DTM-C2: Timo Glock and BMW shine in Austria

Marco Wittmann showed the way yesterday during the first Austrian round of the Red Bull Ring. The 2014 champion of DTM had signed the first success in 2016 for the propeller firm yesterday, beaten by its rivals Audi and Mercedes during the season opener at Hockenheim.

This Sunday, BMW has done it again thanks to Timo Glock. The ex-pilot Toyota F1 quickly rose to the forefront at the start of the event by getting the better of the residents of the first row on the grid Jamie Green (Audi) and Antonio Felix Da Costa (BMW). The intervention of the safety car, to allow the evacuation of Nico Müller's Audi, hit by Robert Wickens (Mercedes), will not disturb Glock who will control the restart and will be among the first to go through the stands.

Behind Glock, it is Mattias Ekström (Audi) who will achieve a faultless race and, helped by a late stop, will take advantage of his fresh tires to take second place to the detriment of Green, who completes the final podium. Augusto Farfus leads four other BMWs ahead of Maxime Martin, Tom Blomqvist and Marco Wittmann, while Mike Rockenfeller hoists his Audi RS 5 into eighth position ahead of Bruno Spengler (BMW) and Timo Scheider (Audi). Adrien Tambay finished 11th.

In the Mercedes clan, the complicated qualifying sessions were followed by an equally complicated race for the star cars. Daniel Juncadella remains the best representative of the Stuttgart firm while Esteban Ocon concludes his weekend in 18th place, after starting last following a penalty in qualifying.

Find the report of the test of Red Bull Ring in DTM, in issue 2064 of AUTOhebdo, available from tomorrow evening at 22 p.m. in digital version, and from this Wednesday on newsstands.