Race: Schneider at last

Starting from the front row, Schneider had to overcome Audi poleman Martin Tomczyk with a great outbraking move at the hairpin on lap 12 which set him up for his first victory of the season. He also had to deal with new champion Mattias Ekstrom, who was running in the lead after delaying his second pitstop. Again, Schneider made short work of passing him at the hairpin, although a mistake at Turn 2, when he locked up and overshot, meant that Tomczyk was always close enough to pounce should he make another mistake.

Tomczyk will again have to wait for his first DTM win, while Gary Paffett (Mercedes) bounced back from a terrible opening lap to come through and finish third, passing team-mate Jean Alesi in the final stint of the race. Alesi then came under attack from Ekstrom, who clanged into the side of the Frenchman at the final corner, sending him across the kerbs. Tom Kristensen (Audi) nipped ahead of both of them for fourth position, while Alesi just pipped Ekstrom on the line, but didn't look very impressed at all...

Opel, meanwhile, suffered its worst race of the season with only Timo Scheider (ninth) and Heinz-Harald Frentzen (12th) making the flag.