Thanks to a clever strategy of Audi Sport Team Phoenix and keeping a cool head Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller was able to extend his lead in the overall standings to 35 points at the Nürburgring last weekend.
84,000 spectators (throughout the weekend) experienced the most thrilling and spectacular DTM race of the year to date in which rain set in during the formation lap. Following a turbulent starting lap with numerous slips, spins and contacts, the safety car was deployed and at that point in time Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM was running at the end of the field after having to evade a rival in turn one.
Audi Sport Team Phoenix based in Meuspath in immediate proximity to the Nürburgring opted for a risky strategy that in the end fully paid off. The team called Rockenfeller to the pits for switching to rain tires while the safety car was still deployed. On optimal tires, ‘Rocky’ managed to battle his way forward from 20th place to the front of the field within just five laps and to commandingly achieve an advantage of nearly half a minute. Despite having to make an additional pit stop on account of the strategy, it was ultimately enough for him to take fourth place and another twelve points on a drying track. These points are particularly valuable as his so far fiercest immediate rivals, Bruno Spengler (BMW) and Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz, did not finish in the points.
The other Audi drivers were entangled in numerous rough duels and thrilled the spectators at the Nürburgring with spectacular overtaking maneuvers. Adrien Tambay in the Audi ultra RS 5 DTM of Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline in sixth place scored points for the second consecutive time. Rockenfeller’s team-mate Miguel Molina (Audi RS 5 DTM) in eighth place claimed the first points of the year despite the fact that the Spaniard, due to a slip at the race’s mid-point, suddenly lost seven positions. Jamie Green (Red Bull Audi RS 5 DTM), following a botched start, battled his way forward to ninth place.
