Marco Wittmann earns podium for BMW after stunning fightback

Marco Wittman earns podium for BMW after a stunning fightback at the wheel of the Red Bull BMW M4 DTM. Though he started the race from pole position in dry conditions, he lost places at the Indy-style restart. Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus both experienced premature ends to their race due to a collision and damages. With Glock, Bruno Spengler (BMW Bank M4 DTM) and Marco Wittmann (Red Bull BMW M4 DTM) all running in the top ten, the rain began to fall at the halfway point of the race. Glock and Spengler had already pitted prior to the onset of rain, and had to come in again to switch to wet-weather tyres. This dropped them out of contention for a spot on the podium. Wittmann delayed his mandatory pit stop long enough to be able to switch straight onto wet-weather tyres. He eventually came home third – a fantastic fightback from 17th on the grid. Glock and Spengler also finished in the points in eighth and ninth. Tom Blomqvist was 12th in the BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM.

BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt: “That was a nerve-racking second race here in Hockenheim. From fun and games with the weather to an Indy restart, the race had a bit of everything. It was really hard fought. A huge compliment goes to Marco, who came through from 17th to finish third. A superb race! It was not easy in the rain, but he made no mistakes. It was a shame for Timo that he perhaps came in a little too early for his pit stop. Apart from that it was a good effort. We finished in the top ten with three cars. It would have been nice to have finished a little further up the field, but we are happy to take the points. On the whole, we have a magnificent opening weekend of the 2017 DTM behind us. The measures that were implemented really paid off, and the drivers put on a great show for the fans against a fantastic backdrop. The races were exciting, with each of the three manufacturers finishing on the podium in both races. I am confident we have a fantastic season ahead of us. We now move on to the Lausitzring.”

Marco Wittmann (#11, Red Bull BMW M4 DTM – Grid position: 17th, race result: 3rd – 58 races, 8 wins, 16 podiums, 8 pole positions, 539 points, 2 Drivers’ titles): “That was a mega race. I am extremely happy with third place. Having started from 17th on the grid, it feels like a win. I had a fantastic opening lap, and I made up more places after the restart. When it started to rain, it was incredibly difficult to decide when to switch to wet-weather tyres. I think I ultimately made the right decision. The strategy worked out perfectly.”