DTM: A double podium result at Red Bull Ring for Mercedes AMG 26.09.2022: In DTM at Red Bull Ring, the focus was on Lucas Auer (AUT) in particular as he headed to his home race at Spielberg as a title candidate. For the Saturday race, the Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD driver qualified in P7. In the race, the local hero had a good s

In DTM at Red Bull Ring, the focus was on Lucas Auer (AUT) in particular as he headed to his home race at Spielberg as a title candidate. For the Saturday race, the Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD driver qualified in P7. In the race, the local hero had a good start and quickly made up positions.



 At the finish, he was just behind the podium slots in fourth place. A ten-second penalty for an alleged excessive pit lane speed initially made the title candidate drop back to ninth place, but this penalty was recalled after exact analysis by the stewards.



Next to Auer, Maro Engel (GER, Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM) in P7, Maximilian Götz (GER, Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD Racing) in P9 and Luca Stolz (GER, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT) in P10 also finished in the top ten of the Saturday race.



On Sunday, the weather caused additional challenges at Red Bull Ring. In the rainy qualifying that had to be interrupted frequently due to accidents, Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel posted the fastest time on a rain-soaked track ahead of Maximilian Götz in P2.

From pole position, Engel initially maintained the lead with the #88 Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM car. At a drying track, there were numerous turbulent situations as the race unfolded and the pit stop strategy turned out to be the race-deciding factor. In the process, Luca Stolz (GER) was in the best position with the #4 Mercedes-AMG Team HRT entry: having started from P11, the Nürburgring race winner claimed second place with his strategy and kept it until the finish.


In the dramatic closing stages, Engel, who had temporarily dropped back, was able to work his way back up into third place. Arjun Maini (IND) just missed out on the podium as he finished in P4 with the #36 Mercedes-AMG Team HRT car.

Lucas Auer also benefited from an early change to slick tyres and maintained his chances in the battle for the title with P6 plus an additional point for the fastest race lap. Prior to the final two races of the season at Hockenheimring on 8th and 9th October, the Tyrolean is in second place of the drivers’ standings, only eleven points down.


Luca Stolz, DTM, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT #4: “The Sunday race really made up for the messed-up Saturday on which I only ended up in P10. With our early stop, we made the right strategic call and I then had a free drive. Tht was a real team achievement and I am really happy that I was able to secure another second place as the best-placed Mercedes-AMG.”


Maro Engel, DTM, Fahrer Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing #88: "All in all, this was a very good weekend for us. We worked hard and adapted our car to the difficult conditions really well. Today’s pole position for me was super, I would have loved to convert it into a race win, but P3 is a strong result that we can all be happy with.”



Lucas Auer, DTM, driver, Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD #22: “Fourth place on Saturday was like a victory for us. I am really glad that the mistake in the speed check was identified and everything was sorted. Today, it was initially very difficult with the rain. But we made a brave decision and opted for dry-weather tyres at the right time. With P6 today and second place in the championship, I am very happy. Now, I will fully focus on the finale at Hockenheimring.”





Result race 1, DTM, Red Bull Ring *:


1.    37    Ferrari 488 GT3    Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse    Nick Cassidy (NZL)
2.    31    Audi R8 LMS GT3    Team ABT    René Rast (GER)
3.    63    Lamborghini Huracán GT3    GRT    Mirko Bortolotti (ITA)
4.    22    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD    Lucas Auer (AUT)
…                    
7.    88    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing    Maro Engel (GER)
9.    1    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD Racing    Maximilian Götz (GER)
10.    4    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team HRT    Luca Stolz (GER)
13.    36    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team HRT    Arjun Maini (IND)
16.    27    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD    David Schumacher (GER)
17.    18    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team Mücke Motorsport    Maximilian Buhk (GER)
DNF    55    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing    Mikaël Grenier (CAN)

* excerpt subject to confirmation by the organiser




Result race 2, DTM, Red Bull Ring *:


1.    24    Porsche 911 GT3 R    KÜS Team Bernhard    Thomas Preining (AUT)
2.    4    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team HRT    Luca Stolz (GER)
3.    88    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing    Maro Engel (GER)
4.    36    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team HRT    Arjun Maini (IND)
…                    
6.    22    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD    Lucas Auer (AUT)
14.    18    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team Mücke Motorsport    Maximilian Buhk (GER)
20.    1    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD Racing    Maximilian Götz (GER)
24.    27    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD    David Schumacher (GER)
DNS    55    Mercedes-AMG GT3    Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing    Mikaël Grenier (CAN)


* excerpt subject to confirmation by the organiser




 
Jochen Übler, photos Mercedes