted on lap 12 and benefitted from a mid-race safety car, going on to inherit the lead as the front running cars made their mandatory stops.
With the track temperature nearing 40C, the hottest all weekend, the talk of the paddock was how the Hankook tyres would fair over the race distance.
Away from the grid and the BMW Team RMG pole-sitter Marco Wittmann and Audi Sport Team Rosberg driver René Rast were beaten to the first corner by the other Team RMG driver of Bruno Spengler.
The Canadian then held on to a one second lead as the safety car was called out on lap 14 for both Daniel Juncadella and Jake Dennis who had stopped on track in their R-Motorsport run Aston Martin’s.
The race restarted on lap 19 and Spengler was still leading, ahead of Wittmann, BMW Team RBM driver Sheldon van der Linde, Rast, BMW Team RMR’s Timo Glock, and local hero Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Robin Frijns.
Eng was running in seventh, the highest placed driver to have already made a stop.
The leaders then peeled off in to the pitlane, and the Austrian took the lead on lap 25 when Wittmann made his pitstop.
Eng would not succumb to pressure from the chasing duo of Eriksson and Müller who battled hard in the closing stages, and held on to take his maiden win.
Audi Sport Team Phoenix driver Loïc Duval finished fourth, over ten seconds off the podium. It was an impressive result considering the Frenchman came back from a five second jump start penalty.
Teammate Mike Rockenfeller took an incredible fifth place, pitting on only the second lap of the race after starting last following work to his car under parc fermé conditions.
Audi Sport Team Rosberg driver Jamie Green came home sixth, ahead of the pole-sitter Wittmann.
The championship leader coming into the weekend was able to use the pace of new tyres late on to climb to seventh from 12th.
The highest placed of the R-Motorsport Aston Martin’s was Paul Di Resta in eighth. The 2010 champion executing a two stop strategy, pitting on lap one and again under safety car on lap 15.
Ferdinand Von Habsburg held on to ninth place to score his first DTM points for R-Motorsport, the rookie who pitted on the second lap was able to make his tyres last, only dropping off the pace in the final few laps.
Spengler rounded out the top ten, unable to climb up the order significantly after his stop on lap 20.
Qualifying for race two takes place tomorrow at 10:25 CEST (9:25 BST)
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 25 | Philipp ENG |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 39 | 59:34.758 | 1:24.421 | 7 |
| 2 | 47 | Joel ERIKSSON |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 39 | 8.645 | 1:24.139 | 9 |
| 3 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 39 | 8.829 | 1:24.310 | 8 |
| 4 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 39 | 18.159 | 1:25.036 | 14 |
| 5 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 39 | 24.502 | 1:25.382 | 16 |
| 6 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 39 | 32.318 | 1:24.523 | 10 |
| 7 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 39 | 32.746 | 1:24.283 | 1 |
| 8 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 39 | 35.875 | 1:26.154 | 17 |
| 9 | 62 | Ferdinand VON HABSBURG | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 39 | 38.858 | 1:26.770 | 18 |
| 10 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 39 | 39.874 | 1:24.361 | 3 |
| 11 | 31 | Sheldon VAN DER LINDE |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 39 | 40.571 | 1:24.448 | 4 |
| 12 | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 39 | 42.721 | 1:23.751 | 5 |
| 13 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 39 | 45.672 | 1:24.600 | 6 |
| 14 | 21 | Pietro FITTIPALDI |  |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 39 | 1:09.779 | 1:24.582 | 11 |
| R | 27 | Jonathan ABERDEIN | |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 27 | DNF | 1:25.529 | 12 |
| R | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 27 | DNF | 1:24.310 | 2 |
| R | 23 | Daniel JUNCADELLA |  |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 12 | DNF | 1:25.312 | 15 |
| R | 76 | Jake DENNIS | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 12 | DNF | 1:25.815 | 13 |