Ekstr?m wins at Le Mans ? Title decision in the finale
Le Mans. Mattias Ekstr?m (Audi) has won the tenth DTM season round from Paul di Resta (Mercedes-Benz). In changeable and difficult weather conditions, the Swede scored his third season win at the ?Circuit Bugatti? in the French city of Le Mans, the 13th race win of his DTM career. The podium was completed by Alexandre Pr?mat (Audi) who finished third in his home race. Points? leader Timo Scheider (Audi) came home sixth behind Gary Paffett and Bernd Schneider (both Mercedes-Benz). The final points? scoring positions were taken by Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz) and Tom Kristensen (Audi) in seventh and eighth place. While Scheider had made the right tyre choice in the early stages of the race, di Resta was more lucky at the end. Next to their two mandatory pit stops, both drivers had to make one extra stop to have their tyres changed. With his second place, di Resta further reduced the gap to Scheider. Going into the DTM season finale at Hockenheim, Scheider is now only two points ahead of the Scot with 65 points. In spite of his win at Le Mans, Mattias Ekstr?m no longer has a chance of the title. With 54 points, he is third. An extensive press release with quotes from the drivers and motorsport directors will follow shortly.
The race at a glance
Spectators during the race weekend: 18,000
Weather: rain
Air temperature: 15.7 ?C
Asphalt temperature: 14.4 ?C
Start Ekstr?m past Kristensen, Scheider takes the lead through the first corner.
Lap 1 Rockenfeller, Engel, Tomczyk off the track. Tomczyk's car is stuck in the gravel trap at Garage Vert. Schumacher off the track, stuck in the gravel. Engel into the pits.
Lap 2 Scheider is leading from Ekstr?m, Pr?mat, di Resta, Spengler. Kristensen has dropped back to sixth. Lauda off the track. Green into the pits, changes from rain tyres to slicks.
Lap 3 Kristensen through the gravel trap. Pr?mat and Di Resta side-by-side. Pr?mat gets past. Winkelhock and Spengler tangle. Tomczyk into the pits.
Lap 4 Di Resta loses one place to Schneider.
Lap 5 Di Resta drops back more and more. He drives into the pits, changes from rain tyres to slicks. Albers into the pits.
Lap 6 1 second pit stop penalty for Pr?mat. Spengler into the pits, from rain tyres to slicks.
Lap 8 Di Resta sets the fastest lap time of 1.34.504.
Lap 9 Winkelhock, Stoddart, Legge into the pits for their first mandatory pit stops.
Lap 10 Pr?mat into the pits.
Lap 11 Scheider, Jarvis into the pits. Di Resta and Pr?mat tangle.
Lap 12 Pr?mat under investigation. Paffett into the pits.
Lap 13 Rockenfeller, Lauda into the pits. On Lauda's car, the tank can got stuck.
Lap 14 Black and orange flag for Lauda. Engel into the pits. Lauda into the pits, the can falls off at the pit lane entry.
Lap 15 Green into the pits.
Lap 16 Spengler off the track at Dunlop.
Lap 17 Ekstr?m into the pits.
Lap 18 Rain is getting stronger and stronger. Engel into the pits.
Lap 19 Di Resta several times off the track, together with Pr?mat.
Lap 20 Kristensen into the pits.
Lap 21 Rockenfeller into the pits.
Lap 22 Di Resta, Pr?mat, Engel, Albers into the pits.
Lap 23 Schneider, Winkelhock, Jarvis, Spengler into the pits.
Lap 25 Scheider and Schneider in a close battle. Green, Lauda, Legge into the pits.
Lap 26 Ekstr?m, Kristensen, Jarvis into the pits. Jarvis stays in the pits.
Lap 27 Scheider, Paffett, Spengler, Engel, Stoddart into the pits. Scheider with slicks.
Lap 28 Schneider into the pits, also on slicks.
Lap 29 Di Resta into the pits. Switches to rain tyres. Albers, Lauda also into the pits.
Lap 30 Ekstr?m is leading from Scheider, Schneider, Di Resta, Kristensen, Pr?mat, Winkelhock, Green, Paffett, Rockenfeller. Green, Legge into the pits.
Lap 31 Ekstr?m, Scheider, Schneider, Winkelhock into the pits.
Lap 32 Scheider re-joins behind Di Resta. Kristensen into the pits.
Lap 34 Ekstr?m takes the lead from Pr?mat. Di Resta is third from Paffett, Scheider, Schneider, Rockenfeller, Spengler, Kristensen and Green.
Lap 35 Di Resta overtakes Pr?mat on the outside before Dunlop.
Lap 36 Albers off the track, continues. Paffett has overtaken Pr?mat and is now third.
Lap 37 Scheider and Schneider tangle.
Lap 40 Schneider gets through as Scheider runs wide.
Final lap Ekstr?m wins from Di Resta, Pr?mat, Paffett, Schneider, Scheider, Spengler, Kristensen.
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