Paul di Resta claims maiden DTM victory in the Lausitz
Klettwitz. Paul di Resta (Mercedes-Benz) is the man of the weekend: after his maiden pole position on Saturday, the 22-year old went on to claim his maiden victory in the most popular international touring car series on Sunday. After 51 laps at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, di Resta crossed the finish line with his AMG Mercdes C-Class in first place. With 1..18.938 minutes, di Resta also set a new lap record for DTM cars at the 3.478 kilometres long track in the Lower Lausitz region. For Mercedes-Benz, it was the 144th victory in history of the DTM. The Scot was followed home by Audi driver, Timo Scheider, who came second, 5.562 seconds down. Mattias Ekstr?m (Audi) claimed the final podium slot by finishing third. In the fourth season round, Martin Tomczyk (Audi) came fourth from Jamie Green, Bruno Spengler and Bernd Schneider (all Mercedes-Benz). Frenchman Alexandre Pr?mat was the best driver with a year-old car, scoring one point for the drivers? standings. In the championship points, Timo Scheider extended his lead with his second place. After four of eleven races, he is leading with 26 points from Paul di Resta (23 points) and Jamie Green (21 points). An extensive press release with quotes from the drivers and the motorsport directors will follow shortly.
The race at a glance
Spectators during the racing weekend: 80,000
Air temperature 13.7 ?C
Asphalt temperature: 15.0 ?C
Start Di Resta takes the lead from Spengler, Kristensen runs wide coming onto the back stretch after contact Pr?mat and spins.
Lap 1 Di Resta leads by 1.6 seconds from Spengler, Scheider, Ekstr?m, Tomczyk and Green. Kristensen has lost the bonnet of his car.
Lap 2 Jarvis has overtaken Winkelhock and is tenth.
Lap 3 Winkelhock has an apparent technical failure under braking before the first corner and hits the pit wall, severely damaging the right rear part of his car. The safety car is being deployed. Kristensen into the pits for repair.
Lap 6 Racing resumes. No position changes.
Lap 7 Bernd Schneider attacks Rockenfeller, overtakes him before the first corner and is now seventh. Di Resta already has a gap of 1.6 seconds on second-placed Spengler.
Lap 8 Ekstr?m attacks Scheider for third place, closely followed by Tomczyk.
Lap 9 Di Resta's margin is already 3.6 seconds.
Lap 11 Bodywork parts flying off Tom Kristensen's car after he runs over the kerbstones.
Lap 12 Paul di Resta sets a fastest lap time of 1.19.302, a new lap record for DTM race cars at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz.
Lap 13 And yet another fastest lap for di Resta: 1.19.255.
Lap 15 First pit stops: Spengler, Scheider, Green, Rockenfeller, Pr?mat, Paffett, Albers.
Lap 16 Di Resta, Ekstr?m, Lauda, Schumacher, Legge into the pits. Scheider returns on the track ahead of Spengler.
Lap 17 Blue flags for Stoddart, Legge and Kristensen. Tomczyk, Engel, Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 18 Kristensen into the pits. Tomczyk also ahead of Spengler. And yet another fastest lap for di Resta: 1.18.938.
Lap 19 Schneider into the pits.
Lap 20 Blue flags for Jarvis.
Lap 21 Green into the pits, the first driver to come in for his second mandatory stop.
Lap 22 Warning for Jarvis. Blue flag for Albers. Jarvis into the pits for his first stop.
Lap 23 Current order: Di Resta is leading from Scheider, Ekstr?m, Tomczyk, Spengler, Schneider, Rockenfeller, Pr?mat, Paffett and Engel. Spengler, Schumacher into the pits.
Lap 24 Schneider into the pits. Blue flag for Lauda. Lauda, Albers into the pits.
Lap 25 Rockenfeller, Stoddart into the pits.
Lap 26 Pr?mat into the pits.
Lap 27 Scheider, Engel, Kristensen into the pits.
Lap 27 Scheider into the pits.
Lap 28 Di Resta, Paffett into the pits.
Lap 29 Ekstr?m into the pits.
Lap 30 Blue flag for Katherine Legge. Tomczyk, Legge into the pits.
Lap 31 Jarvis into the pits. Legge and Stoddart slightly collide.
Lap 41 Stoddart into the pits - retires.
Lap 45 Blue flag for Tom Kristensen.
Lap 46 Kristensen makes way for di Resta, who goes through to lap the Dane.
Lap 51 Final lap. Di Resta claims his maiden DTM victory from Scheider, Ekstr?m, Tomczyk, Green, Spengler, Schneider and Pr?mat, who is the best-placed driver with a year-old car. Jarvis and Rockenfeller complete the top 10.
