Augusto Farfus wins Hockenheim DTM season opener on BMW

Brazilian BMW RBM Mampaey driver Augusto Farfus has won an exciting DTM season opener at Hockenheim ahead of BMW Schnitzer driver Dirk Werner and Mercedes AMG driver Christian Vietoris after the race leader made his pit stop strategy operate in his favor.

Pole sitter Timo Scheider held the lead in his Abt Audi until Augusto Farfus, who also elected to start on the new option tire introduced in the 2013 DTM season, took the lead after using his DRS towards the end of lap four. 2012 DTM champion Bruno Spengler also made a great start from seventh on the grid and was up to third after overtaking several cars during the chaotic starting phase.

However, P1 starter and Abt Audi driver Timo Scheider lost any chance of winning the race and coining the hard-earned pole position into a victory, after he elected to stay out one lap later than everyone else who visited their pits on lap five. Lap five witnessed the race only Safety Car period, when Adrien Tambay's Abt Audi went on fire.

The decision by the race winner to pit on lap 5 appeared at first put him out of contention to score even a podium at Hockenheim, as he spent the middle part of the race stuck in the midfield, but an elegant overtaking maneuver on Mercedes driver Christian Vietoris put him back into a race winning position later in the race. The Mercedes driver on the other hand, suffered an appalling start which saw him drop from third position to eleventh position, scored the first podium of his DTM career by finishing third.

DTM newcomer, Pascal Wehrlein, was another driver who elected to start on the option compound tires and inherited the lead after electing not to pit under the Safety Car phase, which started on lap five. This decision saw the RSC Mucke driver lead Mercedes stablemates Bruno Juncadella and Gary Paffett until lap 21, when he made his first mandatory stop to go for a set of standard compound tires. It must be mentioned here, that Gary Paffett had several breath taking fights with the BMW Armada in various phases of the race.

The DTM season opener also proved to be yet another difficult race for Audi, after Timo Scheider finished highest for the Ingolstadt based automotive manufacturer in sixth, with Mike Rockenfeller finishing two positions behind him. Audi drivers Mattias Ekstrom and Edoardo Mortara endured a quite difficult race following contact with each other going into the stadium. The Italian had to retire on lap 21 due to severe damage on the front and rear of his car with Mattias Ekstrom also parked his RS5 at the side of the track due to a loss of drive on lap 28.

Other retirements included on lap four the STIHL Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé of Robert Wickens.
Three times WTCC FIA Word Champion Andy Prialux finished in last position, 2 laps behind race winner Augusto Farfus.


Race results of 2013 Hockenheim DTM opener:

1. #7 Augusto Farfus Jr. BMW Team RBM BMW M3 1:10:11.583s (42 laps)
2. #2 Dirk Werner BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M3 + 3.692s
3. #9 Christian Vietoris Mercedes AMG-Team Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 9.675s
4. #3 Gary Paffett EURONICS Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 12.613s
5. #1 Bruno Spengler BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M3 + 13.212s
6. #23 Timo Scheider Audi Sport Team Abt Audi RS 5 + 13.753s
7. #8 Joey Hand BMW Team RBM BMW M3 + 14.100s
8. #19 Mike Rockenfeller Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi RS 5 + 14.477s
9. #21 Marco Wittmann BMW Team MTEK BMW M3 + 17.894s
10. #4 Roberto Merhi THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 19.537s
11. #18 Pascal Wehrlein Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 20.902s
12. #17 Daniel Juncadella Stern Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 26.169s
13. #15 Martin Tomczyk BMW Team RMG BMW M3 + 30.904s
14. #12 Jamie Green Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi RS 5 + 41.166s
15. #20 Miguel Molina Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi RS 5 + 43.535s
16. #6 Filipe Albuquerque Audi Sport Team Rosberg Audi RS 5 + 54.077s
17. #16 Andy Priaulx BMW Team RMG BMW M3 + 2 laps

AE
05.05.2013
Hockenheim - Cairo - Dubai