DIRESTAANDPAFFETT VIEFORDTMCROWN

Paul di Resta and Gary Paffett are separated by just four points at the top of the DTM standings with only one race meeting remaining after the latest round at the Red Bull Ring last weekend.

Ex-force India and Williams F1 driver di Resta took two fourth places last weekend which was enough to move the Mercedes driver to the top of the standings.

Despite taking pole position for race two Paffett could only manage third to go with his 10th place from race one.

Audi driver and reigning champion Rene Rast was the big gainer however, as he won both races for the second event in a row to close to within 30 points of di Resta at the top of the standings.

Rast had entered the last lap of race one in fourth position before Audi teammates Nico Muller and Mike Rockenfeller allowed him through into second.

This became first after Mercedes’ Daniel Juncadella was handed a 30-second penalty for a restart infringement, dropping him from first position to 14th in the final results.

The Indy-style double-file restart came with three laps remaining, and Juncadella explained that his penalty came for accelerating too soon – and that he had also been investigated for going too slowly up to that point.

“I was focusing on my line driving at 80kph [50mph],” said Juncadella, who accused the DTM of “digging its own grave”.

“The rule is 60 to 80kph and I went down to 68, which is within the speed allowed, but the straight is really long, and I could see everyone wanting to go.

“I could see the white line ahead and they said I went too early.”

Five-time WRC champion Sebastien Ogier also made his debut in the DTM aboard a Mercedes, finishing 12th in race one and 16th in race two.