NEWS
21.10.2012
Bruno Spengler claims DTM championship crown with victory
Bruno Spengler (BMW) is the 2012 DTM champion: in a thrilling season finale at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, he claimed victory in the race after 42 laps and thus claimed the DTM championship crown for the first time in his career. Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz), who had led the drivers’ standings prior to the finale, finished second behind Spengler and is runner-up. Eventually, Paffett (145 points) was four points down on the Franco-Canadian (149 points). Augusto Farfus (BMW), who started the race from pole position, finished third at Hockenheim.
Race at glance
Air temperature: 16.5 °C
Asphalt temperature: 24.4 °C
Spectators during the race weekend: 128,000
| Start | Farfus takes the lead, Spengler slots into second. Paffett has problems getting away. He is fourth. |
| Lap 1 | Hand has also overtaken Paffett. Under braking for the hairpin, Paffett gets through on the inside and is third again. Spengler has overtaken Farfus and is now leading. Tambay into the pits, he retires with damaged right rear suspension. |
| Lap 2 | Spengler is leading from Farfus, Paffett, Ekström, Hand, Green, Mortara, Werner, Tomczyk. Rockenfeller, Frey into the pits. Frey continues, Rockenfeller retires. |
| Lap 6 | Spengler's advantage over Farfus is 1.5 seconds, Paffett is 0.9 seconds behind Farfus. Tomczyk and Schumacher battling for tenth. |
| Lap 8 | Wickens under investigation for pushing another car. |
| Lap 9 | Coulthard and Vietoris tangle while battling for twelfth. |
| Lap 11 | Spengler has extended his lead to 2.7 seconds. Farfus and Paffett both into the pits for their first mandatory stops. Ekström also into the pits. |
| Lap 12 | Paffett exits the pit lane ahead of Farfus. Ekström is stuck along the track, the right front wheel has come off. Spengler, Green, Mortara, Vietoris, Molina into the pits. |
| Lap 13 | Hand, Werner, Schumacher, Coulthard into the pits. |
| Lap 14 | Wolff into the pits. |
| Lap 15 | Paffett under investigation because of unsafe release. Scheider, Wickens into the pits. Debris from Schumacher's car on the main straight. |
| Lap 17 | The gap between Spengler and Paffett is 3.6 seconds. Molina into the pits. |
| Lap 18 | Priaulx, Coulthard, Albuquerque into the pits. |
| Lap 19 | No further action against Paffett. |
| Lap 20 | Wickens into the pits - he retires. |
| Lap 21 | Mortara and Priaulx into the pits. |
| Lap 22 | Schumacher into the pits. Coulthard and Scheider collide, Coulthard spins. Comes into the pits at the end of the lap. Wolff into the pits. |
| Lap 23 | Farfus, Vietoris, Merhi into the pits. Scheider under investigation. Coulthard into the pits, retires. |
| Lap 24 | Paffett into the pits. |
| Lap 25 | Spengler, Green, Tomczyk into the pits. |
| Lap 26 | Werner into the pits. Drive through for Timo Scheider because of pushing another car. |
| Lap 27 | Molina off the track, stuck in the gravel trap at Sachs corner. Scheider comes in for his penalty. |
| Lap 28 | Hand into the pits. |
| Lap 29 | All drivers having completed their pit stops, Spengler is leading from Paffett, Farfus, Green, Werner, Mortara, Priaulx, Hand, Schumacher, Vietoris. Merhi into the pits. |
| Lap 32 | 1.8 seconds between Spengler and Paffett. |
| Lap 33 | 1.3 seconds between Spengler and Paffett. |
| Lap 34 | Warning for Paffett because of leaving the track. |
| Lap 35 | Warning for Merhi because of leaving the track. |
| Lap 36 | 1.2 seconds between Spengler and Paffett. |
| Lap 40 | 1.6 seconds between Spengler and Paffett. |
| Lap 41 | Merhi under investigation. Merhi has to change position with Tomczyk, irregular overtaking. |
| Lap 42 | Final lap. |
| Finish | Bruno Spengler has won the race and is the 2012 DTM champion! Finish order: Spengler wins from Paffett, Farfus, Green, Werner, Mortara, Priaulx, Hand, Schumacher, Vietoris. |
