Thursday 11 June 2015

DTM 2015 - Green makes it a Lausitzring Double

Jamie Green was on fire all weekend
Audi's form in the opening round of the DTM Championship at Hockenheim was ominous, with Jamie Green and Matias Ekstrom taking the spoils for the team. At Lausitzring, Audi and Jamie Green did even better, as Green took victory in both of the weekends races, with Miguel Molina and Green taking the races pole positions, and Audi locking out the podiums for the races as well. It was a performance even more ominous than that of Hockenheim, and one that will have BMW and Mercedes very worried.

Race 1

Molina lead into turn one at the start of the first race
Molina got away well at the start, taking the lead into turn one, Green in 2nd place and pretty soon the Audi's of Molina, Green, Edoardo Mortara and Mattias Ekstrom lead the field away, none of the Mercedes or BMW cars being able to stay with them. Molina though was holding up the others, and after sitting behind him for 30 minutes, Green dived down the inside of Molina into turn 1, an impressive move as his DRS had failed earlier on. 

Molina couldn't hold onto a podium place
After being passed by Green, things didn't get much better for Molina. He was holding onto 2nd place but soon Mortara and then Ekstrom passed him, dropping him into 4th and under pressure from Pascal Wehrlein's Mercedes. The impressive youngster couldn't pass him though, and Molina held on and Audi locked out the top four places at the end off the race, a very impressive result for the manufacturer.

Maxime Martin stared for BMW
A star of the weekend was BMW's Maxime Martin. The winner from last years race in Moscow was holding onto 5th behind the Audi's and upholding some honor for BMW, but he was passed by Wehrlein and another Mercedes of Robert Wickens near the end of the race, but he held onto 7th and was the highest placed BMW driver at the end of the race.

Green takes win number 1 of the weekend
None of them though had an answer for Green, and he took his second win in three races and his tenth career victory in the DTM series. Full race results are below;


Race 2

Mattias Ekstrom beat Green into turn one at the start of the second race
If any of Green's rivals thought they could stop him on Sunday however, they were to be bitterly disappointedHaving taken pole position for race 2, Green was beaten off the line and into turn one by Ekstrom, although he held onto 2nd ahead of Molina. Ekstrom though couldn't shake him off and within minutes Green was down the inside of his Audi team-mate. However, he went in so fast that he couldn't quite slow the car down again, and was re-passed on the exit by Ekstrom. 


Ekstrom had a solid weekend, taking podiums in both races
A 3rd and a 2nd place for Ekstrom rounded of a solid weekend for the Swede, tying him on 58 points with Mortara for second place in the championship, but 17 points behind Green. Molina managed to bag a podium in race 2 with 3rd place. In the second race, Audi had an even better day, filling the top five potions at the end, an incredible achievement, and one that showed how dominant they have been so far this year. 


Green soon passed Ekstrom and started to pull away
After ten minutes of racing though, Green took the lead from Ekstrom into turn one and pulled away from his nearest rival. Even a safety period created five minute shoot out near the end of the race couldn't deter him, and he took his 11th career victory in style. "It took me a while to settle into Audi" said Green after the race, "But I think I've settled in now". He certainly has!

Pascal Wehrlein had a strong and solid weekend for Mercedes,although he couldn't repeat his Hockenheim race one podium
The best placed Mercedes was that of Wehrlein in 6th in race 2 (5th in race 1) and Martin was again the highest placed BMW with 8th in race 2. A lot of work to be done by the other manufacturers. Full race results and championship standings below;

 


Ekstrom, Green and Molina on the podium after race two
A perfect weekend then for Jamoie Green, and the first time a driver has won a pair of DTM races on the same weekend since Uwe Alzedrn at the Nurburgring in 2002. Can Jamie Green win the title? Until next time folks. Ciao.

Green takes the checkered flag

All images copyright of the DTM Championship

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