René Rast opens his 2020 counter

René Rast put an end to Nico Müller's invincibility in DTM since the start of the year, by winning the second race at the Lausitzring ahead of the Swiss and Marco Wittmann.

Published on 16/08/2020 à 14:38

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René Rast (Audi) won his first race of the year this Sunday in DTM, dominating Nico Müller (Audi) in the second round of the Lausitzring.

The lights out sees Rast make the best start of the leading drivers, with the 2017 and 2019 double DTM champion coming on the outside of pole sitter Robin Frijns. The latter resists by somewhat forcing the driver of the RS 5 n°33 to pass through the grass.

The two drivers then saw Nico Müller trying to pass on the outside, but the tires not yet quite up to temperature did not allow the championship leader to complete his maneuver, and caused him to lose precious time. Frijns therefore leads ahead of Rast and Marco Wittmann (BMW), but the positions will quickly change.

At the start of the 3rd lap, Rast attempted and succeeded in overtaking Frijns on the first braking, before the Dutchman returned the favor on the 7th lap, still on the first braking, Rast still passing through the grass.

A second maneuver which, however, was not to the taste of the race management who ordered Frijns to return his position to the German, which the Dutchman achieved on the 9th lap.

Rast resists the return of Müller

Frijns and Wittmann stopped on lap 12, followed by Rast one lap later. But the latter cannot contain Frijns in tires already at temperature. Different strategy for Nico Müller who waits until the end of the 20th lap to change tires.

The Swiss leaves in 7th position, and will try until the end to catch up with the new leader Rast, who took the lead again on the 25th lap against Robin Frijns. But the winner of the first three events of the year finally failed on the line in the exhausts of Rast, who scored his first success of the year ahead of Müller and Wittmann, who passed Frijns on the penultimate lap.

Mike Rockenfeller (Audi) completes the top 5. Loïc duval (Audi) finished 8th after his retirement yesterday.

Discover the full report of the Lausitzring meeting in DTM, in AUTO issue 2274hebdo, available tomorrow evening in digital version and this Wednesday on newsstands.