Paffett Won't Hold Back despite Gap
Gary Paffett has said he is determined to clinch the DTM title in style with victory in the final round at Hockenheim later this month, even though he only needs one point to claim the championship
The Briton's title hopes received a massive boost when he won at Istanbul on Sunday as title rival Mattias Ekstrom failed to score any points after he suffered handling problems, probably as a result of a controversial collision he had with Jamie Green early in the race.
And although Paffett could be forgiven for approaching the season finale on October 23 in a conservative frame of mind, he has vowed not to change the approach that has netted him five victories this season.
"It feels kind of strange to suddenly hold a nine-point lead when there was never more than a one-point gap in the past races," said Paffett, referring to the fact that the series' lead had regularly swapped between himself and Ekstrom over recent months.
"But I'm not yet the champion as anything can happen in motor racing."
But Paffett knows that with his Mercedes-Benz team taking the top four places in Istanbul, there is little reason to believe that his Audi rival will have an easy time at Hockenheim.
When asked about his approach to the race, Paffett said: "I'm going to do the same job there as I have done everywhere else. I know I only need one point, but I will be going to Hockenheim looking to win, because that would be the best way to win the championship."
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