Defending DTM champion Marco Wittman, driving the #11 Team RMG M4 DTM, finished third in Race One on Saturday, July 22, at Moscow Raceway. Bruno Spengler drove the #7 Team RBM M4 DTM to a third-place finish in Race Two on Sunday.
Spengler started from the pole on Sunday after Team RMR’s Tom Blomqvist, who set the fastest time, was sent to the back of the grid because there was not enough fuel in his car after the qualifying session. Wittmann, who had set the fastest qualifying time on Saturday was also denied the pole; in his case he was demoted five grid positions because of an infraction from the Norisring race. Audi’s Rene Rast, who was second quickest, started from the pole.
Rast led race one from flag to flag. He was challenged by Audi racer Mike Rockenfeller at the start, but held his position. Rockenfeller, trying to hold off BMW racer Augusto Farfus on lap two, forced Farfus off the track; a puncture that resulted from the incident took Farfus out of contention. Wittman and Timo Glock (Team RMR) moved into third and fourth, trading positions at one point. Wittmann regained the position after pit stops and held off Mercedes’ Robert Wickens to finish third behind Rast and Rockenfeller. Glock, who finished fifth, was the only other BMW racer in the points.
Spengler took the lead from the pole on Sunday. Maxime Martin (Team RBM), who was hit on lap one, went off course a few laps later with his brakes on fire because of the incident. His excursion brought out the safety car, giving an edge to Wittmann, Blomqvist, Mercedes’ Maro Engel, and Audi’s Loic Duval, who had taken their mandatory stops on lap one. But Audi racer Nico Muller blocked their progress. After the safety car Spengler lost his lead to Audi’s Mattias Ekstrom. Wittmann moved up when Ekstrom pitted, but with Muller still blocking he could not take the lead. Engel found his way by Wittmann, but had to wait until Muller pitted with just three laps left to take the lead. By that time Ekstrom had found his way into second. Spengler, on a late race charge, retook third after Audi racer Jamie Green forced Wittmann to go wide in a corner. In the end Spengler finished third behind Engel and Ekstrom. Wittmann finished sixth and Blomqvist finished seventh.
BMW motorsport director Jens Marquardt said, “It was a tough race in which a lot happened yet again. We gave the fans plenty of action. I’m proud of our guys. They are fantastic fighters and real racers. Unfortunately, you can’t say that about the whole field today. Despite that, we achieved a nice podium with Bruno Spengler. He did a fantastic job and drove a flawless race. I feel bad for Maxime Martin. Loic Duval pushed him off the track and after that the radiator was blocked and the brakes overheated. When the safety car came out, we were fortunate that two of our cars had already pitted. For Marco Wittmann in particular it was extremely frustrating that he was unable to show his potential. However hats off to the boys who gave it their all, and congratulations to Maro Engel on the win. Now we will turn our full attention to the next two races in Zandvoort.”
The series’ races at Zandvoort in the Netherlands will be run on August 18-20.—Brian S. Morgan
