Oschersleben DTM: Ex-F1 racer Timo Glock wins in BMW podium lockout

Led by the ex-Formula 1 driver, BMW pilots filled seven of the top eight places in a race slowed by a pair of early safety car periods for debris, following a mid-pack pile-up at the first corner.

Mike Rockenfeller made contact with the rear of Jamie Green's Audi, as Mercedes driver Robert Wickens tagged Nico Muller on the inside.

Green and Muller were spun around, with Edoardo Mortara and Gary Paffett also caught up.

All six drivers retired at various stages during the race due to the damage they acquired.

"I had a decent start, not great, tried to go on the inside and I think I was late on the brakes, and everything backed up ahead," Rockenfeller said.

"Wickens was on the inside of me, really, really late and I just clipped Jamie. Obviously it was not great."

None of that troubled Glock, who kept the lead off the line and at each restart.

He edged away from Bruno Spengler to take his first DTM win since the final race of his debut season, at Hockenheim in October 2013.

Spengler forced his way past Antonio Felix da Costa at the second restart, and eventually finished 1.8 seconds behind Glock, as da Costa completed the podium.

Augusto Farfus joined Glock on the front row of the grid but ran slightly wide at the first corner, dropping to fourth and forcing Tom Blomqvist - outside of Farfus, having started third - down to seventh, and the pair eventually finished in those places.

The best non-BMW driver was Pascal Wehrlein, who brought his Mercedes home in fifth place despite a power steering failure, just ahead of BMW's Marco Wittmann.

As a result, Wehrlein leads the championship after a Saturday race for the third event in a row, claiming a four-point advantage over Mattias Ekstrom, who finished 14th from the back row of the grid.

Martin Tomczyk took eighth, the seventh of the BMWs inside the top eight, while Miguel Molina was the best Audi in ninth and Mercedes' Daniel Juncadella rounded out the top 10.

UPDATE: Stewards have handed Wickens a 13-place grid penalty for Sunday's race, and Rockenfeller a three-place drop.

"I went down into Turn 1, and I stayed on my line, Rocky moved in the middle of the braking zone to cover me," Wickens told AUTOSPORT.

"But I just wasn't expecting him to turn in the braking, it is not normally something that you do.

"He forced me completely to the inside and it was too tight to make the corner.

"I feel bad for Nico Muller because I ran into the back of him and it obviously wasn't my intention.

"I think both Rocky and I need to be smarter tomorrow because Rocky also sent off cars in front of him as well."

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