Van der Linde caps off rollercoaster race with first DTM win for BMW

• South African wins turbulent fourth race of the season in Zandvoort
• Dörr celebrates first DTM podium, Wittmann moves up from 13th to 3rd
• 39,500 fans attend DTM round at Dutch Formula 1 circuit

Zandvoort. Kelvin van der Linde (ZA/Schubert Motorsport) claimed his first DTM victory for BMW after a spectacular race in Zandvoort. The South African showed great fighting spirit and his reward for a courageous drive was the ninth DTM win of his career. “The victory feels in-credible; I’m lost for words. The race was an emotional rollercoaster, but that is exactly why I love the DTM. We fine-tuned the details and spent a lot of time working on pit stops after the opening weekend in Spielberg. It paid off,” said the delighted 29-year-old. Ben Dörr (Butzbach/Dörr Motorsport) also had reason to celebrate: The McLaren driver finished in P2 to secure a maiden podium for both him and his team. Van der Linde’s team-mate Marco Witt-mann (Fürth) mounted a brilliant comeback, and a clever strategy saw him claim third place. The second international DTM round in the Dutch town of Zandvoort attracted 39,500 spec-tators.

Key Facts, Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Race 4 of 16

• Track length: 4,259 metres
• Weather: 25 degrees, sunny
• Pole position: Kelvin van der Linde (Schubert Motorsport, BMW M4 GT3 Evo #3), 1:32.831 minutes
• Winner: Kelvin van der Linde (Schubert Motorsport, BMW M4 GT3 Evo #3)
• Fastest race lap: Timo Glock (Dörr Motorsport, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo #16), 1:34.493 minutes

Polesitter van der Linde dominated the first half of the race and was in the lead after the first pit stop. At this stage, Ferrari driver Thierry Vermeulen (NL/Emil Frey Racing) and Luca Engstler (Kempten/Red Bull Team Abt) in the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 were behind him in P2 and P3. Dörr and Wittmann battled their way up the field into seventh and ninth place after a brief safety car phase. Then came the drama on lap 20: Vermeulen overtook van der Linde, whose Pirelli slicks had worn more heavily. Consequently, the BMW driver was the first driver to pit for the second time – and this tactic paid off. With his tyres already up to temperature, he passed Vermeulen just a few laps later, who was still on cold tyres and stood no chance.

Dörr and Wittmann, on the other hand, opted for a different strategy. On lap 26 they were the last drivers to pit for the second time and worked their way up into P2 and P3 in the final laps with some spectacular overtaking manoeuvres. After 35 laps, van der Linde won the race ahead of Dörr and Wittmann. Behind the top three, Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol) was the fourth driver to cross the finish line. By also opting for late pit stops, the experienced tactician made up eight positions and in doing so regained the lead in the DTM standings. Vermeulen finished the second race in front of his fans in fifth place.

Two Lamborghini Temerario GT3 followed in sixth and seventh place with Engstler and Marco Mapelli (I/Red Bull Team Abt) at the wheel. The best Porsche driver was Thomas Preining (A) from the Manthey team in P8. Mirko Bortolotti (I/TGI Team by GRT) steered the third Lam-borghini into ninth place, Ricardo Feller (CH) claimed P10 in Manthey’s second 911.

Ben Dörr: “I didn’t really think P2 was possible. I couldn’t be prouder. Unfortunately, a wheel got stuck during my first pit stop, which cost me several positions, and I had given up hope of getting a top result. But I managed to fight my way back up the field with a run of good over-taking manoeuvres.”

Marco Wittmann: “A fantastic strategy and good tyre management were key to the strong race, which was incredibly intense with lots of wheel-to-wheel racing. I went easy on the tyres at the start of the race, which meant I was able to overtake the cars in front of me after the safety car phase. Of course, you’d rather have a comfortable lead, but these battles on the track are great fun.”

Results, 4th Championship Race, Circuit Zandvoort
1. Kelvin van der Linde (ZA/Schubert Motorsport)
2. Ben Dörr (D/Dörr Motorsport), +6.377 seconds
3. Marco Wittmann (D/Schubert Motorsport), +7.046 seconds
4. Maro Engel (D/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol), +7.510 seconds
5. Thierry Vermeulen (NL/Emil Frey Racing), +11.053 seconds

For the full results, see dtm.com/en/results.