On the Swiss national day, Nico Müller wins the DTM season opener at Spa-Francorchamps.
With a sprited drive in the opening stages and clever management in the second half of the race, the Audi driver secured an emotional victory.
Müller, who concluded the 2019 season as runner-up in the drivers’ standings, also took the early points’ lead as a result.
Defending champion René Rast (GER, Audi) finished in fifth place by virtue of a two-stop strategy, having staged an entertaining duel with Müller through the legendary section of ‘Eau Rouge’ and ‘Raidillon’ in the opening stages of the race.
Two drivers from the Audi ranks rounded out the podium after great recovery drives: Jamie Green (GBR) moved up from eleventh place on the grid to finish second after demoting Loïc Duval to third in a thrilling battle. Duval had started the first race of the DTM season from the fourth row on the grid.
Eng and Auer – Austrian duo end up as best-placed BMW drivers
Philipp Eng and DTM-returnee Lucas Auer flew the flag for BMW in the opening race of the season. The two Austrians finished in sixth and seventh place respectively in the race at Spa-Francorchamps. Timo Glock (GER) came eight.
From BMW’s perspective, the debut of Robert Kubica (POL) also caught a lot of attention. Having had previous success in Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship, the Pole now joined the ranks of the DTM to embark on a career in touring cars and finished 14th in his maiden race.
Results – race 1, Spa-Francorchamps
01. Nico Müller (SUI), Audi, 26 laps in 57m 58.596s
02. Jamie Green (GBR), Audi, + 19.502s
03. Loïc Duval (FRA), Audi, + 22.839s
04. Timo Glock (GER), BWM, + 29.234s
05. René Rast (GER), Audi, + 32.032S
Fastest lap: Nico Müller (SUI), Audi RS 5 DTM, 2m 09.756s
Pole position: Robin Frijns (NED), Audi RS 5 DTM, 2m 05.625s
Weather conditions: 30°C, sunshine
Circuit conditions: 40–45°C, dry surface
