SPIELBERG, Austria — René Rast (Bregenz/Schubert Motorsport) has taken the lead of the DTM standings for the first time this season in his adopted home of Austria.
The BMW driver dominated the 13th championship round at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday, crossing the finish line as the winner after 38 laps.
“Before the weekend, I didn’t think I had the best title chances, and now I’m the leader. That feels gigantic. One race can change everything in the DTM. The team played a major role in the win with the outstanding pit stop. We delivered under pressure, and that’s what matters,” said Rast, who catapulted himself from seventh place to the top of the standings with his third win of the season.
Teammate Marco Wittmann (Fürth) completed the one-two for BMW with second place. Thierry Vermeulen (NL/Emil Frey Racing) finished third in the Ferrari 296 GT3, making it his second podium finish of the season. His teammate Jack Aitken was unlucky.
The Briton was comfortably in second place for a long time, but slid off the track on the final lap after a driving error, thus missing out on a shot at the top of the standings. This result further intensifies the title battle: the top eight drivers in the standings are within 15 points of each other.
Rast started the race at the Red Bull Ring on Saturday afternoon from second place and lost no time in his attack for the top of the standings. Already on lap two, the three-time champion overtook pole-sitter Wittmann and then steadily extended his lead.
Aitken followed in third place, also on course for the lead in second place overall. The Briton was the first of the leading trio to get new Pirelli slicks on lap 15. This tactic paid off. Aitken was able to overtake Wittmann, who, after a late tire change on cold tires, had no chance against the Ferrari driver.
Leader Rast maintained his lead after a quick pit stop on lap 19 and controlled the pace. Behind Rast, Aitken, and Wittmann, Vermeulen moved up to fourth after a weak start, followed by his teammate Ben Green (GB).
While there were many fierce battles and overtaking maneuvers in the field, the top five places seemed firmly in the bag. But on the final lap, Aitken lost control of his Ferrari, crashed out after an off-road accident, and threw away what he thought was a secure lead in the standings. Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing) benefited from his retirement, finishing fifth behind Rast, Wittmann, Vermeulen and Green.
Thomas Preining (A/Manthey EMA) staged an impressive comeback. The local hero gained ten places in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, finishing sixth. Jordan Pepper (ZA/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) showed a similarly combative streak, improving eight positions to seventh. Jules Gounon (F/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) salvaged eighth place despite a technical defect at the end of the race. Gilles Magnus (B/Comtoyou Racing), on the other hand, dropped from third to ninth in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3. Luca Engstler (Kempten/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) finished the 13th race of the season in 10th.
