Audi put on a dominant performance at the sixth round of the DTM German touring car championship at Zandvoort, Holland. And, like last year, celebrated a one-two-three-four victory. It was the new Audi A4 DTM's best result so far and Audi's 45th victory in the DTM.
One day before his 30th birthday, title defender Mattias Ekstrm celebrated his second win of the season, having won the season-opener at Hockenheim. Following the twelfth DTM triumph of his career, the two-time champion is now the best Audi driver in DTM history.
Mattias Ekstrm had prepared for his victory the day before by clinching his tenth pole. Securing the top grid position, he led the race at the start. During the two pit-stops the Swede - in his Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline A4 - defended his lead from teammate Timo Scheider, who had started the race from position two on the grid.
Towards the end of the race, staged on the North Sea coast, Timo Scheider increasingly made up ground, but Ekstrm clinched his second win of the season by a 0.270sec advantage over his teammate. Thus, Scheider extended his lead in the standings from one to five points. Mattias Ekstrm, who bumped Mercedes driver Jamie Green from second place, follows him in the championship.
Tom Kristensen, who had started from position three, drove the fastest race lap of 1m 33.729sec, beating the previous track record by a full second. In the end, the Dane completed the podium, which he mounted for the third time this season. Like at the Hockenheim season-opener, solely Audi drivers occupied the podium at the season's midpoint. When the red lights went out, Martin Tomczyk overtook the two Mercedes drivers, Jamie Green and Bruno Spengler, who had started in front of him and ultimately completed the Audi quartet of front runners.
The best result by a driver in last year's A4 DTM was secured by Markus Winkelhock after a nail-biting fight with teammate Mike Rockenfeller and ex-DTM champion Bernd Schneider.
Zandvoort DTM Results 1 Mattias Ekstrm (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM) 38 laps in 1h 01m 03.298s 2 Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM) + 0.270s 3 Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM) + 6.760s 4 Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM) + 10.183s 5 Bruno Spengler (Mercedes) + 21.919s 6 Jamie Green (Mercedes) + 23.079s 7 Paul di Resta (Mercedes) + 45.910s 8 Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM) + 49.564s 9 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes) + 50.576s 10 Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM) + 53.394s 11 Gary Paffett (Mercedes) + 1m 14.680s 12 Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes) + 1m 22.425s 13 Mathias Lauda (Mercedes) + 1m 25.631s 14 Maro Engel (Mercedes) + 1m 29.071s 15 Susie Stoddart (Mercedes) - 1 lap 16 Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM) - 5 laps 17 Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM) - 9 lapsNot classified:Alexandre Prmat (Audi A4 DTM) - 20 laps Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM) - 37 laps
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