Jamie Green claims maiden DTM victory in Barcelona
Barcelona. Jamie Green is the winner of the ninth DTM season round at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. At the 2.977 kilometres long track, the Briton won from his fellow Mercedes-Benz drivers Bruno Spengler and Paul di Resta. For Green, it was his maiden victory in the DTM. The points? scoring positions were completed by Alexandros Margaritis, Gary Paffett, Mathias Lauda (all Mercedes-Benz), Mike Rockenfeller and Lucas Luhr (both Audi). On the 50th of 58 laps, Audi had withdrawn all its remaining cars from the race as they had judged the driving conduct of the Mercedes-Benz drivers as being unfair. Before the season final at the Hockenheimring Baden-W?rttemberg, Mattias Ekstr?m is leading the drivers? standings with 44 points from Bruno Spengler (42 points) and Martin Tomczyk (40 points). An extensive press release with quotes from the drivers and motorsport directors will follow shortly.
The race in detail
Spectators over the weekend: 42,000
Weather conditions: sunny
Air temperature: 27.1 ?C
Track temperature: 34.9 ?C
Start Tomczyk takes the lead, good start for Margaritis. H?kkinen is second. La Rosa spins at the first corner.
Lap 1 Kristensen spins after a collision with Paffett.
Lap 2 Stoddart into the gravel trap at Campsa.
Lap 3 Tomczyk is leading from H?kkinen, Spengler, Schneider, Green, Ekstr?m. Drive through penalty for Gary Paffett because of a jump start. At the end of the lap, he comes in.
Lap 4 Abt off the track,continues.
Lap 6 Mattias Ekstr?m and Tom Kristensen are the first drivers to come in for his pit stop.
Lap 7 Tomczyk and H?kkinen collide under braking for the first corner. Both into the grass, H?kkinen's car is moving slowly. Rockenfeller into the pits.
Lap 8 Spengler is now leading from Schneider, Green, Margaritis amd Scheider. H?kkinen into the pits - retires. Tomczyk has dropped back to eleventh.
Lap 9 Paffett and Abt side by side, battling for 15th place.
Lap 10 Tomczyk and Lauda battling for ninth, Tomczyk goes through. H?kkinen under investigation by the stewards.
Lap 13 Ekstr?m and La Rosa battle for twelfth, side by side, both off into the gravel trap. Paffett into the pits.
Lap 14 Ekstr?m crawling back to the pits. Schneider, Scheider, Winkelhock, Ekstr?m into the pits ? retires.
Lap 15 Green, Margaritis into the pits. Schneider int the pits - retires. Spengler into the pits.
Lap 17 Di Resta into the pits.
Lap 20 Ickx into the pits. The following drivers are under investigation: Spengler, Scheider, Abt, Margaritis.
Lap 22 Spengler overtakes Pr?mat as the Frenchman runs wide at the first corner. Tomczyk into the pits for his first stop.
Lap 23 Green, Pr?mat, Di Resta into the pits.
Lap 26 Tomczyk takes the escape road at the first corner. Margaritis, Winkelhock into the pits.
Lap 27 Scheider, Lauda into the pits.
Lap 28 Spengler is closing up on Luhr, who has yet to make his first pit stop.
Lap 30 Spengler alongside Luhr, trying to overtake him, but Spengler retains his position. Kristensen, Abt into the pits.
Lap 31 Drive through penalty for Spengler. Comes in at the end of the lap. Tomczyk into the pits for his second stop.
Lap 32 Spengler rejoins just ahead of Green, who is fourth. Rockenfeller, Spengler in for their second pit stops.
Lap 33 Tomczyk into the pits - retires.
Lap 35 Luhr into the pits for his second stop. The following drivers get a drive-through for setting the fastest sector time uinder yellow: Scheider, Abt, Margaritis and Paffett.
Lap 36 Paffett, Abt into the pits.
Lap 37 Scheider off the track after collision with Lauda.
Lap 39 Green is leading from Luhr, who is the only one in the top six who has yet to make his second pit stop. Di Resta is third from Rockemfeller, Spengler and Pr?mat.
Lap 40 Lauda under investigation.
Lap 42 Lauda into the pits for his second stop.
Lap 44 Ickx into the pits.
Lap 45 Abt into the pits.
Lap 46 Luhr into the pits for his second stop.
Lap 47 Spengler and Rockenfeller collide while battling for third, Spengler gets through.
Lap 47 Winkelhock into the pits, apparently with suspension damage ? retires.
Lap 48 Pr?mat into the pits.
Lap 49 Abt, Rockenfeller, Luhr, Kristensen into the pits.
Lap 50 Audi has withdrawn all its cars.
Lap 52 Spengler has overtaken Di Resta and is now second. The current order: Green is leading from Spengler, Di Resta, Margaritis, Paffett and Lauda.
Lap 58 Final lap. Green wins from Spengler, Di Resta, Margaritis, Paffett and Lauda.