Comtoyou Racing’s Nicki Thiim has claimed a historic victory in the opening DTM encounter at the Norisring, with the Dane recording Aston Martin’s maiden series win in front of a sold-out crowd.
After starting from pole position, Thiim maintained his lead after the start and controlled the field from the front, with Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol’s Maro Engel and HRT Ford Racing’s Arjun Maini following in second and third positions.
While Engel and Maini made their mandatory pit stops very early, Thiim only switched to new Pirelli slicks late and rejoined the track in the lead ahead of Engel’s #80 AMG GT3 EVO. Behind them, Maini and Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf’s Lucas Auer engaged in a thrilling duel, which the Indian driver ultimately won.
Shortly afterward, on lap 34, an accident occurred between Schubert Motorsport’s Kelvin van der Linde and TGI Team by GRT’s Maximilian Paul. Paul’s Lamborghini Temerario GT3 collided with van der Linde’s BMW M4 GT3 Evo in the first corner, and the accident resulted in a nearly one-hour interruption due to necessary repairs to the track barriers. Both drivers went to hospital for checks after the incident, Paul with a suspected lower leg fracture.
After the restart, the order of the top four remained unchanged until the finish, apart from Auer passing Manthey’s Thomas Preining, who had vaulted up to fourth after making his mandatory pit stop under FCY conditions.
“To secure Aston Martin’s first DTM victory on my favorite track, the Norisring, feels incredible. This moment is already the highlight of the year for me. The race was briefly interrupted, which was a huge mental challenge,” Thiim said.
Behind Thiim, Engel, Maini, and Auer, Thierry Vermeulen finished fifth in his Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, with HRT Ford Racing’s Finn Wiebelhaus securing sixth place in the second Ford Mustang GT3.
Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter’s Jules Gounon finished in seventh position, with TGI Tea by GRT’s Mirko Bortolotti the best-placed Lamborghini driver in eighth. Preining eventually fell back to ninth, with Ben Dörr completing the top 10 in his family-run McLaren GT3 Evo.
Image courtesy of ADAC Motorsport/Hoch Zwei
