Main race: Fassler wins chaotic thriller

An incident-packed race culminated in a frantic last lap, which began with Alesi (Mercedes) in the lead from Fassler (Mercedes) and Aiello's Abt Audi. Fourth placed Mattias Ekstrom (Audi) and Schneider (Mercedes) touched at Turn 1 on the final tour, and Ekstrom spun on the exit, causing all three of the following Opels, namely Timo Scheider, Alain Menu and Manuel Reuter to spin too!

Schneider continued unabated and caught the Aiello/Fassler battle for third at the Gosser Kurve moments later. Fassler tagged Aiello under braking, Schneider then clipped Fassler but scrabbled past both of them to snatch second. Fassler then hit Aiello again at the Lauda Kurve, but Schneider - who seemed secure in second - got into a slide at the Rindt Kurve, allowing Aiello to draw alongside into the final turn.

Once again, Schneider ploughed into the gravel at the final corner, Aiello got on the kerbs, made slippery by a brief shower of rain, and spun, clipping Fassler before smacking into the pit wall.

Leader Alesi, meanwhile, had been told to slow before the finish line, to let Schneider through to win to keep his title hopes alive, but Fassler came through the carnage instead and won the race! The recovering Schneider crossed the line in second, just 0.03s ahead of Alesi - the moral victor - while Aiello limped home fifth behind Alzen. Menu recovered to take sixth for Opel.