Zandvoort (NL), 28 August, DTM round 8 (pdf)
1 Gary Paffett (Mercedes) 38 laps in 1h 01'59"421
2 Mattias Ekström (Audi A4 DTM) + 12"015
3 Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Opel) + 16"732
4 Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM) + 20"042
5 Mattias Fässler (Opel) + 20"873
6 Martin Tomczyk (Audi A4 DTM) + 21"120

After a less than perfect qualifying practice, the Audi drivers displayed their fighting spirit by pushing hard to make up ground. From fifth place on the grid, Mattias Ekström improved to third as early as in the starting phase. Shortly before the second half of the race, he got closer and closer to Gary Paffett until his Audi A4 DTM lost the front left flics after slightly touching Christian Abt’s car. Despite the loss in aerodynamic balance, the reigning DTM champion stayed the course to finish in second place.

Le Mans record winner Tom Kristensen finished fourth to consolidate his third place in the standings despite having started from fifth row and struggling with an A4 DTM that had suffered severe front end damage as well. The Dane particularly thrilled the 77,000 spectators with a spectacular overtaking manoeuvre in the penultimate corner, pushing past Marcel Fässler (Opel).

Martin Tomczyk, as well, almost beat the Swiss driver to the photo finish at the finish line. Having started from position 15, the Bavarian was ultimately lacking merely 247 thousandths of a second for fifth place.

Another remarkable feat of making up ground was performed by Pierre Kaffer: from 18th place on the grid, he pushed forward to eleventh in his 2004-spec A4 entered by Audi Sport Team Joest to ultimately finish directly behind his team-mate, Christian Abt, who was handicapped by a bout of flu and whose car had suffered severe damage in a starting collision. Rinaldo Capello and Frank Stippler were knocked off the track by competitors and – like Allan McNish - had to retire.

Rinaldo Capello (Audi Sport Team Joest #18) Retired (collision)
"After the warm-up we completely changed the set-up. And guess what: my Audi A4 DTM was running like a charm in the race. We had fixed the problem with understeer and my lap times – especially when I was alone on the track – were alright. I’m sure that a seasoned driver like Bernd (Schneider) didn’t knock me out intentionally when I was defending my position against him. Now I’m looking forward to the race at the EuroSpeedway.”