• Jules Gounon finishes second in Sunday’s race
• One win and two podiums for Mercedes-AMG at season opener
• Mercedes-AMG also successful in ADAC GT4 Germany

Mercedes-AMG achieved another strong result in the second race of the DTM season opener in Oschersleben. In the morning qualifying, DTM rookie Jules Gounon (FRA) secured pole position in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #48. The new race format with two mandatory pit stops was used for the first time in Sunday’s race, adding to the excitement. Gounon crowned his performance with a strong second place, securing another podium finish for Mercedes-AMG.

For Jules Gounon from Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER, who drives the iconic ‘Mamba’, Sunday was almost perfect. After a warm-up lap in qualifying, he returned to the pits, as did the other AMG drivers. In the second half of the session, his team then directed him perfectly through the traffic, giving him a clear run for his fastest lap. In the race, Gounon got off to a confident start but had to relinquish the lead during the first pit stop window. With his second tyre change, which he tactically timed to just before the end of the stop window, he was able to work his way up to second place and defended this position until the finish.

Lucas Auer from Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf went into the second race day of the weekend as championship leader and qualified in eighth place on the grid. Due to his victory on Saturday, Auer had to carry a 20-kilogramme weight penalty. He had bad luck at the start: on cold tyres, there was contact in the first lap, causing Maro Engel from Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing to briefly slide off the track. The race director then ordered a position swap between Engel and Auer. This caused Auer to lose three positions because there were already two cars between the two AMG drivers. His team opted for an undercut strategy during the pit stops, which ultimately allowed the Austrian to fight his way back to tenth place. Maro Engel crossed the finish line in twelfth place.

Tom Kalender, the youngest driver in the field, had a solid first DTM weekend. The 17-year-old held his own in a strong field of 24 drivers and saw the chequered flag on both race days. On Sunday, Kalender received a three-penalty lap penalty after a collision with Timo Glock and finished the race in 20th place.

The next DTM weekend will take place from 23 to 25 May at the DEKRA Lausitzring in Klettwitz. Mercedes-AMG aims to continue its strong start there and collect more important points for the championship.

Successful start to the season for Mercedes-AMG in ADAC GT4 Germany
The Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Team Schnitzelalm Racing got off to a fabulous start to the ADAC GT4 Germany season in the supporting programme to the DTM. Enrico Förderer and Jay Mo Härtling (both GER) started Saturday’s race from second place and secured a convincing victory. On Sunday, the pair initially took pole position but were relegated three places for blocking a competitor. In the race, the duo fought their way back to first place. These were the first races in the series for Enrico Förderer and Jay Mo Härtling and the first victories in the ADAC GT4 Germany for the Mercedes-AMG GT4.

Figures, Data, Facts

“I am very happy with the overall result of this weekend. I am particularly pleased that we were able to score many valuable points for the championship. We managed to play to the strengths of our Mercedes-AMG GT3 on this track. In addition, our teams and drivers proved that they are competitive and performing at a very high level. This is a great start to the season. We have created a strong foundation and can use the knowledge we have gained to prepare specifically for the race at the Lausitzring.”
Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing

“The opening weekend was very successful for Mercedes-AMG and I am delighted that we have taken the lead in the manufacturers’ standings right away. The new race format on Sunday with two pit stops added extra excitement. This makes the DTM even more of a team sport: not only the drivers and engineers, but the entire crew has to work together perfectly, and the strategy and pit stops have to be spot on given the high level of performance. For the spectators, the action is particularly great in the last third of the race. Today we saw that this can lead to changes in positions. We now want to take this momentum with us to the next race.”
Thomas Jäger, DTM Sporting Director

“Overall, it was a very good weekend. Yesterday was the highlight, of course, with the victory, but today was a bit more sobering. We actually had a lot more potential in qualifying. With the extra weight, the race was still a solid performance. The penalty today was bitter – I’m the last person who wants a collision with a fellow driver. Unfortunately, there was contact on cold tyres in the first lap. Our strategy with the undercuts was risky because it’s difficult to implement here on this track – but it worked well. Now I’m looking forward to the Lausitzring, one of my favourite tracks. That’s where I won my first DTM race in 2015.”
Lucas Auer #22, Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf

“That was a great qualifying session and a really tough race today. Many thanks to Mercedes-AMG and the Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER – we had to defend second place really hard in the Porsche sandwich. We worked intensively on the set-up throughout the weekend to get the car as competitive as it was today. I’m very happy and glad that I was able to score important points for the championship.”
Jules Gounon #48, Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER

“Overall, I’m satisfied with my first DTM weekend, even though I would obviously have liked to have finished further up the field. The standard in the DTM is extremely high – three tenths of a second can make a big difference in qualifying. That makes the starting position for the race more difficult. My race pace was actually good, but overtaking is extremely difficult here on this track. The three penalty laps today hurt. In the next four weeks, we now need to continue working on our pace, especially in qualifying.”
Tom Kalender #48, Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf

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