Abt Audi driver Kelvin van der Linde moved into the lead of the championship with victory within the penultimate DTM race of 2024 at Hockenheim, as Mirko Bortolotti might solely salvage fifth place.
Ranging from pole place, van der Linde was in a position to outduel Winward Mercedes driver Lucas Auer to assert his third victory of the season and overturn a 12-point deficit to Bortolotti right into a two-point benefit forward of the title decider on Sunday.
Ayanchan Guven accomplished the rostrum spots for Manthey EMA Porsche, whereas Auer’s team-mate Maro Engel saved his slim championship hopes alive by ending fourth forward of SSR Lamborghini rival Bortolotti.
At the beginning of the race, van der Linde pulled away cleanly from pole place, with Auer consolidating second place after securing his first front-row begin within the DTM since 2022.
Bortolotti and Engel had certified out of place in seventh and ninth respectively, however each had been in a position to climb up the order on the opening lap, rising as much as fourth and fifth behind Guven.
When the pit window opened on the 20-minute mark, Engel instantly pulled into the pitlane, with Winward sending him again out after servicing his automobile in simply six seconds.
Bortolotti adopted him on the subsequent lap, however a sluggish 8.2s cease – all the way down to a sluggish front-left tyre change – left him weak to his Mercedes rival.
Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Efficiency Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3
Picture by: Alexander Trienitz
Though the Italian managed to rejoin the observe in entrance regardless of being delayed, Engel already had his tyres as much as temperature and muscled his well beyond at Flip 8, taking fourth place away from him.
On the finish of the identical lap, van der Linde lastly peeled into the pits from the lead of the race, with Auer – who had been on his tail within the first stint – protecting him subsequent day trip.
Winward’s determination to delay Auer’s pitstop initially appeared to repay as he rejoined the observe on the entrance, however a lap later the Abt driver was in a position to move him into Flip 2 to reinstate the established order.
The Austrian saved the stress up on van der Linde for the rest of the race, with the 2 drivers even making contact on the hairpin on lap 30.
In the end, van der Linde was in a position to do sufficient to fend off his Mercedes rival, taking the chequered flag by 0.508s to place himself in the perfect place to win the 2024 DTM title in Sunday’s finale.
Guven had a lonely race en route to 3rd within the lead Porsche, whereas Engel held off Bortolotti to place himself 20 factors behind van der Linde within the championship standings.
Jules Gounon, substituting for Luca Stolz at HRT Mercedes, quickly closed in on Bortolotti within the closing phases of the races, however in the end needed to accept sixth place on his DTM debut.
The highest Schubert BMW driver on Saturday was Rene Rast in seventh, forward of HRT driver Arjun Maini and team-mate Marco Wittmann. Nicki Thiim accomplished the highest 10 for SSR Efficiency.
Emil Frey Ferrari’s Jack Aitken was the one retirement from the race, as 19 of 20 drivers made it to the end.
