Marco Wittmann (GER) produced an impressive display in his last race as DTM champion – for now – to claim his first win of the season and ensure that BMW ended the season on a high. He finished ahead of René Rast (GER) at the Hockenheim (GER) finale. Second place was sufficient for the Audi driver to win the title. Wittmann now has nine DTM victories to his name. He ended the 2017 season as the best-placed BMW driver in the Drivers’ Championship, finishing in fifth place with 160 points. In the Team Championship, BMW Team RBM was the top-placed BMW team in fourth. BMW ended the year third in the Manufacturers’ Championship.
Behind Wittmann, Maxime Martin (BEL) and Augusto Farfus (BRA), in sixth and seventh place, also picked up points in Sunday’s race at Hockenheim. Tom Blomqvist (GBR) started from pole position, but failed to finish after being hit from behind by another car. Timo Glock (GER) and Bruno Spengler (CAN) finished 12th and 14th. In total, 152,000 spectators followed the final weekend of the 2017 DTM season at the Hockenheimring.
The qualifying:
Marco Wittmann (Red Bull BMW M4 DTM) and Tom Blomqvist (BMW Driving Experience M4 DTM) were embroiled in a close battle for pole position throughout the 20-minute session, which was interrupted halfway through due to track damage. In the end, it was Blomqvist who secured the third pole of his career with a fastest time of 1:30.491 minutes, for which he scored three points towards the Drivers’ Championship. Wittmann ended the final qualifying session of the season in third place, picking up one point for his efforts. Maxime Martin (SAMSUNG BMW M4 DTM) and Augusto Farfus (Shell BMW M4 DTM) also made it into the top-ten in seventh and ninth places. Timo Glock (DEUTSCHE POST BMW M4 DTM) and Bruno Spengler (BMW Bank M4 DTM) were 12th and 14thfastest. Penalties awarded to other cars saw Martin promoted one place, while Farfus, Glock and Spengler moved up two places on the grid.
The race:
Tom Blomqvist and Marco Wittmann got away well at the start and were running first and second after the opening lap. A further three BMW drivers were in the top ten for the first half of the race, namely Maxime Martin, Augusto Farfus and Timo Glock. An earlier pit stop saw Wittmann leapfrog Blomqvist and take over as the leading BMW driver. With the Drivers’ title at stake, René Rast (GER, Audi) was showing good pace. He passed Blomqvist after his pit stop, while Wittmann pulled clear at the front of the field. A few laps later, Blomqvist was hit from behind by Robert Wickens (CAN, Mercedes) and forced to retire shortly after. Wittmann comfortably defended his lead to claim his first victory of the season in his last race, for now, as DTM champion. Rast was runner-up and crowned the new champion. Maxime Martin and Augusto Farfus came home sixth and seventh to pick up more points at the end of the season. Timo Glock and Bruno Spengler were 12th and 14th.
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