Hockenheim/Germany, 6th May 2018 – Timo Glock was the fastest man in qualifying at a sun-drenched Hockenheimring on Sunday, earning him pole position and a lead he was able to defend at the start of the race. The BMW driver came in for a fresh set of Hankook race tyres on lap 14, while Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz), who had joined the leading group from tenth on the grid, came in for his pit stop on lap 15.
From then on, Glock and Paffett were embroiled in an incredibly intense battle for the lead, the likes of which have rarely been seen in the DTM. A series of skilful and extremely fair overtaking manoeuvres saw the lead change hands a number of times, before Timo Glock was eventually able to pull a little way clear towards the end of the race and ultimately take the chequered flag for win number five of his DTM career. Sunday’s success also sees the 36-year-old move to the top of the championship standings, having finished third on Saturday.
Gary Paffett, who won race one of the opening weekend of the DTM season in Hockenheim, was passed by Mike Rockenfeller on the final lap. The Audi driver came through to take second place ahead of the Brit, but lies third in the championship behind Paffett. DTM rookie Joel Eriksson (BMW) produced an eye-catching performance to finish fourth and narrowly miss out on his first visit to the DTM podium.
Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director Europe: “That was a great advert for motorsport, and particularly for the DTM. Rarely have we been treated to such a dramatic battle for the lead as Timo Glock and Gary Paffett produced today. The Hankook tyre, which offered all the drivers a consistently high level of grip right through to the finish, was also responsible for this exciting race. The fact that the first seven drivers crossed the finish line within five seconds just goes to show how evenly matched the DTM is. While Audi were unhappy on Saturday, Mike Rockenfeller responded in the right way by finishing runner-up on Sunday. However, it could be a completely different story at the Lausitzring in 14 days’ time.”
BMW Team RBM produced the fastest pit stop of the opening race weekend in Hockenheim, with a time of 28.136 seconds. They were rewarded for their efforts with 25 points towards the Hankook Best Pit Stop Award.
Mike Rockenfeller (Audi): “I managed the Hankook race tyres very well and was always able to drive at the limit. The tyres were put under a lot of strain during the many battles, but hardly wore at all. Our car had a good balance and I have nothing to complain about.”
Timo Glock (BMW): “That was the best race of my motorsport career so far. That was largely down to the Hankook race tyre, which made the long and fierce battle for the lead possible. Gary and I were able to push hard and drive bumper-to-bumper for many laps without the tyre deteriorating. That was simply incredible sport. The real winner is the DTM.”
Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz): “The Hankook tyres did a very good job today. We were able to push really hard at the front of the field, rode the kerbs at top speed, and did not look after the tyres at all, even in these high temperatures. Despite that, they were still incredibly fast and consistent right through to the end of the race.”
