April 25th, 2010
Paffett leads 1-2-3-4 for Mercedes-Benz
DTM
Hockenheim. For the 15th time, Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) crossed the finish line as the winner of a DTM race. In the season opener of the most popular international touring car series at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, the Briton won after 39 laps from his fellow Mercedes-Benz drivers Bruno Spengler, Jamie Green and Paul Di Resta. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) finished the race as the best-placed Audi driver in fifth position. With Mattias Ekström, reigning champion Timo Scheider and Miguel Molina in sixth, seventh and eighth place, three more Audi drivers occupied the remaining points-scoring positions. Scot David Coulthard (Mercedes-Benz) ended up fifth in his maiden DTM race. An extensive press release with quotes will follow shortly.
Race in detail
Air temperature: 25.1 °C
Asphalt temperature: 36.7 °C
Spectators at the weekend: 78,000
Start Tomczyk and Paffett side by side into the first corner, Paffett remains in front. Di Resta and Rockenfeller collide, but continue.
Lap 1 Prémat and Green collide. Tomczyk overtakes Paffett under braking for the hairpin and takes the lead. Ekström past Spengler at the Sachskurve.
Lap 2 Race order: Tomczyk is leading from Paffett, Green, Prémat, Ekström, Spengler, Di Resta, Jarvis, Engel and Scheider. Collision between Jarvis and Engel before the hairpin, Jarvis retires. Engel drops back to tenth.
Lap 4 Ekström closes up to fourth-placed Prémat who, in turn, is right behind Jamie Green's Mercedes. Fastest lap Martin Tomczyk: 1:34.999.
Lap 5 Ekström has overtaken Prémat and is now fourth. Fastest lap for Gary Paffett: 1:34.584.
Lap 6 Fastest lap Martin Tomczyk: 1:34.291.
Lap 7 Ekström puts Green under pressure for third place. Fastest lap Martin Tomczyk: 1:34.123.
Lap 8 Race order before the pit stop window opens: Tomczyk is leading from Paffett, Green, Ekström, Prémat, Spengler, Di Resta, Scheider, Rockenfeller and Schumacher. Fastest lap Tomczyk: 1:34.000.
Lap 9 Ekström and Winkelhock are the first driver to come in for the mandatory pit stop.
Lap 10 Spengler, Scheider, Coulthard into the pits.
Lap 11 Tomczyk spins in the first corner as a flap breaks off the left rear wheel arch of his car. Engel, Tomczyk into the pits.
Lap 12 Paffett, Molina into the pits.
Lap 13 Battle between Ekström and Stoddart. The Swede gets past at the Sachskurve. Engel into the pits - he is the first driver to come in for his second stop.
Lap 14 Prémat's car is very unstable - the left rear wheel arch is loose. Di Resta, Prémat, Legge into the pits.
Lap 15 Rockenfeller and Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 16 Schumacher, Cheng into the pits.
Lap 17 Green, who still has to come in, is leading Paffett by 16.7 seconds.
Lap 19 Prémat overtakes Coulthard for 12th.
Lap 20 Green comes in for his first pit stop.
Lap 21 Green rejoins just behind Paffett and Ekström, who take over first and second place respectively. Coulthard into the pits.
Lap 22 All drivers having completed at least one stop, Paffett is leading from Ekström, Green, Spengler, Di Resta, Scheider, Rockenfeller, Schumacher, Winkelhock and Molina.
Lap 23 Prémat attacks Stoddart for 11th place and gets past. Ekström, Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 24 Paffett, Scheider, Schumacher and Winkelhock into the pits.
Lap 25 Spengler, Cheng, Legge into the pits.
Lap 26 Di Resta, Rockenfeller, Molina into the pits.
Lap 27 Rockenfeller overtakes Scheider.
Lap 28 The pit stops of Ekström and Winkelhock at the end of lap 9 were too early and aren't being considered as mandatory pit stops. Green, Ekström, Prémat into the pits.
Lap 30 Pit stop window closed. Winkelhock hasn't come in. Ekström and Scheider side-by-side in the battle for sixth, Ekström gets past under braing for the hairpin. Tomczyk into the pits.
Lap 31 Paffett is leading from Green, Spengler, Di Resta, Rockenfeller, Ekström, Scheider, Molina, Schumacher and Winkelhock.
Lap 32 Spengler attacks Green for second and gets past.
Lap 33 The left front door of Coulthard's car is bent at the top. Tomczyk into the pits - retires.
Lap 34 Winkelhock attacks Schumacher for ninth and gets past.
Lap 35 Time penalty for Markus Winkelhock for failing to come in for his pit stop: 60 seconds.
Lap 36 Paffett's margin over Spengler is 2.2 seconds. Green is another 0.7 seconds behind, followed by Di Resta, Rockenfeller, Ekström and Scheider.
Finish Paffett wins from Spengler, Green, Di Resta, Rockenfeller, Ekström, Scheider, Molina, Winkelhock and Schumacher.
