After an excellent performance in Race-1 and in qualifying-2, both closed at the top of the standings, Race-2 of Hockenheim it turned out to be anything but easy for the South African Kelvin van der Linde, protagonist of a disastrous performance to say the least. The Audi driver, despite having started from pole position, immediately lost his leadership in favor of the Austrian Lucas Auer, the latter then able to be the first to cross the finish line at the wheel of his Mercedes, conquering his own at the same time second victory season after the success of Race-2 in Assen.
Already during the first round, van der Linde also lost the second position even on the direct rival in the championship, Liam Lawson. In an attempt to respond to the lunge made against him, the South African, however, rammed the New Zealander’s Ferrari, getting the better of him with a maneuver deemed irregular by the Race Direction. The latter, in fact, has imposed one penalty of 5 seconds at the address of the now former leader of the ranking. As if the already heavy sentence were not enough, the color bearer of the ABT Sportline team then suffered overtaking, in order, by the two Mercedes of Gotz and Juncadella, finishing sixth after being mocked by Ellis too.
This is the verdict of the track, but not of the race judges: about 20 minutes from the conclusion of the race, they imposed a second penalty on the South African, still 5 seconds, guilty of having repeatedly exceeded the track limits. With therefore 10 seconds in total to be served at the checkered flag, van der Linde thus dropped to 10th position, finding himself on the edge of the points zone.
To make the most of this sensational misstep by the Audi driver was therefore Auer, winner of the third to last race of the championship, but above all Liam Lawson. Thanks to the second final place, the New Zealander has thus regained the leadership of the standings, distancing himself from van der Linde and finishing at 206 points, against 192 of the South African. Gotz’s performance was also excellent, thanks to the final third place he was able to take off even from a colorless Marco Wittmann, strengthening in turn the third place in the standings with 180 points, against the 165 of his compatriot of BMW, who arrived only 12. ° at the finish.
With these results, and above all with this provisional ranking, the name of the champion driver of the DTM 2021 season will be announced at the end of the next stage in Norisring, seat oflast appointment of the championship which will be held on the Bavarian track between 8 and 10 October.