The final round of the DTM season at the Hockenheimring is always bound to throw up thrills and spills and with three drivers battling it out for crowning glory there is still much to play for this weekend.
The advantage lies with BMW Team RMG man Marco Wittmann who sits atop the pile with a 14 point lead over Edoardo Mortara. Fellow Audi driver Jamie Green is still mathematically in the title fight but at 39 points adrift Wittmann, the Brit needs the other two contenders to encounter major problems to even get a sniff at the title.
Conversely, Audi lead the way in both the team and manufacturers’ standings – with Mortara and Mattias Ekström‘s Team Audi Sport Abt Sportsline leading the way in the former. Their closest rival is that of Wittmann and Timo Glock in their Team RMG cars where they sit 25 points behind the frontrunners. However, Ekström will not be contesting the season finale due to his participation at the World Rallycross instead. As a result Mike Rockenfeller will move over from Team Phoenix in a tactical move by Audi with René Rast filling his vacant seat there.
Audi hold a 37 point lead over BMW, with many still to play for. BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt commented: “In the fight for the team and manufacturers’ titles we are lying in the wait, I am convinced that the season finale once again will make for a lot of drama.”
This was a sentiment that was seconded by Dieter Gass, Audi’s head of DTM, who also commented: “It goes without saying that we know that everything can happen in a DTM season finale. So, making zero mistakes is a must for all those involved.”
Mercedes-AMG meanwhile will have to be content with being a third wheel, although theoretically they can still win the manufacturers’ title – but with an 174 point deficit the Stuttgart based team would have to secure at least the top-six positions in both races to do so.
