Race 2: Diefenbacher crowned champion

The race started under the safety car, due to the treacherously slippery conditions caused by a morning of incessant rain.

After two slow laps in qualifying order, Stefan Mucke led away team mate Markus Winkelhock, Kimmo Liimatainen and Gary Paffett. Series leader Toshihiro Kaneishi was eighth, but the writing was on the wall for his title hopes when Diefenbacher slingshotted past him on the run to the first chicane.

Before this, Diefenbacher was third favourite for the title. Kaneishi was now down to ninth, which would put him level on points at the top with Mucke if the latter won, but the Japanese had more second place finishes and would take the crown on countback.

All the mathematical calculations became irrelevant, however. Diefenbacher was in inspired form and charged past Pierre Kaffer and Raffaele Giammaria on lap four to put himself on pole position for the title.

With Markus Winkelhock spearing off the circuit with a suspected suspension failure and out of second place, Diefenbacher pulled a sensational move to pass both Paffett and Liimatainen in one go under braking for the Ostkurve.

Second place was more than enough for him to take the title, and Kaneishi's only hope would be a massive rate of attrition ahead of him - but that never happened. It spoiled Japan's hopes of scooping all three major European F3 titles after the success of Takuma Sato and Ryo Fukuda in Britain and France.

Paffett passed Liimatainen for third, with the latter holding off Giammaria and Joao Paulo de Oliveira. Kaneishi finished seventh, just enough for him to hold second in the championship ahead of dominant race winner Mucke.

Stefan Mucke, Mucke Motorsport Dallara F301-Opel, 12 laps
Frank Diefenbacher, BSR Dallara F301-Opel, +8.8s
Gary Paffett, Team Rosberg Dallara F301-Opel, +10.8s
Kimmo Liimatainen, Team Kolles Dallara F301-Opel, +16.0s
Raffaele Giammaria, Cram Competition Dallara F300-Opel, +17.0s
Joao Paulo de Oliveira, Swiss Tony Racing Dallara F301-Opel, +19.7s


Diefenbacher, 187
Kaneishi, 180
Mucke, 178
Kaffer, 156
Winkelhock, 141
Paffett, 120