Britain's Gary Paffett won a fantastic victory in today's DTM race at Lausitz, taking advantage of an adventurous strategy by his AMG-Mercedes team to overcome the superior Audis. Fortunately as a Setanta subscriber I was one of, I suspect, very few UK viewers able to enjoy a fascinating event.
Paffett had started seventh on the grid after a penalty and ran fifth in the early stages, but as the leading cars made their two compulsory stops for fuel and tyres early, Paffett's team kept him out in front in clear air, and he proceeded to set a stunning pace, taking as much as a second a lap from early leader Mattias Ekström. Once the stops had been completed he and team-mate Bruno Spengler had overhauled the previously leading group, and though Paffett came under pressure in the closing stages the McLaren F1 test driver clung on to win his first DTM event for two years.
Ekström held on to a hard-fought third from Scotland's Paul di Resta, with reigning champion Timo Scheider fifth. Jamie Green, who has been demoted to a year-old car by Mercedes this season, secured three points for sixth - his replacement in the senior team, Ralf Schumacher, struggled and came home tenth and pointless.
For full results and news from Europe's premier tin-top category see: http://www.dtm.com/index.php?lang=en&
Paffett had started seventh on the grid after a penalty and ran fifth in the early stages, but as the leading cars made their two compulsory stops for fuel and tyres early, Paffett's team kept him out in front in clear air, and he proceeded to set a stunning pace, taking as much as a second a lap from early leader Mattias Ekström. Once the stops had been completed he and team-mate Bruno Spengler had overhauled the previously leading group, and though Paffett came under pressure in the closing stages the McLaren F1 test driver clung on to win his first DTM event for two years.
Ekström held on to a hard-fought third from Scotland's Paul di Resta, with reigning champion Timo Scheider fifth. Jamie Green, who has been demoted to a year-old car by Mercedes this season, secured three points for sixth - his replacement in the senior team, Ralf Schumacher, struggled and came home tenth and pointless.
For full results and news from Europe's premier tin-top category see: http://www.dtm.com/index.php?lang=en&
