Gary Paffett scores victory for Mercedes at Lausitz in 2013 DTM season

2005 DTM champion Gary Paffett took his 20th win with a comfortable victory in the fourth race of the year at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, ahead of Mike Rockenfeller and pole man Christian Vietoris. Mike Rockenfeller took the championship lead by finishing second in his Audi.

From second on the grid Gary Paffett jumped into the lead at the first corner ahead of his HWA Mercedes team-mate Christian Vietoris and P1 starter, who had a very slow start, and pulled out an advantage of nearly three seconds before his first visit to the pits.

When Gary Paffet exited the pit lane, having switched from soft 'option' Hankook tires to the harder 'standard' tires, it was Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller who was chasing him, rather than his young team mate and pole setter Christian Vietoris.

Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller, who had completed the first lap in sixth place, had started the race on standard tires and changed to the options as the pit window started.

While Canadian Mercedes driver Robert Wickens, who stayed ahead of Mike Rockenfeller until being demoted at Turn 1 on lap 25, completed a short middle stint and dropped back from the victory fight after switching to another set of standards, the Audi stayed on a quick pace.

Mike Rockenfeller's 39-lap stint on the options was in excess of any of the other victory contenders, but on standard rubber he was unable to stay with Mercedes driver and race winner Gary Paffett and lost seven seconds to the Briton over the final 10 laps.

Robert Wickens lost third to Christian Vietoris during the final handful of laps while Jamie Green, who started third, took his best result since moving to Audi with fifth spot for the Abt team.

Daniel Juncadella was one of the stars of the race; the rookie starting 13th in his RSC Mucke Mercedes and finishing sixth, the best of his many passing moves coming late on as he passed 2012 DTM champion Bruno Spengler's Schnitzer BMW at Turn 1.

The breath taking scene of the race happened during the last couple of hundred meters of the race when Abt Audi driver Mattias Ekstrom-who started from P18- tried to take Bruno Spengler by surprise. It was a very tight drag race, including a couple of soft touches and ending with Bruno Spengler finishing just 0.1s ahead of Mattias Ekstrom's Abt Audi in seventh. The 2012 DTM champion is now on 59 points with Mike Rockenfeller at the top of the championship, but drops behind his rival on countback.

Ekstrom made both of his mandatory stops within the first 10 laps, then ran a 43-lap stint on a set of options. He passed Adrien Tambay, Pascal Wehrlein and Edoardo Mortara during the final 10 laps.
Martin Tomczyk's dismal season continued as he spun early on after colliding with his RMG BMW team-mate Andy Priaulx. He finished 19th, with Priaulx 22nd.

Race results

1. #3 Gary Paffett EURONICS Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 1:09:58.562s (52 laps)
2. #19 Mike Rockenfeller Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi RS 5 + 6.800s
3. #9 Christian Vietoris Mercedes AMG-Team Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 11.510s
4. #10 Robert Wickens STIHL Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 12.790s
5. #12 Jamie Green Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi RS 5 + 14.138s
6. #17 Daniel Juncadella stern Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 19.462s
7. #1 Bruno Spengler BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M3 + 21.592s
8. #11 Mattias Ekström Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline Audi RS 5 + 21.621s
9. #5 Edoardo Mortara Audi Sport Team Rosberg Audi RS 5 + 24.715s
10. #4 Roberto Merhi THOMAS SABO Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 25.643s
11. #24 Adrien Tambay Audi Sport Team Abt Audi RS 5 + 27.968s
12. #7 Augusto Farfus Jr. BMW Team RBM BMW M3 + 34.178s
13. #2 Dirk Werner BMW Team Schnitzer BMW M3 + 38.000s
14. #22 Timo Glock BMW Team MTEK BMW M3 + 49.305s
15. #8 Joey Hand BMW Team RBM BMW M3 + 53.321s
16. #20 Miguel Molina Audi Sport Team Phoenix Audi RS 5 + 58.882s
17. #18 Pascal Wehrlein Mercedes AMG Mercedes C-Coupé 12 + 59.948s
18. #6 Filipe Albuquerque Audi Sport Team Rosberg Audi RS 5 + 1:03.083s
19. #15 Martin Tomczyk BMW Team RMG BMW M3 + 1:03.107s
20. #23 Timo Scheider Audi Sport Team Abt Audi RS 5 + 1:08.006s
21. #21 Marco Wittmann BMW Team MTEK BMW M3 + 1 laps
22. #16 Andy Priaulx BMW Team RMG BMW M3 + 1 laps

AE
16.06.2013
Lausitz - Dubai - Cairo