Having started from third on the grid for the second DTM Series race of the season Jaime Green went on to take a demanding victory at the Hockenheimring.
Gary Paffett, who had started in seventh claimed second place with 2016 champion Marco Wittmann claiming the final spot on the podium.
BMW‘s Timo Glock started on pole position and made a great getaway from the grid with Green slipping into second place behind him after Rene Rast had bogged down on the line.
Wittmann, starting from down in 17th place found himself already up into 10th place on the opening lap.
The first safety car of 2017 was deployed to recover the stricken Mercedes of Robert Wickens who whilst trying to dive up the inside of Nico Muller collided with Loic Duval forcing the Canadian into the gravel.
With Wickens’ car recovered the field prepared for the safety car restart, the first of the new system which copies that seen in series’ such as IndyCar with the cars running side-by-side and performing a rolling start.
The restart which cost Timo Glock victory. Credit: DTM
Green took this as his opportunity to take the lead of the race, as Glock was swallowed up at the restart, charging away with Saturday’s race winner Lucas Auer trailing behind him.
However, the stewards deemed that Green had been out of position at the restart and handed him a five second penalty.
Tom Blomqvist was the first driver to come into the pits to serve his mandatory pit stop, however at the halfway point the rain came with those having already pitted now out on a wet track with slick tyres.
Due to his penalty Green waited longer than others to serve his pit stop, despite a sluggish getaway from the penalty box he still had plenty of time in hand to regain the lead when Auer took to the pits two laps later.
From there he managed the lead to secure his first win since Zandvoort last year.
Paffett waited until the rain arrived to pit, managing to secure second place with a pass on Wittmann at the hairpin, the pair already having got passed Auer when he ran wide on his outlap.
Behind the podium trio and Auer, Muller kept di Resta at bay after a squabble for fifth and sixth.
Mike Rockenfeller finished best of those who pitted early for slick before swapping to wets ahead of pole sitter Glock, who had a late surge up to eighth place. Bruno Spengler and Maro Engel completed the points positions.
The podium finishers. Credit: DTM
After the podium, race winner Green, said: “I am really happy to get the win today. It is always nice to get your first win of the season and to do it the first race weekend is awesome.
“So, I would like to thank Team Rosberg and everyone at Audi Sport for all their hard work and it is fantastic to repay you for your hard work.”
Mercedes’ Paffett, added: “Today’s race was like a rollercoaster ride. After the restart, I was in fourth place. I got away pretty well, but on Turn 4, I went onto the grass and dropped down the field. After that, I thought it would be difficult to get into the points. But we made a perfect decision on the pit stop and switched to wets at just the right moment.
“The car was then really fast. I overtook Marco and went hunting for Jamie. The first time I saw the board at the pit wall, he was 16 seconds ahead of me, but by the end of the race, this was down to just four. You must never give up and always fight to the end. All in all, it was an incredible start to the season for the DTM: in both races, all three manufacturers were on the podium, and each time it was three different drivers.”
Following his impressive drive from 17th to third, the champion Wittmann, said: “I have to say P3 today feels like a win for me. Coming from P17 I had a great first lap already on P10 and after the safety car restart already on P6 so was a great couple of first laps. Then it was pretty tricky.
“Really to make the call when to stop and when not to. The rain changed from Turn 2 to the Motodrom and it increased, decreased so it was really tough. I was a few times calling my pit crew like slicks no wets slicks it was difficult to make the call and in the end we did it right and it’s great finishing P3 great battle with Gary, so yeah great race and to be honest I didn’t expect it.”
