Hockenheim DTM: Farfus wins for BMW in season opener

The RBM BMW driver ran second to polesitter Timo Scheider for the opening handful of laps, but used his DRS to take the lead from the Abt Audi at the hairpin on lap six.

The Brazilian, who had started on the newly-introduced option tyres, stopped for the first time on lap seven while the safety car was on track and then spent the middle section of the race out of position as a host of different tyre strategies were employed.

He crucially overtook Daniel Juncadella for fifth spot at the Spitzkehre shortly after he had pitted for the final time.

That then became the lead when the cars ahead of him made their final stops.

The surprise of the race came from Dirk Werner, who started 20th, stopped under the safety car and then ran an ultra-long middle stint on the option tyres - which proved far more durable than expected - and emerged in second after his final visit to the pits.

The Schnitzer driver's best DTM result completed a one-two for BMW, ahead of HWA Mercedes duo Christian Vietoris and Gary Paffett.

Vietoris, who dropped from third to 11th on the opening lap, ran a similar strategy to Werner's and passed Paffett using DRS inside the final 10 laps. Like Werner's his result was the first time he had made the podium in a DTM race.

Paffett held off champion Bruno Spengler - with whom he had earlier banged wheels several times heading into the Mercedes Arena - for fourth.

Scheider's victory hopes ended when the safety car was brought out early on to allow Adrien Tambay's smoking Abt Audi to be cleared away from the side of the track.

He stayed out for one extra lap compared to his rivals and dropped to 19th as a result. But he was able to climb to sixth by the finish, aided by a sensational move on Joey Hand's BMW around the outside at the Sachs Kurve.

Scheider was the best-placed Audi with Mike Rockenfeller eighth. Marco Wittmann and Roberto Merhi each took their first DTM points in ninth and 10th.

He and his RSC Mucke team-mate Juncadella, who ran a similar strategy, finished outside the top 10.

Mattias Ekstrom damaged the front end of his Audi in a first-corner brush with Juncadella and Paffett and was later given a drive-through penalty - after his bonnet had flown off - for spinning Edoardo Mortara. He retired when he lost drive while Mortara, who already had a damaged splitter, also failed to finish.

Robert Wickens retired early on, the Canadian's strong run in fourth ending when his throttle stuck open approaching the Spitz Kehre. He narrowly avoided taking Spengler with him.

Results - 42 laps:

Pos Driver              Team/Car           Time/Gap
 1. Augusto Farfus      RBM BMW            1h10m11.583s
 2. Dirk Werner         Schnitzer BMW       + 3.692s
 3. Christian Vietoris  HWA Mercedes        + 9.675s
 4. Gary Paffett        HWA Mercedes        + 12.613s
 5. Bruno Spengler      Schnitzer BMW       + 13.212s
 6. Timo Scheider       Abt Audi            + 13.753s
 7. Joey Hand           RBM BMW             + 14.100s
 8. Mike Rockenfeller   Phoenix Audi        + 14.477s
 9. Marco Wittmann      MTEK BMW            + 17.894s
10. Roberto Merhi       HWA Mercedes        + 19.537s
11. Pascal Wehrlein     Mucke Mercedes      + 20.902s
12. Daniel Juncadella   Mucke Mercedes      + 26.169s
13. Martin Tomczyk      RMG BMW             + 30.904s
14. Jamie Green         Abt Audi            + 41.166s
15. Miguel Molina       Phoenix Audi        + 43.535s
16. Filipe Albuquerque  Rosberg Audi        + 54.077s
17. Andy Priaulx        RMG BMW             + 2 laps


Retirements:

   Mattias Ekstrom     Abt Audi            28 laps
   Edoardo Mortara     Rosberg Audi        21 laps
   Timo Glock          MTEK BMW            17 laps
   Robert Wickens      HWA Mercedes        5  laps
   Adrien Tambay       Abt Audi            4  laps