The battle for the 2013 DTM champion has been decided, with Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) holding on to second place in Zandvoort after a near-perfect race from winner and title contender Augusto Farfus (BMW). The 29-year-old claimed his first DTM championship with two wins and six podiums in the ninth of ten rounds this season.
“I can hardly believe it. This is an incredibly heavy load coming off my shoulders. In such a moment, it is all coming back again: the early years in the DTM, how difficult it was and how hard I worked. Many thanks to all those who have made this happen,” said Rockenfeller.
His consistency was the key to success: with his Audi RS5 DTM, he scored points in every race and won at Brands Hatch (GB) and the DTM premier at Moscow Raceway (RUS).
Rockenfeller’s fellow Audi driver Timo Scheider finished third at Zandvoort, scoring his first podium finish of the season. In ninth position, Gary Paffett was the best-placed driver of a DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. In total 41,000 fans attended the penultimate race weekend.
Farfus, who overtook fellow BMW driver Marco Wittmann in the opening stages of the race, scored his third win of the season. “I did my utmost and that was my goal. Hats off to Mike, he has done a great job. He has deserved the title,” Farfus said. At the start of the race, the 30-year old was attacked by Rockenfeller, but eventually clearly had the edge with his BMW M3 DTM and thus secured second place in the drivers’ standings early.
Dieter Gass, head of Audi DTM said, “Congratulations to Mike, the Audi Sport Team Phoenix and the entire Audi team! Mike has wrapped up the drivers’ title early. Now, we are also on top in the manufacturers’ and teams’ standings. One really can’t hope for more. Mike is a worthy champion who didn’t make any mistakes under pressures today either. Timo Scheider covered his back and deserved his maiden podium finish of the season. Mattias Ekström’s recovery was sensational, too. Tonight, there are so many reasons to celebrate, and we will definitely do so.”
Race Notes
Air temperature: 15.9 °C
Asphalt temperature: 19.9 °C
Start Farfus takes the lead on the inside from Wittmann and Rockenfeller. Then
Scheider, Hand and Albuquerque.
Lap 1 Rockenfeller under investigation - jump start. Rockenfeller overtakes Wittmann
at Masters and is now second. Hand overtakes Scheider for fifth. Merhi into
the pits - retires.
Lap 2 Hand overtakes Albuquerque coming out of the S-corner and is now fourth.
Lap 3 Glock overtakes Scheider for sixth. No further action against Rockenfeller.
Lap 4 Wittmann, Scheider, Mortara, Werner, Paffett, Wehrlein into the pits for their
first stops.
Lap 5 Tambay, Vietoris, Priaulx into the pits.
Lap 7 Race leader Augusto Farfus is three seconds clear of Mike Rockenfeller in
second place. Ekström into the pits.
Lap 8 Tomczyk, Juncadella into the pits.
Lap 9 Spengler into the pits.
Lap 10 Wickens into the pits.
Lap 12 Rockenfeller's last lap was 0.4 seconds faster than Farfus's time. Together,
they are over ten seconds clear of Hand in third place. Green into the pits.
Lap 13 Farfus into the pits.
Lap 14 Rockenfeller is now 7.5 seconds clear of Hand, who moved up into second
after Farfus's pit stop. Albuquerque is third, then Molina, Glock, Farfus,
Wittmann, Scheider, Tambay and Paffett.
Lap 15 Rockenfeller, Hand, Glock into the pits.
Lap 16 Rockenfeller rejoins behind Farfus, ahead of Wittmann. Paffett, Priaulx into the
pits. They are the first drivers to have made two pit stops.
Lap 17 Wehrlein, Vietoris into the pits.
Lap 18 Albuquerque into the pits.
Lap 19 Wickens attacks Glock for eleventh. Molina into the pits.
Lap 20 Paffett overtakes Green and is now 16th. Wittmann, Ekström into the pits.
Lap 21 Rockenfeller into the pits.
Lap 22 Scheider, Spengler into the pits.
Lap 23 Scheider rejoins ahead of Rockenfeller. Tomczyk into the pits.
Lap 24 Albuquerque into the pits.
Lap 25 Under braking for Tarzan, Rockenfeller overtakes Scheider. Farfus into the pits.
Lap 26 Hand, Molina, Wickems and Green into the pits.
Lap 27 Tambay, Glock into the pits.
Lap 28 Werner and Juncadella into the pits.
Lap 29 Only Mortara has to make a second stop. Currently, Farfus is leading from
Mortara, Rockenfeller, Scheider, Wittmann, Tambay, Hand, Albuquerque,
Paffett and Molina.
Lap 30 Mortara into the pits.
Lap 31 All drivers having completed their two pit stops, Farfus is leading from
Rockenfeller, Scheider, Wittmann, Tambay, Hand, Albuquerque, Paffett, Molina
and Wehrlein.
Lap 32 Wickens and Ekström are battling for twelfth. Mortara off the track in the
battle with Tomczyk, but continues.
Lap 33 Ekström overtakes Werner and is now eleventh.
Lap 34 Ekström overtakes Wehrlein and is now tenth.
Lap 37 Ekström, with soft tyres, overtakes Paffett for eighth.
Lap 38 Werner has crashed into the gravel trap after collision with Green. Safety car.
Lap 43 Safety car in at the end of this lap. Only one lap to the flag.
Lap 44 Ekström overtakes Hand and is now sixth, then he passes Tambay and is fifth,
and also deals with Wittmann for fourth. Farfus wins from Rockenfeller,
Scheider, Ekström, Wittmann, Tambay, Hand, Albuquerque, Paffett and Molina.
Rockenfeller claims his maiden DTM title.
Photos: DTM
