Marco Wittmann (GER) claimed a brilliantly assertive wet-weather victory as the DTM put on a spectacular show at the TT Circuit Assen, the Netherlands’ ‘Cathedral of Speed’.
From pole position, and running the first three laps behind the Safety Car, the BMW driver braved the worst weather conditions to pull a narrow lead over title rival René Rast (GER, Audi). On a similar strategy, the leading pair dropped behind Nico Müller (SUI, Audi), who crept through the field after cleverly gambling on a late stop for fresh rubber in a bid to maximise his pace in the closing laps.
On colder rubber, the Swiss was unable to resist Wittmann’s advances, but, once his tyres were up to temperature, he could build a narrow cushion over Rast, eventually claiming a superb runner-up spot.
At the exact halfway point of the season (nine races of 18 completed), the top four championship contenders booked out today’s top four finishing positions, with Philipp Eng (AUT, BMW) coming home fourth.
Today’s result means that Rast (145 points) drops just one point to Müller (121), who sits ahead of Eng (111) and Wittmann (100).