Paffett returns to Scheider

Timo Scheider, after the French round of DTM, remains widely favored for his own succession. A fifth place at Hockenheim, during the last race, would be enough to secure him the title.

During the last events, the German driver was able to gain the advantage over his most serious rival, Mattias Ekström. This Sunday, the Swede also lost all hope of winning the title, puncturing seven laps from the finish. A mishap that had already happened to him, at the start of the season, at Hockenheim. This time again, a puncture cost victory to Ekström, who held the lead of the race after 45 laps, having started in fourth position on the grid.

Finishing the race in ninth place, the Swede scored no points and left the lucky winner, Gary Paffett, and the leader of the general classification, Timo Scheider, to compete for the title. Everything will therefore be decided at Hockenheim, on October 25, between an Audi driver and a driver Mercedes, a German against a Briton.

However, it will take a combination of circumstances for the latter to be able to win the title at Hockenheim. Seven points behind Scheider, Paffett must win in the final race, hoping that the German does not appear in the top five. If the Briton wins and Scheider finishes sixth, like this Sunday, the two drivers will be tied on points, but Paffett will have the advantage of having four victories against two for Scheider. The Mercedes driver can also finish second and be crowned, provided Scheider does not do better than eighth.

« I am really happy and I thank my team for our great performance today, said Gary Paffett. It was a long and difficult race but the fight with Mattias Ekström was exciting. It?s great to have been able to reduce the gap on Timo Scheider from 14 to 7 points. Hockenheim will also be an exciting race and, even with the chances of an outsider, I am not giving up. »