Rockenfeller extends Audi’s DTM lead after a treacherous Nürburgring

Thanks to Audi Sport Team Phoenix’s clever strategy, Mike Rockenfeller kept his cool in poor weather to extend his lead in the overall standings to 35 points at the Nürburgring.
 
Some 84,000 spectators watched the most thrilling DTM race of the year, after rain set in as the cars were completing their warm-up lap. Following a turbulent first lap, with numerous slips, spins and bumps, the safety car was deployed.

At that point, Mike Rockenfeller in the Schaeffler Audi RS 5 DTM was running at the tail end of the field after evading a rival in the first turn. 
 

Audi Sport Team Phoenix (the team’s HQ is right next door to the Nürburgring) opted for a risky strategy that would eventually pay dividends. The team called Rockenfeller into the pits and switched him to rain tyres while the safety car was still deployed.

Now much more comfortable on the rain tyres, ‘Rocky’ battled his way forward from 20th place to the front of the field in just five laps, and with an advantage of nearly half a minute.

Despite having to make an additional pit stop on account of the strategy, it was ultimately enough for him to take fourth place and another twelve points on a drying track.

These points were particularly valuable as his so far fiercest immediate rivals, Bruno Spengler (BMW) and Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz, did not finish in the points. 
 
“Today, I’ve got to express a special ‘thank you’ to my guys: This fourth place can be fully credited to Team Phoenix,” said Rockenfeller after the race. “Joey (Hand) almost ruined it for us in turn one but the team kept cool and did everything right. I want to thank the team for that!”
 
“I think the spectators really got their money’s worth today,” said Dieter Gass, Head of DTM at Audi Sport. “Mike (Rockenfeller), thanks to a clever move by his team, made another major step forward in the Championship today and now has a 35-point lead. The strategy of banking on three pit stops and changing to rain tyres during the safety car period fully worked out and was rewarded in the end. With four Audi RS 5 DTM cars in the points we can be pleased on the whole even though we could probably have achieved even more.”
 

After a four-week break, the DTM will continue at Oschersleben on September 15. Prior to that, the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at São Paulo (Brazil) is next on Audi’s agenda. Audi also leads this series, with the R18 e-tron quattro.