Marco Wittmann in the #11 BMW Team RMR M4 DTM won the first DTM race of the new turbocharged era at Hockenheim on May 4. On Sunday, May 5, fourth-place Philipp Eng in the #25 Team RMR M4 DTM was the best BMW finisher.
Wittmann started Saturday’s wet race from the pole and led the entire distance. Three more BMW racers scored points on Saturday; Timo Glock recovered from being spun out by another car on lap one to finish fourth, rookie Sheldon van der Linde finished sixth, and Bruno Spengler finished seventh. Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller and Robin Frijns were second and third, and Aston Martin scored points in its first DTM race as Daniel Juncadella finished ninth
On Sunday, Eng started from the pole and led early in the race, but was reeled in after a safety car period by Audi’s René Rast, who had been moved to the back of the pack after pitting when the safety car was out. The Audis of Robin Frijns and Nico Müller also got by Eng at this point in the race. In the end Rast won ahead of Müller and Frijns, with Eng holding on to fourth. Four more BMW racers finished in the points; Bruno Spengler was fifth, Timo Glock was sixth, Marco Wittmann was eighth, and Joel Eriksson was tenth. Only van der Linde finished out of the points. Both he and Wittmann had been spun by other cars.
Wittmann leads in drivers’ points, and Audi leads manufacturer’s points going into the series’ rounds three and four on the Zolder circuit in Belgium on May 18-19.—Brian Morgan
[Photo courtesy BMW AG.]
