In a race that was all decided by pitstop strategy due to the much warmer track temperatures than yesterday, the BMW drivers Lucas Auer and Timo Glock were the ones who came out on top.
Throughout the race, René Rast & Nico Müller battled each other and were constantly swapping positions with Rast taking the lead in lap two after making full use of DTMs Drag Reduction System. Talking of battles, Glock and Marco Wittmann were another pair of drivers jostling for positions throughout.
Due to there being no tyre warmers allowed in DTM, tyre management and pit strategy is a major part of the races. Rast, Green, Auer and Glock all pitted early for new rubber. Once all of the drivers had made their pitstops the duo of Auer and Glock had moved up to second and third and it did not take long for them to pass race leader Jamie Green.
Glock was on course for victory until one lap from the end, when Auer made a thrilling move to overtake him and secure his first win for BMW.
“I am still lost for words.” said Auer. “I think that was the most intense race I have ever experienced in the DTM, as an error could have been fatal. I was able to manage the tyres well, the strategy and pit stop were perfect. The car was also spot-on. And putting it all together on the final lap – it doesn’t get any better than that.”
In a similar move, Championship leader Müller took fifth away from defending champion Rast on the finish straight.
“This was a very strange race,” said Müller. “At first, I didn’t understand what we did wrong. We stopped late and lost places as a result. But that’s normal. The only strange thing was that we couldn’t make up the positions this time despite the fresher tires. Everyone defended themselves with DRS. That’s why we lost the chance to catch up with the two BMWs in front. When René had no more DRS, I overtook him basically at the finish line. That was my only highlight. Until the pitstop, I thought that we would fight for victory today again. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.”
This was the 88th victory for BMW in the DTM and marked the 22nd time that BMW drivers have claimed first and second places.
“Thrilling right up to the final lap – that was a superlative DTM race.” Said Rudolf Dittrich, General Manager of BMW Motorsport Vehicle Development. “We are delighted with our first win of the season. Congratulations to Lucas Auer, Timo Glock and BMW Team RMG, who did everything right today. The one-two result was an important signal for us. Timo and Lucas were racing with a very good, consistent pace. However, our strategy was decisive as we found the right time to make the pit stops. Lucas stopped really early and made correspondingly good progress up through the field with Timo. Tyre management was the next factor to play a decisive part. Even though Sheldon van der Linde, unfortunately, lost the position he had secured in qualifying, a total of five BMWs finished in the points. That is very encouraging for the upcoming races. We are already looking forward to Assen and being able to welcome our fans back to the circuit there.”
Round Four will take place on September 5-6 at the famous TT Circuit in Assen (Netherlands). For the first time this year, spectators will be allowed at the track.
DTM Lausitzring Race 2 Results
Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
---|---|---|
LUCAS AUER | BMW TEAM RMR | 57:22.467 |
TIMO GLOCK | BMW TEAM RMG | +1.969 |
ROBIN FRIJNS | AUDI SPORT TEAM ABT SPORTSLINE | +1.775 |
JAMIE GREEN | AUDI SPORT TEAM ROSBERG | +1.977 |
NICO MÜLLER | AUDI SPORT TEAM ABT SPORTSLINE | +2.464 |
RENÉ RAST | AUDI SPORT TEAM ROSBERG | +2.475 |
JONATHAN ABERDEIN | BMW TEAM RMR | +3.236 |
LOÏC DUVAL | AUDI SPORT TEAM PHOENIX | +4.096 |
MARCO WITTMANN | BMW TEAM RMG | +4.205 |
SHELDON VAN DER LINDE | BMW TEAM RBM | +9.090 |
MIKE ROCKENFELLER | AUDI SPORT TEAM PHOENIX | +9.155 |
PHILIPP ENG | BMW TEAM RBM | +9.821 |
HARRISON NEWEY | WRT TEAM AUDI SPORT | +12.303 |
FERDINAND HABSBURG | WRT TEAM AUDI SPORT | +13.230 |
FABIO SCHERER | WRT TEAM AUDI SPORT | +15.396 |
ROBERT KUBICA | ART GRAND PRIX | +28.090 |