Misano/Italy, 9th June 2019 – Nico Müller started race number six of this season’s DTM from fourth place on Sunday. After a good start in Misano, the Audi driver slotted into second place behind fellow Audi man Robin Frijns, before adopting the lead when his rivals came in for their mandatory tyre change. When the Swiss rejoined the race on a fresh set of the Hankook race tyre on lap 17, he did so at the head of the field – a position he defended superbly through to the finish.
Philipp Eng (BMW) came home second, 7.628 seconds behind Müller. The Austrian overtook pole-sitter René Rast (Audi), who went on to finish third, on lap 21. Rast continues to lead the championship ahead of Eng, with today’s winner Müller in third place. Marco Wittmann (BMW), who took a stunning victory in Saturday’s race, was involved in a collision through no fault of his own, and was consequently forced to retire from the race. As such, he drops to fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship. The best-placed Aston Martin driver was Ferdinand von Habsburg in twelfth.
Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director Europe: “We have had an exciting DTM weekend in Misano, with various different tactics proving successful. While Marco Wittmann completed almost the entire race on one set of Hankook race tyres in his win on Saturday, Sunday’s winner Nico Müller drove two stints of almost equal length. A third of the way through the season, nobody has been able to pull clear in the Drivers’ Championship. It promises to be another exciting race for the DTM title, which looks like going down to the wire.”
Audi Sport Team Phoenix completed the fastest pit stop of the weekend (58.448 seconds) at the second foreign round of the season in Misano, Italy. They are rewarded for their efforts with 25 points towards the Best Pit Stop Award – the unofficial pit crew championship, sponsored by Hankook.
Nico Müller (Audi): “This weekend, tyre management was key in both races. I did a particularly good job of that today, especially in the second stint, when I was able to push on the Hankook race tyre. I am overjoyed about my win.”
Philipp Eng (BMW): “It was very difficult to manage the tyres correctly in the heat. However, I managed that well throughout the full race. I was still able to push and set fast times right down to the finish on the Hankook race tyre. It feels great to have climbed from ninth to second, and to travel to the next round of the DTM at the Norisring in second place overall.”
René Rast (Audi): “After the pole position, I was hoping for a little more from the race. But third place is a good result. I am happy I was able to defend my lead in the Drivers’ Championship.”
