2013 DTM : MIKE ROCKENFELLER WINS SUCCESSFUL DTM PREMIERE IN RUSSIA

2013 DTM - Moscow Raceway Champion : Mike Rockenfeller (DEU) : #19 Audi Sport Team Phoenix : Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM

With his second victory of the season, Rockenfeller extended his championship lead from defending champion Bruno Spengler (BMW), who remained without points for the first time this year after his 19th place finish. Now, 29-year old Rockenfeller has 94 points, 27 more than Spengler (67). Gary Paffett (57) is third. “When you want to become champion, you have to score many points. That is what we did today. At Norisring, I was too slow, but today, everything was spot-on. A weekend couldn’t be better. First pole, then the race win,” ‘Rocky’ said about the third victory of his DTM
career.

For many laps, Rockenfeller and Ekström were involved in a duel for the lead. However, Rockenfeller didn’t make any mistakes and eventually came out on top. Moreover, he had lapped his main rival Spengler twice during the race. In the closing stages, thirdplaced Farfus defenfed his position from a charging Tambay. “My third place isn’t bad at all. We have had some difficult weekends, but here in Russia, things went well,” was the Brazilian’s verdict about the premiere in the outskirts of Moscow.

Fifth-placed Paffett wasn’t unhappy with his result. “We had to make the best of our seventh place on the starting grid and we have succeeded. The duel with Jamie Green was clean and fair. For the first event in Russia, this was really good. Everyone involved has done a fantastic job. The grandstands were full and the track was great,” Paffett said.

Audi’s new signing Jamie Green scored points by finishing sixth, just like Joey Hand and Dirk Werner (both BMW), Timo Scheider (Audi) and Christian Vietoris (Mercedes-Benz) in seventh to tenth place.

Defending champion Spengler had a rather unfortunate race. “Miguel Molina ran into my car at the beginning and thus, my chances in the race were gone. I have tried everything, but the car was too much damaged. Sometimes, races end in a different way than one had expected,” the Canadian said.

The seventh season round will take place on the Nürburgring, August 18th.

Dieter Gass, head of DTM, Audi: “For Audi, the DTM premiere in Russia couldn’t have been any better. First and second place, five of our cars in the race and now a clear points’ lead for Mike Rockenfeller, who, just like Mattias Ekström, has driven an absolutely perfect race, although the two got caught up in traffic time and time again.

The race was held in front of a great crowd and the Audi RS 5 DTM clearly was the strongest car here at Moscow Raceway.”

Jens Marquardt, BMW Motorsport Director: “This first race here was a great success with a great echo from the spectators. I am very happy for Augusto and with Joey and Dirk, we had two more drivers in the top ten. Of course, Bruno had a tough time. I hope that this doesn’t affect his chances in the championship too much. We really have to push hard at the Nürburgring.”

Wolfgang Schattling, head of DTM Management Mercedes-Benz: “Today certainly wasn’t our day. It already showed in qualifying that we didn’t do as well as our competitors at this track. However, Gary has shown a great performance and achieved the best possible result for us.”

The race in detail

Air temperature: 29.7 °C
Asphalt temperature: 27.3 °C
Spectators over the race weekend (accumulated): 45.000

Start Rockenfeller is leading from Ekström, Farfus, Spengler, Green, Paffett.
Lap 1 Jamie Green overtakes Bruno Spengler for fourth.
Lap 2 Juncadella off the track, continues. Paffett overtakes Spengler and is now fifth.
Lap 3 Tambay overtakes Spengler for sixth.
Lap 4 Spengler spins after collision with Molina. Wehrlein, Paffett, Albuquerque, Scheider, Hand, Glock, Merhi into the pits.
Lap 5 Vietoris, Mortara, Spengler into the pits.
Lap 6 Merhi, Molina into the pits. Molina retires.
Lap 8 Ekström into the pits.
Lap 10 Rockenfeller is leading from Farfus, Tambay, Wehrlein, Wickens, Tomczyk, Juncadella, Wittmann, Priaulx, but the first ten drivers still have to make their first pit stop.
Lap 15 Priaulx into the pits.
Lap 18 Wehrlein, Wittmann into the pits.
Lap 20 Juncadella into the pits.
Lap 24 Lap time penalty of 1 second against Daniel Juncadella.
Lap 26 Tomczyk into the pits. Rockenfeller laps Priaulx.
Lap 27 Rockenfeller laps Spengler. Wickens into the pits.
Lap 28 Farfus into the pits.
Lap 29 Farfus rejoins behind Ekström. Mortara into the pits.
Lap 30 Werner, Paffett into the pits.
Lap 31 Rockenfeller, Tambay and Ekström are the only three drivers yet to make a pit stop. Vietoris, Merhi, Mortara into the pits. Mortara retires.
Lap 32 Albuquerque into the pits.
Lap 33 1 second lap time penalty for Merhi.
Lap 37 Juncadella into the pits.
Lap 39 Wehrlein into the pits. Problems with the right rear tyre.
Lap 41 Green is putting Farfus under pressure for fourth place.
Lap 42 Farfus into the pits.
Lap 43 Farfus rejoins directly ahead of Paffett, who is immediately in front of Rockenfeller. Tomczyk into the pits.
Lap 44 Rockenfeller into the pits.
Lap 45 Rockenfeller rejoins behind Ekström. Priaulx into the pits.
Lap 46 Green, Glock into the pits.
Lap 48 Spengler into the pits. Tambay is the only driver yet to make a pit stop.
Lap 50 Hand into the pits.
Lap 51 5 seconds pit stop penalty for Wittmann because of non respect of blue flags. Wickens into the pits.
Lap 55 Rockenfeller, Wittmann into the pits. Witmann for his penalty.
Lap 56 Tambay into the pits for his first stop. Werner also into the pits.
Lap 61 Scheider into the pits.
Lap 66 Ekström into the pits.
Lap 68 Tambay into the pits.
Lap 69 All drivers having made one stop, Rockenfeller is leading from Ekström, Farfus, Tambay, Paffett, Green, Hand, Werner, Scheider and Vietoris.
Lap 70 Tambay with fresh tyres puts pressure on Farfus for third place.
Lap 72 DRS can no longer be used.
Lap 74 Final lap. Rockenfeller wins from Ekström, Farfus, Tambay, Paffett, Green, Hand, Werner, Scheider and Vietoris.

2013 DTM - Moscow Raceway : Race result