DTM: Timo Scheider closer to title; Bruno Spengler 5th

From the DTM Championship

A perfect strategy, two ideal pit stops and a flawless race. At the Circuit de Catalunya, this was the base for Audi driver Timo Scheider's big step towards his title defence.

The reigning DTM champion from Germany scored a dominant victory in the eight DTM round of the season. His two fellow Audi drivers Tom Kristensen from Denmark and German Martin Tomczyk completed Audi’s winning trio on the podium.

With ten points for first place and a total of 53 points, the 30-year old remains in the lead of the points’ standings.

His main rivals are Swede Mattias Ekström (Audi) at 41 points, who ended up fifth in the Spanish DTM round behind Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz), and Mercedes-Benz driver Gary Paffett at 39 points. The Briton was the best-placed driver with an AMG Mercedes C-Class by finishing fourth.

The race started with a tactical masterpiece by Audi. Both Kristensen, who started from pole position, and Tomczyk, who was standing right behind the Dane in third place, moved over to the right side of the track at the start and thus made way for Scheider, who, in fifth place, was also starting from the left grid row.

The eventual winner took the lead coming out of the second corner and wasn’t to lose it anymore until the end of the race.

The best-placed driver of a 2008-spec car was Frenchman Alexandre Prémat with his Audi A4 DTM in eighth place.

The ninth and penultimate DTM weekend of the season will be taking place at Dijon-Prenois in France from October 9th till 11th.

Race standing:
1. Timo Scheider (Audi) in 1h08’38’’739
2. Tom Kristensen (Audi) à 2’’157
3. Martin Tomczyck (Audi) à 4’’033
4. Gary Paffett (Mercedes) à 23’’469
5. BRUNO SPENGLER (Mercedes) à 23’’992
6. Mathias Ekström (Audi) à 24’’463
7. Paul Di Resta (Mercedes) à 33’’243
8. Alexandre Prémat (Audi) à 42’’329
etc.

Championship standing:
1. Scheider 53 points, 2. Ekstrom 41, 3. Paffett 39, 4. Tomczyck et SPENGLER 33, 6. Di Resta 31, etc.