DTM Lausitz: Tactical victory decisions 🎥

A PODIUM FOR MÜLLER In two exciting races at the big Lausitzring, the pit stop strategy decided who would finish on the podium. For DTM leader Nico Müller, the tactics didn't quite fit on either day. The highlights of the first race show how Nico Müller and his team squandered a possible victory on Saturday. After the two heat races on [...]

Editorial - August 23, 2020

The highlights of the first race show how Nico Müller and his team squandered a possible victory on Saturday.

After the two heat races on the first DTM weekend at Lausitz and the high summer temperatures on Friday in free practice for the two other races at the long Lausitzring, it started to rain on Saturday shortly before qualifying.

After setting the fastest time in both Friday practice sessions, Nico Müller claimed his first pole position of the season on the wet track ahead of René Rast and Robin Frijns, and with it three important additional points for the championship.

This time only second
The Bernese was clearly in the lead in the early stages of the race on rain tires, but squandered his advantage by changing to slicks too late. Having dropped back to fifth place for a while, the championship leader managed to fight his way back to second place. He also set the fastest race lap.

Nico Müller led the first race with rain tires on a damp track until the pit stop. He then fought his way up to second position.

It's clear that he was only half happy about another podium, especially as his strongest title rival René Rast won the race.

Nico Müller: "We've had the fastest car here in all conditions so far and still haven't won. No one is really to blame. We simply came into the pits one or two laps too late - partly because I didn't quite assess the situation in the car correctly. On the positive side: I was able to control the race in the rain at the beginning and was also fast on slicks. And we scored a lot of points again."

For once, Nico Müller was on the podium in Lausitz after just one race.

BMW double victory after more than a year
The podium in third place was completed by Müller's Abt team-mate Robin Frijns, who secured his fourth pole position of the year in consistently dry conditions again on Sunday, just ahead of Müller and Rast.

But the Dutchman again failed to take his first DTM race win in a race that was highly exciting from start to finish. And for once, neither Müller nor Rast won, but BMW driver Lucas Auer ahead of his brand mate Timo Glock.

As on Saturday, the right time for the mandatory tire change decided victory and defeat - and for the first time in 2020 in favor of the previously beleaguered Audi rival.

The sensational second race saw several lead changes among various competitors and the heart-stopping finale for victory in the sixth DTM race of 2020.

Decision in the last round
Starting from positions 9 and 7, Auer and Glock were already able to make up positions at the start and keep pace with the leaders. Unlike their rivals, the pair opted for an early tire change and completed their mandatory pit stop on the tenth lap.

On fresh Hankook tires, they were able to gain the crucial seconds on their rivals in the following laps. After all the drivers had pitted, the duo were in 2nd and 3rd place and only a short time later passed the leading Audi driver Jamie Green.

Glock was on course for victory until one lap before the end, when Auer overtook him in a thrilling finish to clinch his first victory for BMW.

For the first time in a year and 13 days, a BMW M4 is waved off as the winner. In the background, Nico Müller sets off for a successful overtaking maneuver on René Rast.

The last lap was also decisive for Nico Müller. From Rast's slipstream, the Swiss sprinted to the left of him towards the finish line, which he crossed eleven thousandths ahead of the previous day's winner. The points thus gained could still be valuable at the end of the season if the title duel between the two Audi drivers continues to intensify.

Afterwards, the leader of the standings spoke of a strange race.

Nico Müller: "At first I didn't understand what we did wrong. We stopped late and lost places as a result. But that's normal. It was just strange that we couldn't make up the positions despite the fresher tires. Everyone defended themselves with DRS. So we lost the chance to catch up with the two BMWs at the front. When René had no more DRS, I overtook him virtually on the finish line. That was the only highlight. Until the pit stop, I thought we would be fighting for victory today as well. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case."

Müller still clearly at the top of the table
Ahead of the fourth round of the DTM season at Assen in the Netherlands (September 4-6), where spectators will be allowed for the first time this season as things stand, Müller continues to hold a commanding lead in the drivers' standings with 133 points.

Rast follows in second place (97) ahead of Frijns (92). With 52 points, Timo Glock has moved up to fourth position as the best-placed BMW driver.