DTM: Zero lap for Müller, points for Edo

This is not how Nico Müller had imagined starting his fifth DTM season. On Saturday, he only managed to qualify in 14th place on the grid. Without benefiting from a single retirement, he improved by just one position in the first race over 36 laps.

In general, Audi was initially only the third force with only Champion René Rast in ninth and Loïc Duval in tenth in the points. The Swiss also felt the effects of the lack of performance, which is primarily attributable to the aerodynamics that were cut for 2018 and had been a strength of the Audi RS 5 DTM in the previous year.

Nico Müller: "My start went well, but afterwards it was tough. After my late pit stop I had enormous vibrations because something got stuck between the brake drum and the rim. So I lost time in the first three or four laps. Otherwise, a points finish, which I was less than three seconds off, would have been feasible."

Best advertising for the DTM
If on Saturday the spectators experienced a "normal" race that ended with a Mercedes double victory by Gary Paffett (his first since 2013) ahead of Lukas Auer, on Sunday they saw the best of recent years. Unfortunately again without conspicuous Swiss participation...

After the previous day's third-placed Timo Glock in the BMW M4 had initially taken a clear lead, Paffett, who had only started tenth, closed in on him after the pit stop. In a duel that lasted several laps with several lead changes, the German prevailed over the Briton only seven minutes before the end.

The highlights of this great race are summarized in the following video.

Glock, who raced in Formula 3 for the Alpnach-based KMS team in his younger years, now also leads the standings ahead of Paffett, who lost the fight against the Swiss Mike Rockenfeller in the fastest Audi at the end. Thus, representatives of all three brands finished on the podium, which was a balm for Audi's wounds from Saturday.

Nico Müller fears a tougher season
For Nico Müller, Sunday's third free practice session began with a slip into the gravel trap at the Sachs corner. The reason was a blocked left front wheel.

His Audi remained undamaged but he lacked crucial laps to prepare for qualifying 2. Only grid position 16 out of 19 was therefore not surprising. The Abt team then decided on the exact opposite race strategy from Smastag

The earliest tire change initially brought him up to P10, but the Bernese subsequently slipped back to 13th place.

Nico Müller: "I had more trouble with the second set of tires than with the first. So I lost pace. If the vehicle balance had been the same as with the first, it would have been enough for points. We need to get a better grip on consistency. I've got a good feeling for the next race at the Lausitzring. But I think we've got a tougher season ahead of us than we've had before..."

First 4th place, then early retirement for Edoardo Mortara
Unlike in Formula E, Edoardo Mortara continues to compete in the DTM with a Swiss license under the Italian flag. With a fourth-place finish on Saturday, the Geneva native got off to a good start in his eighth DTM season, the second and, due to the brand's withdrawal, last with Mercedes.

As fourth in the second qualifying session, Edo was expecting even more from the second race. But engine problems on his Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM forced him to retire early.

Next event at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring
Müller and Mortara don't have long to brood over the botched Sunday. As early as Thursday, they will line up for the first practice session of the Nürburgring 24 Hours in their assigned GT3 sports cars.

Maybe their world will look different next Sunday - but that's another story, which we'll get to in next week's...

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