Audi’s Jamie Green claimed victory in the penultimate race of the campaign to set up a four-way showdown between the manufacturer’s drivers for the DTM title at Hockenheim.
Green overhauled BMW’s Timo Glock during the early stages – after a fierce scrap which went on for several corners, with Glock bouncing across the run-off in the process – and dominated thereafter, preserving an advantage through the mandatory pit phase.
Green’s victory brought him to within nine points of title leader Mattias Ekström, who failed to score after coming home outside of the top 10, off the back of a so-so qualifying display.
Mike Rockenfeller and René Rast remain in contention, with the former starring during the closing stages, having profited from pitting for fresh tyres later than his rivals.
Having picked off Edoardo Mortara and Maxime Martin, Rockenfeller overhauled Glock exiting the hairpin on the final lap to finish as runner-up to Green.
Rast, meanwhile, came home in sixth place, ensuring that Audi’s quartet will battle it out for the crown on Sunday.
Ekström will head into Sunday’s finale on 172 points, with Green on 163, Rast on 159, and Rockenfeller on 152.
28 points are up for grabs in Sunday’s finale – 25 for victory and three for pole position.
Elsewhere, Glock was BMW’s first driver home in third position, ahead of stablemate Martin and Mercedes’ Mortara, the pair squabbling either side of the pit stop phase.
Seventh-placed Robert Wickens led Mercedes team-mates Lucas Auer and Gary Paffett, while BMW’s Bruno Spengler demoted Ekström late on to grab 10th, leaving the title leader 11th.
Discussion about this post