On his birthday, his good fortune returned: Felipe Fraga claimed his maiden DTM race win in DTM Norisring powered by BMW M on Sunday, his 27th birthday. After multiple retirements, it was also the first success of the season for Red Bull AlphpaTauri AF Corse Ferrari, the teams’ champions of the 2021 season. Fraga is the first Brazilian DTM race winner since Augusto Farfus’s victory at Zandvoort in 2013. The birthday boy was accordingly happy: “This is the best birthday f my life! Thanks to everyone in the team, we have deserved this so much.”
Mirko Bortolotti (ITA) finished second with the GRT Lamborghini. By posting the best lap time, the Italian also secured the additional point for the Autohero Fastest Lap Award. As a result, Bortolotti is the DTM “half-time champion”. After eight of 16 races, the Lamborghini works driver took the lead in the drivers’ standings with 89 points from Sheldon van der Linde (RSA) who only ended up 15th with the Schubert BMW. Third place on Sunday went to René Rast (ABT Audi), who, with 79 points, is third in the standings, only one point down on Sheldon van der Linde (80).
All six premium brands participating in the 2022 DTM were represented on the first six places in the Sunday race. Local hero Marco Wittmann finished fourth with the Walkenhorst BMW, Dennis Olsen (NOR) came fifth with the SSR Performance Porsche while reigning champion Maximilian Götz (GER) finished sixth in his home race with the WINWARD Mercedes-AMG. Götz: “It was a good feeling. Being the best Mercedes in the race and in qualifying is good. In the home race, I fought like a lion.”
After a wild race on Saturday, the DTM drivers delivered a highly concentrated and disciplined performance on Sunday. Nevertheless, the tight street circuit in Nuremberg provided high-class racing action with many overtaking manoeuvres and the best entertainment for the numerous spectators in the grandstands. Franck Perera (FRA) with the GRT Lamborghini and Esteban Muth (BEL) with the Walkenhorst BMW were unable to race on Sunday due to too heavy damage.
At the halfway point of the season, Schubert Motorsport is leading in the teams’ standings with 111 points from Grasser Racing Team with 87 points and ABT Audi with 81 points. In the manufacturers’ standings, Audi is on top with 240 points while Mercedes-AMG (180) and BMW (159) are following in second and third place.
Now, there is a short break for drivers, teams and manufacturers before the really hot part of the 2022 DTM gets underway: action continues at Nürburgring powered by Mercedes-AMG from 26 till 28 August, then there is a two-week rhythm with races at Spa-Francorchamps, Red Bull Ring and Hockenheimring.