SPIELBERG, Austria — Audi driver Ricardo Feller (CH) and his Land-Motorsport team celebrated his first win of the season in the 14th DTM championship round at the Red Bull Ring, thus also perfecting Land-Motorsport’s debut victory.
“I’m incredibly proud to give Land-Motorsport its first DTM victory. I drove for my life in the duel with Thierry Vermeulen; I didn’t want to let first place be taken away from me under any circumstances,” said an overjoyed Feller.
Second place went to Thierry Vermeulen (NL/Emil Frey Racing) in the Ferrari 296 GT3. Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) not only celebrated his first home podium in the DTM in third place, but the 31-year-old also fought back to take the lead in the standings, which he had lost to René Rast (Bregenz/Schubert Motorsport) on Saturday.
Before the finale in Hockenheim (October 3rd to 5th), eight other drivers besides Auer have a chance of winning the title.
On lap 13, the increasingly faster Swiss leader overtook Vermeulen, pulled away at the front, and remained in the lead after the two mandatory pit stops. Auer, who had lost third place to Maini, was able to overtake the Indian again after the second tire change. Engel also managed this with a well-timed second pit stop.
Rast, who had been in fifth place up to that point, was penalized with two penalty laps after two infractions before and in the pit lane, and fell significantly behind. After lap 37, Feller crossed the finish line ahead of Vermeulen, Auer, Engel, and Maini.
Jordan Pepper (ZA/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) improved his pace by eight places, finishing sixth. The South African moved up to second in the drivers’ standings and is seven points behind Auer.
Ayhancan Güven drove the second Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R to seventh place, while Jules Gounon (F/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) finished eighth. Reigning champion Mirko Bortolotti (I/Abt Sportsline) achieved a top-ten result for the first time in a long time, finishing ninth in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2.
His fellow Lamborghini driver Luca Engstler (Kempten/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) finished 10th in Sunday’s race in Styria.
Before the season finale at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg (October 3-5), Auer leads the DTM with 171 points. He is followed by Pepper (164) and Rast (160). Up to Gounon, who is 29 points behind, nine drivers still have title chances.
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