DTM-C1: Wickens returns to success

Robert Wickens had not experienced the taste of victory since the Norisring event in 2015. After three podiums since the start of the season, the Canadian Mercedes finally made it happen this Saturday, logically winning the first confrontation of the Zandvoort meeting.

The Mercedes driver escaped without incident from a start marked by an incident involving Adrien Tambay (Audi), Maximilian Götz (Mercedes) and Martin Tomczyk (BMW), the latter hitting Götz from behind and sending him into the French driver's RS 5. The driver of the brand with the propeller will be penalized with a drive-through for the maneuver, while the safety car was deployed to evacuate the Audi and the damaged BMW. Tambay would later appear on television screens with a bandaged arm.

A few laps later, after the restart of the race, Augusto Farfus (BMW) caused a new neutralization with the establishment of a slow zone, after the Brazilian went off the track, without gravity, at turn n°9.

After these adventures, nothing will come to thwart the progress of Wickens who wins at the end of the 25 laps of the race with more than seven seconds ahead of the BMW M4 of Marco Wittmann, who performs well in the championship since his main rival Edoardo Mortara (Audi) finished 17th, after being penalized with a drive-through for not having correctly respected the slow-zone.

Christian Vietoris completed the podium at the wheel of his Mercedes-AMG C 63, after a tough battle with Gary Paffett (Mercedes) in the last five laps, the ART Grand Prix driver spending a time in third position before seeing Vietoris regain his possession.

Jamie Green (Audi) moved up to fifth position ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa (BMW), who resisted the onslaught of the Audi RS 5 of Mattias Ekström. Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes) finished eighth ahead French Esteban Ocon (Mercedes) which scores its first points in DTM. Belgian Maxime Martin (BMW) completes the top 10.

With this success, Robert Wickens moves back into second position in the general classification, ten points behind Marco Wittmann. The second Zandvoort race will start tomorrow at 13:40 p.m.

Results Race 1