3rd June, 2012
Edoardo Mortara scores maiden DTM race win at Spielberg
DTM
Spielberg. For Edoardo Mortara (Audi), the fourth round of the 2012 DTM season at the Red Bull Ring in Austria will remain in his memory for a long time. After his maiden pole position on Saturday, the Italian went on to score his first-ever win in his 14th career start in the DTM. After 47 laps at the 4.326 kilometres long circuit in Styria, he crossed the finish line as the winner. Martin Tomczyk (BMW) finished second, 1.068 seconds down. Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) rounded out the podium in third place and extended his points’ lead with his fourth podium finish from as many races. After four rounds, Paffett is in the lead with 83 points from Mattias Ekström (47 points) and Jamie Green (44 points). A full press release with quotes will follow shortly.
The race at a glance
Air temperature: 26.0 °C
Asphalt temperature: 32.3 °C
Spectators during the race weekend: 48,500
Start Mortara takes the lead on the outside into the first corner. Tomczyk runs wide, slots into fourth.
Lap 1 Tambay goes straight in the second corner after a collision with Werner. Pafftett overtakes Ekström for second, Tomczyk gets through as well. Vietoris and Priaulx collide, Vietoris' car into the Armco barriers. The safety car is deployed. Priaulx and Werner into the pits - both retire.
Lap 4 The order behind the safety car: Mortara is leading from Paffett, Tomczyk, Eksträm, Green, Albuquerque, Hand, Spengler, Schumacher, Molina, Farfus, Merhi, Rockenfeller, Scheider, Wickens, Coulthard, Wolf and Frey.
Lap 6 The safety car has returned into the pits, racing resumes. Spengler overtakes Hand and Albuquerque and moves up into sixth place.
Lap 7 Rockenfeller past Merhi for eleventh.
Lap 8 Scheider into the gravel trap after contact with Farfus. Albuquerque and Spengler tangle, Hands gets past and is now sixth. Albuquerque then overtakes Spengler for seventh.
Lap 12 Merhi attacks Miolina in the battle for ninth place, Merhi gets past under braking for the second corner. Rockenfeller past Molina as well. Albuquerque, Coulthard, Schumacher are the first drivers in for their pit stops.
Lap 13 Hand, Spengler, Molina, Frey, Wolff into the pits.
Lap 14 Wolff almost runs into the back of Molina's car, which has been released as Wolff approached. Molina under investigation.
Lap 15 Wolff spins at Remus corner, continues. No further action against Molina.
Lap 16 Rockenfeller and Wickens into the pits.
Lap 17 Merh, Molina into the pits. Molina retires.
Lap 18 Tomczyk into the pits.
Lap 19 Paffett into the pits.
Lap 20 Green into the pits.
Lap 21 Mortara, Ekström, Farfus into the pits.
Lap 22 Scheider into the pits. Now all drivers have completed one stop. Coulthard into the gravel trap, continues, drives into the pits as well - retires.
Lap 23 Order after the first sequence of pit stops: Mortara is leading from Paffett, Tomczyk, Ekström, Green, Hand, Albuquerque, Merhi, Rockenfeller, Scheider, Farfus, Schumacher, Spengler, Wickens, Frey, Wolff. Spengler and Wickens tangle, Wickens runs over the kerbstones.
Lap 25 Frey attacks Spengler for 13th.
Lap 26 Albuquerque, Frey, Wickens into the pits.
Lap 27 Hand, Wolff into the pits.
Lap 28 Drive through for Rahel Frey because of pit lane speed limit infringement. Paffett, Rockenfeller, Schumacher into the pits.
Lap 29 Mortara, Merhi intro the pits. Frey into the pits for her penalty.
Lap 30 Mortara rejoins just ahead of Paffett. Tomczyk, Ekström, Green into the pits.
Lap 31 Tomczyk rejoins just behind Mortara, puts him under pressure. Paffett is right behind Tomczyk.
Lap 32 Top 4 within 2.5 seconds: Mortara is leading from Tomczyk, Paffett, Ekström and Green.
Lap 33 Farfus, Spengler into the pits. Spengler retires.
Lap 35 Scheider into the pits for his second stop.
Lap 36 All drivers having completed their mandatory pit stops, Mortara remains in the lead from Tomczyk, Paffett, Ekström, Green, Scheider, Hand, Albuquerque, Rockenfeller and Farfus.
Lap 37 Albuquerque overtakes Hand in the battle for seventh, then runs wide over the kerbstones and drops back behind Rockenfeller in ninth place.
Lap 44 Rockenfeller overtakes Hand and is now seventh, Albuquerque past as well. Merhi under investigation because of leaving the track.
Finish Edoardo Mortara wins his first DTM race ahead of Martin Tomczyk and Gary Paffett.
