DTM at Circuit Zandvoort 2018
Gary Paffett was supreme on the Dutch circuit, and extended his DTM series lead with victory in the first race at Zandvoort. Before Pascal Wehrlein made his pitstop after eight opening laps, Paffett was under heavy pressure from fellow front-row starter. Wehrlein lost five seconds during his stop and Paffett pitted one lap later without a problem. Paul di Resta who was running third swapped places with Wehrlein, but the German fought back until the safety car came out.
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Nico Muller, who had been leading the Audi charge in a net fourth position, got a puncture and plunged head-on into the tyres at the Gerlachbocht. With just nine laps of action to the finish, Rene Rast was the only driver that had to make a stop. Rast could rejoin after his late pitstop and score a good result, but with one lap remaining Paffett came back in front. Di Resta had rubbed panels with Wehrlein into Tarzanbocht at the restart, and then Wehrlein lost out in another bodyswiping moment to fellow Mercedes man Lucas Auer on the exit of the corner. Auer therefore took third from Wehrlein, while local man Robin Frijns benefited from the misfortunes for Muller and Rast to be top Audi driver in fifth. Joel Eriksson made good progress after the restart, the BMW rookie moving up to ninth, while Audi’s Jamie Green completed the points scorers.
Sensationally quick start helped Gary Paffett extending his championship lead
Reigning champion Rene Rast gave Audi its first DTM win of the season at Zandvoort, as Gary Paffett further extended his championship lead by finishing second. From third position, Rast immediately dived for the pits at the end of lap one, giving himself a clear track. Five laps later Paffett made also his stop, but the Team Rosberg driver came in front of the Brtion. The Mercedes veteran brought the gap down but Rast began to stretch away again before there was a safety car after Jamie Green locked up and punted Bruno Spengler’s BMW into the gravel trap at Tarzanbocht. After a restart it was Rast in front, just before the Mercedes of Paffett en di Resta. The German hold the gap between him and the others but in the end Paffett came close. Eng lost time in the early laps defending his second place furiously from the Mercs of Pascal Wehrlein and di Resta, while Wehrlein also lost ground by running relatively deep into the race on his first set of tyres. Eng and BMW stablemate Augusto Farfus took fourth and fifth, running very close to the leading trio in the closing stages. Glock benefited from late problems for Mike Rockenfeller, whose Audi was running seventh when it lost time and he was forced to make a second stop.
