Ekstr?m leads Audi to quadruple victory at Zandvoort
Zandvoort. For the third time in his DTM career, Mattias Ekstr?m claimed victory in the DTM race at Zandvoort in The Netherlands. Having started from pole position, the Swede crossed the finish line in first place after 38 laps at the Circuit Park Zandvoort with his Audi A4 DTM. Audi?s triumph at the circuits in the North Sea dunes was made perfect by his team- and brand mates Timo Scheider, Tom Kristensen and Martin Tomczyk in second, third and fourth place respectively. For 29-year old Ekstr?m, it was his 12th victory in a DTM race. Behind the Audi quartet, Mercedes-Benz drivers Bruno Spengler, Jamie Green and Paul di Resta finished fifth to seventh. A remarkable overtaking manoeuvre brought Markus Winkelhock up into eighth place as the best-placed driver with a year-old car when he overtook Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz) and Mike Rockenfeller. In the drivers? standings, Scheider was able to extend his lead by finishing second. Before the next round at the N?rburgring, he is leading with 40 points. Ekstr?m moved up into second place with his victory (35 points). Green (34 points) drops back one place and is now third after the sixth DTM season round. An extensive press release with quotes from the drivers and motorsport directors will follow shortly.
The race at a glance
Weather: overcast, dry
Air temperature: 17.4 ?C
Asphalt temperature: 19.1 ?C
Start Green has a bad start as Ekstr?m takes the lead from Scheider and Kristensen. Tomczyk takes fourth place from Spengler.
Lap 1 Green has dropped back to sixth place. In front, there is an Audi quartet with Ekstr?m, Scheider, Kristensen and Tomczyk.
Lap 2 Albers attacks Susie Stoddart for 16th place. Oliver Jarvis, who started eighth, has lost two places and is now tenth. Albers off the track at Renaultcorner with an apparent technical problem, hard into the barrier. For the Dutchman, it is already his third retirement of the year.
Lap 4 Ekstr?m is leading Scheider by 0.6 seconds.
Lap 6 Legge off the track, continues.
Lap 7 Ralf Schumacher is closing up to 16th-placed Susie Stoddart.
Lap 9 The first pit stops: Spengler, Green, Rockenfeller, Jarvis, Paffett, Engel, Stoddart coming in.
Lap 10 Kristensen, Tomczyk, Di Resta, Winkelhock, Schneider, Lauda, Pr?mat, Schumacher coming in.
Lap 11 Ekstr?m into the pits. Blue flag for Katherine Legge. Legge into the pits.
Lap 12 Scheider into the pits, he is the last one to make his first pit stop.
Lap 14 Race order after the first sequence of pit stops: Ekstr?m is leading from Scheider, Kristensen, Tomczyk, Spengler, Green, Di Resta, Rockenfeller, Winkelhock and Jarvis.
Lap 14 Pr?mat and Engel into the pits for their second stops.
Lap 15 Spengler, Jarvis, Schumacher into the pits.
Lap 16 Green into the pits.
Lap 17 Di Resta, Paffett into the pits. Problems for Di Resta with the right rear wheel during his stop.
Lap 18 Engel and Schumacher collide at Tarzan corner in the battle for 16th place. Pr?mat off the track into the gravel trap at Scheivlak - he climbs out of the car.
Lap 19 Ekstr?m, Schneider into the pits.
Lap 20 Scheider, Rockenfeller, Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 21 Kristensen, Tomczyk, Winkelhock, Lauda into the pits.
Lap 22 All driver but Katherine Legge have completed their two mandatory pit stops. Ekstr?m is leading from Scheider, Kristensen, Tomczyk, Spengler, Green, Di Resta, Rockenfeller, Schneider and Winkelhock. Engel spins at Tarzan corner, continues.
Lap 24 Schneider attacks Rockenfeller for eighth.
Lap 25 Lauda under investigation.
Lap 26 Lauda puts the pressure on Schumacher, who is 13th.
Lap 27 No further action against Lauda. Legge into the pits.
Lap 30 Jarvis into the pits - retires.
Lap 33 Blue flag for Katherine Legge.
Lap 34 Legge into the pits - retires.
Lap 36 Winkelhock goes past in the battle for eighth as Schneider and Rockfenfeller tangle.
Lap 38 Finish. Ekstr?m wins from Scheider, Kristensen, Tomczyk, Spengler, Green, Di Resta, Winkelhock, Schneider and Rockenfeller.
