Brands Hatch/England, 11th August 2018 – The first DTM race at Brands Hatch for five years got underway in summery temperatures on Saturday. While the last race at the iconic English circuit was held on the 1.973-kilometre Indy layout, the field this time took on the 3.908-kilometre Grand Prix Circuit. Daniel Juncadella impressed in qualifying and started the eleventh race of the 2018 DTM season from pole position.
The Mercedes-Benz driver initially dropped two places at the start. However, he was simply unstoppable after coming in for his mandatory tyre change on lap seven. After 41 extremely consistent and fast laps, the Spaniard crossed the finish line in first place, with a 7.896-second lead, to claim his maiden victory in his 67th DTM race. Augusto Farfus (BMW) took second place. Third place went to Lucas Auer (Mercedes-Benz), who climbs into third place in the Drivers’ Championship behind fellow Mercedes-Benz men Gary Paffett (P6 in the race) and Paul Di Resta, who finished outside the points. The fastest Audi driver was reigning DTM champion René Rast in fourth place.
Hankook Motorsport Director Manfred Sandbichler: “The return to Brands Hatch produced a great race. The spectators witnessed some thrilling motorsport at this fantastic circuit, including a three-way battle between Glock, Green and Rockenfeller who were three abreast for a long time. As always, the Hankook race tyre impressed with a lot of grip and a high level of consistency, supporting all the drivers perfectly at this undulating track.”
Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes-Benz): “My first win in the DTM – that is a great feeling. I came in early for my pit stop, then did 34 long laps of this tough circuit on one set of tyres. Despite the high strain it was under, the Hankook race tyre showed hardly any wear, worked perfectly right through to the finish and, as in qualifying, was very good.”
Augusto Farfus (BMW): “We did not know exactly what to expect from the return to Brands Hatch, as we had little time to test on this longer layout. Thanks to the Hankook race tyre, we were able to manage everything perfectly and had absolutely no problems with the slick on any section of this difficult circuit. The Hankook tyres did a great job again.”
Lucas Auer (Mercedes-Benz): “The Hankook tyre was extremely consistent and very easy to manage. It was quick right through to the finish, which made it a mega race for me.”
René Rast (Audi): “I came into the pits on the opening lap and did practically the entire race on this difficult track at Brands Hatch on one set of tyres. That speaks volumes for the good Hankook tyres.”
