Rast claims his 30th DTM win after outstanding performance

 A perfect race to reach a big milestone: René Rast (Bregenz/Schubert Motorsport) produced a serene display to claim the 30th victory of his DTM career on Sunday at the Nürburgring. After 38 laps, the three-time champion took the chequered flag with a lead of roughly eight seconds.

"I did not expect such a dominant race. However, I could tell on the formation lap that the car felt really good. The 30th win of my career in the DTM means the world to me. When I embarked on my DTM career in 2017, I could never have imagined achieving a figure like that," said Rast, who tasted success at the circuit in the Eifel Mountains for the fourth time. His team-mate Marco Wittmann (Fürth), at the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, made it a one-two for Schubert Motorsport. Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) finished third to reclaim the lead in the championship from Jack Aitken (GB/Emil Frey Racing), who finished 16th and outside the points after contact with another car, for which he was not responsible. A total of 78,000 visitors enjoyed a dream motorsport weekend with thrilling races and three days of sunshine.

Shortly after the start of Sunday's race, it was clear that Rast had the bit between his teeth in race ten of the DTM season. The 38-year-old climbed three places and slotted into third place behind pole-sitter Ben Dörr (Butzbach/Dörr Motorsport) in the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo and Auer. A further two overtaking manoeuvres saw the BMW driver take the lead on lap six, after which he proceeded to pull clear of the rest of the field.

Rast was the last driver to complete his first mandatory pit stop, and he rejoined the race in the lead, ahead of Auer. Team-mate Wittmann moved into third place after an early tyre change. Gilles Magnus (B/Comtoyou Racing) in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 and Ford Mustang driver Arjun Maini (IND/HRT Ford Performance) followed in fourth and fifth place. The second pit stop again saw the Schubert Motorsport crew send Rast back out onto the 3.629-kilometre track quickly and with a comfortable lead. Shortly after that, Wittmann was able to overtake Auer, who, as on Saturday, lost a lot of time during the tyre change. Behind the BMW duo and Auer, Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing) produced an intelligent drive to claim fourth place in Sunday's race at the Nürburgring. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Manthey EMA) completed the top five at his team's home event, after an inconspicuous race in the Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Sixth place was Maini's reward for another impressive performance in the Ford Mustang GT3. Belgian Magnus finished seventh to claim the first top ten result for himself and his team. Pole-sitter Dörr was unable to match the pace at the front of the field, but did pick up points again for eighth place. Jordan Pepper (ZA/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) guided his Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 to ninth place and now lies third in the overall standings. Thomas Preining (A) could do no better than tenth place in the second Manthey EMA Porsche 911.

Marco Wittmann: "After fifth place on Saturday, the podium is the perfect end to a strong weekend for us. Unfortunately, I was lacking the necessary speed in the first stint. That is why we decided on an early first stop. The strategy paid dividends, as it allowed me to gain a lot of positions."

Lucas Auer: "The two BMW were on a different level. Second place might perhaps have been possible, but unfortunately our second pit stop was not ideal. On the whole, it was an action-packed weekend. You can tell that the second half of the season is underway and that the behaviour on the track is somewhat more aggressive."

Results are HERE