Lucas Auer claimed DTM Series victory at the Nurburgring from pole position but it was not all plain sailing.
Due to the wet conditions the drivers completed two formation laps before taking to the grid for a standing start.
The Austrian started from the front row alongside Marco Wittmann who bogged down at the start to fifth place. Behind Augusto Farfus got a storming start to jump into the lead of the race.
There was not much movement elsewhere as the drivers took care on the wet track. As the rain stopped a dry line appeared with many diving into the pits to change onto slick tyres. This proved to be a big mistake.
As the heavens opened once again, Maxime Martin ended up in the tyre barrier, and those yet to stop went straight onto wet tyres whilst those who had already changed their tyres had to return to the pitlane.
Being one of the last drivers to pit Paul di Resta claimed the lead of the race with ten minutes remaining, but gave up victory to benefit team-mate Auer’s championship challenge.
The swap was easy to make as four Mercedes cars made up the top four positions, with Auer taking the chequered flag ahead of di Resta, Robert Wickens and Maro Engel.
Rene Rast completed the top five.
Briton Jamie Green claimed sixth followed by Edoardo Mortara and initial leader Farfus. Green was a benefactor of pitting after the rain started after spending much of the race circulating at the back.
After his torrid start Wittmann claimed ninth ahead of Gary Paffett who had been an early stopper for the slicks which had but him miles ahead of the other runners before switching back to the wet rubber.
Nico Muller, Timo Glock, Bruno Spengler, Mike Rockenfeller, Mattias Ekström, Tom Blomqvist, Maxime Martin (who had been able to get himself out of the barriers) and Loic Duval completed the result. Despite how treacherous the conditions were all drivers saw the chequered flag.
It was a difficult day for championship leader Ekström who had progressed from 11th to sixth place before his stop, coming in on the same lap as Farfus. The Swede came into the pits just as the rain started again but Audi put slicks on his car meaning he had to return to the pitlane the next lap. He crossed the line in 15th place.
Victory means that Auer has moved from sixth to second of the championship, one point adrift championship leader Ekström with Rast four points off the Swede in third.