[DTM] Race 2 - Lausitzring (GER), 31st May 2009

[helgi]

If Eki drives Audi in rain conditions for the 1st pos, then...HWA have something to think at. Besides, Kolles boys in midfield are going to make some noise at the very beginning of the race...

[Last2LiftOff]

Mattias Ekström: 1:33.205
Gary Paffett: 1:33.435
Paul Di Resta: 1:33.534

Originally Posted by Paul Di Resta

I don't think people understand how slippery this track is in the wet...

No more live streams on the press conferences huh?

[Last2LiftOff]

Live timing not working!?

Edit: thank you...LOL

[werner]

Lauda gets hit by 3 audi's in 3 corners! Kristensen gets black/white flag. Lots of Lauda's carbon on the track.

[Hazard]

Audi's falling like flies - but Ekstrom and Rockenfeller still look safe up front.

Did Kristensen just try and take his penalty at the same time as his pitstop? Presumably that's why he's come in again? (Our commentator's got no clue).

Legge took out Winkelhock.

Tomczyk, Jarvis and Premat broken down/banged it.

Kristensen's hitting everyone!

Mercedes are going to get a good points haul today - but somehow, still think Audi might win it.

[werner]

Kristensen has got 2 penalty's. The short stop in the same lap as his pitstop was for the flag he got. (that's new) The drive-through he got for ignoring a blue flag.
Not a good race for him.

[Last2LiftOff]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Audi's falling like flies...

Yeah, and so's the fan radio...c'mon DTM!

[helgi]

Gary is realy fast. Eki has nothing to do.

[helgi]

Wo-ho-ho, GARY......it's something!

[werner]

Very smart tactics from Paffet. He was smart to stay out of any traffic, and the apparent low tyrewear of the Mercedes did the rest. He's going to win it. Let's see if Spengler can also get Eki....

Edit: Yes, he did it

Now Eki has to fight of DirResta on the track. DiREsta really lost it in tactics.

[helgi]

Bruno and Jamie have great tactics!

[Last2LiftOff]

Fastest lap (so far) Jamie Green!

Edit: Don't hear God Save the Queen much on Das Fanradio, LOL. Well done Gary Paffett.

[Hazard]

Good strategy. And suddenly Gary's 3rd in the championship and the leading Mercedes. Tells how bad Hockenheim was for them.

Ralf still on nil points though

[helgi]

Originally Posted by Hazard

Ralf still on nil points though

Compare to Jamie...

[Hazard]

Wow, so you now serve a penalty for getting a black/white flag? Weird.

Championship standings:

Pos	Driver	Car	Points
1	Timo Scheider	Audi A4 2009	12
2	Tom Kristensen	Audi A4 2009	10
3	Gary Paffett	Mercedes C-Klasse 2009	10
4	Paul di Resta	Mercedes C-Klasse 2009	9
5	Bruno Spengler	Mercedes C-Klasse 2009	8
6	Mattias Ekstrom	Audi A4 2009	8
7	Oliver Jarvis	Audi Ar 2008	6
8	Markus Winkelhock	Audi A4 2008	5
9	Jamie Green	Mercedes C-Klasse 2008	4
10	Maro Engel	Mercedes C-Klasse 2008	4
11	Mike Rockenfeller	Audi A4 2008	2
--	Ralf Schumacher	Mercedes C-Klasses 2009	0

Mercedes - bad bad call! Ralf's already behind 5 2008 cars! Give him to Kolles!

(that said, so is ADAC chairman's step-son, Tomczyk )

[werner]

It indeed was weird. On the radio, the team had to explain to Kristensen what het had to do. It took them about a lap to get him to understand it.
The penalty is a way to punisch someone, but is less severe than a drive-through. When you are given the 3-second penalty, you have to make an extra stop of 3 seconds in front of the stewards office, when you are on your way to your pitstop. I don't know though what they do when they give you a penalty when you have already done both your stops. They will probably give you a time-penalty.

[gomick]

Great to see Gary Paffett back in victory lane - here's hoping for a close championship battle...

[helgi]

They say, there were no overtaking maneuvers in Lausitz in DTM race.
I think, stupid layout is the reason. In PCC race almost all overtakes ended with collisions and spins. Niki Thiim has gathered seven or eight cars behind him, and nobody could do anything till a collision. So, not only DTM cars had difficulties there.
I think, it's more 'political' decision to race there, since there's no more AVUS there in eastern part of Germany.

[Last2LiftOff]

Don't tell Mathias Lauda there was no overtaking. Although Di Resta should've found a (sooner) way past Rockenfeller. I've watched the start a few times and still don't see a false start from Olly Jarvis, or Tomczyk (unless he lined-up wrong? he been drinking the cola?). 8 or 10 laps-in and Ekström's 3 secs. ahead. If his A4's 10 kg down, uh oh.

Originally Posted by Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich

With our slight weight disadvantage, we particularly feel the surface here at the EuroSpeedway.

Some great onboards, esp. Spengler's.

Good work Bruno, and Paffet, Ekström (again), Jamie Green (that's a year-old car right?), and I thought Maro Engel drove a great race in his 08.

Originally Posted by Katherine Legge

I don't think it's possible dude, it's really damaged.

Not by much Gary, but enough, well done.

[werner]

Originally Posted by Last2LiftOff

I've watched the start a few times and still don't see a false start from Olly Jarvis, or Tomczyk (unless he lined-up wrong? he been drinking the cola?).

In an interview he indeed said he lined up wrong. He claimed that the reason was that he could not see the startinglights otherwise...

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by werner

In an interview he indeed said he lined up wrong. He claimed that the reason was that he could not see the startinglights otherwise...

Yeah, he seem awfully angry about that penalty. If what he sais is true, I sort of agree with him...

In any case, the guys that made the strategies for Timo and Mattias... what where they smoking? How can you expect to win if you change tires 2 times in the first 20 laps and then have another 32(!!) laps to go on the last set. They could have won that race with a more intelligent strategy.

[helgi]

It's pity that team radio is available only for ARD. There're plenty of talks during the race on ARD, much more than in F1.
And it was a real nerve of the race with this team radio,especially when Audi realize fully that Gary and Bruno switched their tactics. I was watching that video and feel absolutely if I'm at Lausitz (oh, haven't even tasted that drink that Tomczyk advertise ).

[werner]

Originally Posted by stedevil

Yeah, he seem awfully angry about that penalty. If what he sais is true, I sort of agree with him...

In any case, the guys that made the strategies for Timo and Mattias... what where they smoking? How can you expect to win if you change tires 2 times in the first 20 laps and then have another 32(!!) laps to go on the last set. They could have won that race with a more intelligent strategy.

If you had the tyrewear Mercedes had, ie virtually non, it would not be that crazy. I think the idea was to get the stops done early, making sure the first 2/3 of your race are all fast because of good tyres, passing the Mercedeses when they have their last pitstop, and then try to defend at the last part of the race against the Mercedeses with better tyres. Not totally undoable given the difficulties in overtaking in the aero-dependent DTM.
Unfortunately for them the Mercedeses could wait so long for their last stops that they were already in front after their second pitstop. Also unfortunately for the viewers, it could have been very exiting to see Paffet and DiResta attack Ekstrom for the last 15 laps.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by werner

If you had the tyrewear Mercedes had, ie virtually non, it would not be that crazy.

Merc had good tire wear because all but 1 of their drivers made sensible stops. Somewhere around 1/3rd (lap 17-18) in would be a good time to come in for your first tire change for optimal pace over the full race. TS and ME had done their 2nd stop by lap 21 and 22 respectively. That is just way way too early when the optimal for race pace 2nd stop is 13-14 laps later.