Nico Müller wins DTM season opener at Spa - A Swiss victory on the Swiss national day 01.08.2020: • First winner’s trophy of the 2020 season goes to Audi • Jamie Green (GBR) and Loïc Duval (FRA) round out clean sweep of podium for Audi • Tyre management decisive in hot conditions at Spa

•    First winner’s trophy of the 2020 season goes to Audi


•    Jamie Green (GBR) and Loïc Duval (FRA) round out clean sweep of podium for Audi


•    Tyre management decisive in hot conditions at Spa



On the Swiss national day, Nico Müller wins the DTM season opener at Spa-Francorchamps. With a sprited drive in the opening stages and clever management in the second half of the race, the Audi driver secured an emotional victory. Müller, who concluded the 2019 season as runner-up in the drivers’ standings, also took the early points’ lead as a result. Defending champion René Rast (GER, Audi) finished in fifth place by virtue of a two-stop strategy, having staged an entertaining duel with Müller through the legendary section of ‘Eau Rouge’ and ‘Raidillon’ in the opening stages of the race.



Two drivers from the Audi ranks rounded out the podium after great recovery drives: Jamie Green (GBR) moved up from eleventh place on the grid to finish second after demoting Loïc Duval to third in a thrilling battle. Duval had started the first race of the DTM season from the fourth row on the grid.



Eng and Auer – Austrian duo end up as best-placed BMW drivers


Philipp Eng and DTM-returnee Lucas Auer flew the flag for BMW in the opening race of the season. The two Austrians finished in sixth and seventh place respectively in the race at Spa-Francorchamps. Timo Glock (GER) came eight. From BMW’s perspective, the debut of Robert Kubica (POL) also caught a lot of attention.




Having had previous success in Formula 1 and the World Rally Championship, the Pole now joined the ranks of the DTM to embark on a career in touring cars and finished 14th in his maiden race.






» Quotes – race 1, Spa-Francorchamps

Nico Müller, Audi, winner


“Right at the beginning of the race, there was a thrilling situation with René Rast at Eau Rouge, something I hadn’t really planned for, but thankfully, he left me enough room. I managed to keep the tyres alive for the first stint. The second stint was very difficult for me, I was pretty much on my own.



Hats off to the boys, the car was fantastic, preparation was just mega! It is always emotional to win a race, especially on the first of August, which is the national day in Switzerland.”




Jamie Green, Audi, 2nd place



“My start wasn’t really good, I almost stalled. Then it was a matter of picking my way to make up places. This was one of my more enjoyable races in the DTM. My car was a pleasure to drive, it was great fun. Usually, it helps to get some points early on in the season. I haven’t sat in a race car since October, so it is a relief to be back where I think I should be.”



Loïc Duval, Audi, third place


“The race was pretty good. I struggled with the clutch at the start and then had to make my way back to the front. When others started to fight, I was able to overtake and to make up places. After the stop, I tried to manage my tyres and wait for others to become involved in battles, which some did, like Mike Rockenfeller, René Rast and Robin Frijns. In the closing stages, I was struggling myself which enabled Jamie to overtake me. Third place is a good result, also for the team.”





» Results – race 1, Spa-Francorchamps


01. Nico Müller (SUI), Audi, 26 laps in 57m 58.596s
02. Jamie Green (GBR), Audi, + 19.502s
03. Loïc Duval (FRA), Audi, + 22.839s
04. Timo Glock (GER), BWM, + 29.234s
05. René Rast (GER), Audi, + 32.032S

Fastest lap: Nico Müller (SUI), Audi RS 5 DTM, 2m 09.756s
Pole position: Robin Frijns (NED), Audi RS 5 DTM, 2m 05.625s
Weather conditions: 30°C, sunshine
Circuit conditions: 40–45°C, dry surface




» Wow fact – race 1, Spa-Francorchamps


   
0 Interim status report from the first DTM event of 2020: so far, there were exactly zero suspected cases of a covid-19 infection and as a result no necessary quick tests. All manufacturers, teams, suppliers and service providers carry out body temperature checks for all employers are carried out on a daily basis, sometimes even several times a day.



In the slightest suspected case, the person involved is isolated immediately and checked for covid-19 by means of a blood test. The result of this test, approved all over Europe, that reliably identifies antibodies resulting from a previous or current disease is available within eight minutes.





» And then, there was …



… the first points’ leader of the season, Robin Frijns. The Dutchman came out on top in qualifying for the first race at Spa-Francorchamps and thus secured the three additional championship points. The last Dutchman to lead the DTM standings was Christijan Albers (Mercedes) back in 2004. He was also the last (and so far only) Dutchman to be on pole in the DTM, in 2004.




ITR GmbH- photos DTM