DTM Lausitzring: Jamie Green best Audi driver in sixth place thanks to tire gamble
- Risky strategy takes Briton from 16th on the grid into the points
- Mike Rockenfeller and DTM newcomer Robin Frijns also score points
Jamie Green from Audi Sport Team Rosberg was the best Audi driver in Sunday’s DTM race at the Lausitzring. A tire gamble took the Briton through the field from 16th on the grid to sixth place. Mike Rockenfeller (Audi Sport Team Phoenix/8th) and Robin Frijns (Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline/10th) also scored points.
Green changed tires on the first lap already and with this strategy was able to drive most of the time alone and out of traffic. In the process, the Briton preserved his tires to such an extent that he could still overtake BMW driver Philipp Eng on the last lap and, in doing so, claim his first points of the season – just reward for the Audi Sport Team Rosberg mechanics who had a huge amount of work to repair the Hoffmann Group Audi RS 5 DTM after Green’s start line accident on Saturday. “I had to drive 33 laps on one set of tires, but my car was good and consistent,” said Green. “The tires didn’t deteriorate because the balance of my car was good.”
Mike Rockenfeller started as best Audi driver in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM from fifth place. After dropping out of the top ten in the opening laps, “Rocky” changed tires early and claimed four points as a result. Robin Frijns opted for a similar strategy in the Aral Ultimate Audi RS 5 DTM and scored his first point in the DTM. Three laps before the finish, he ousted Saturday’s winner Edoardo Mortara in Mercedes-Benz from tenth place.
Loïc Duval (Audi Sport RS 5 DTM) and Nico Müller (Castrol EDGE Audi RS 5 DTM) finished 13th and 17th respectively. René Rast (Audi Sport RS 5 DTM) was unable to start after his accident on Saturday. As a precautionary measure, the defending DTM Champion spent the night in hospital under observation, but was back at the race track on Sunday morning.
“In general it was a rough weekend for us,” said Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “Apart from the accidents on Saturday in which thankfully nothing happened to the drivers, we were again lacking in performance. Compared to Saturday we could improve slightly. But we are not where we want to be.”