The new DTM Trophy has its inaugural champion: third place in the first race of the weekend at Zolder in Belgium was enough for Tim Heinemann (GER, Mercedes-AMG) to seal the drivers’ crown in the new race series for production-based GT sportscars early. With 223 points, the German is now beyond reach in the lead of the drivers’ standings. Six wins, a pair of second places and one third place – Tim Heinemann’s track record is quite impressive indeed. The result of the second race at Zolder had a surprise in store: Audi driver Lucas Mauron (SUI, Hella pagid – racing one) was on the top step for the very first time. Another driver to score his maiden podium finish in a really thrilling race was Nico Verdonck (BEL, Toyota Supra, Ring Racing), who ended up second.
Thrilling three-way battle until the closing stages
The first DTM Trophy race at the Belgian race track with its long heritage again provided GT racing at its best. Mauron, who surprisingly had claimed pole position from Heinemann, had to surrender the lead to a charging Verdonck on the opening lap. Heinemann defended only briefly, temporarily dropped back to fifth, then worked his way back up into the group of the frontrunners again. The German stayed out of the two-way battle for the lead between Mauron and Verdonck: the only thing that mattered for him was finishing ahead of title rival Jan Kisiel (POL, Mercedes-AMG, Leipert Motorsport), who had to make do with fifth place overall and now only has runner-up spot to fight for. Verdonck, who led the race for a long time, had to let the increasingly strong Mauron past just before the end of the race. Nevertheless, all three drivers on the podium remained within striking distance until the end.
The battle for runner-up spot in the drivers’ standings remains open: Kisiel has 122 points and is ahead of British BMW driver Ben Green (103). DTM Trophy action continues on Sunday (start at 15.15 hrs, live on the streaming platform grid.dtm.com).
» Quotes – race 1, Zolder
Lucas Mauron, Audi, winner : « My first win, a very good feeling, of course. I hope that many more will follow. For us, the first part of the race wasn’t easy. At the start, there was a brief fight with Tim Heinemann, but thankfully I came out on top. As the race went on, I was able to manage the pace really well. That enabled me to benefit just before the end by overtaking Nico Verdonck. »
Nico Verdonck, Toyota, 2nd place : « A great race for us. The opening lap in particlar went really well. I didn’t expect to be able to do so well. Toyota and my team Ring Racing have worked really hard to improve the car. That has paid off. After the start, my pace was really good for a while, but towards the end of the race, Lucas became too strong. On the straights, the speed difference was simply too big to keep him at bay. All in all, however, being in contention up front is a good feeling. »
Tim Heinemann, Mercedes-AMG, 3rd place : « A dream is coming true. The long, hard work has paid off. Winning six races in a row and now securing the title in a new series simply is an unbelievable feeling. Nobody from us had expected this when we started the season. It was a tough race for us: starting from P2, temporarily only fifth, and then working our way back up again. The DTM Trophy is one of the toughest series, there are many quick guys out here. Now, first of all, we will celebrate, but of course, there are still three races remaining, to which I am looking forward very much. »
Press release DTM Trophy
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