Mercedes-AMG Motorsport’s Robert Wickens took his first win of the 2017 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season in the second race at the Nürburgring this afternoon, having had his fair share of close-fought battles in the dry.
The Canadian ended a winless drought going back to Moscow Raceway last year to pick up the win ahead of Stuttgart stablemate Paul di Resta, with the pair separated by 0.362 seconds at the finish.
The pair got past initial leader Marco Wittmann, who would not be able to match their race pace during the 40-lap encounter, with the defending champion having to settle for third place, ahead of 2012 champion Bruno Spengler.
Maro Engel had another impressive race at the track that he declared as his “second home,” as he surged from 15th on the grid to complete the top five.
Current championship leader Mattias Ekström extended his points lead over closest challenger Lucas Auer, as the Swede made his way through the field to finish sixth at the flag.The Austrian lost the rear of his C63 Coupé on the exit of turn three on lap six, putting him to the back of the field, being unable to make a comeback, eventually finishing in 13th.
Team Rosberg’s Jamie Green made it two RS5 DTMs in the top ten, finishing in seventh, 2.338 seconds behind Ekström, with a trio of BMW M4 DTMs behind the Briton.
Timo Glock was eighth, ahead of Munich stablemates Augusto Farfus and Tom Blomqvist, with BMW having all bar one of their cars in the top ten. Glock was involved in contact with Nico Müller
Glock was involved in contact with Nico Müller on the approach to the chicane, with the latter retiring from hefty damage to the right rear of his Audi.
Championship hopeful René Rast would not be able to move up the order significantly, having started last, but would still make his way up to 12th at the flag, finishing behind Maxime Martin.
The penultimate round of the 2017 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters takes place in the picturesque surrounding of Styria, with the Red Bull Ring set to host another action-packed race weekend between the 22nd and 24th of September.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 6 | Robert WICKENS |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 56:49.795 | 1:22.474 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 0.362 | 1:22.715 | 2 |
| 3 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 7.589 | 1:22.650 | 1 |
| 4 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER | |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 7.955 | 1:22.692 | 9 |
| 5 | 63 | Maro ENGEL | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 15.995 | 1:22.842 | 14 |
| 6 | 5 | Mattias EKSTRÖM |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 20.549 | 1:23.054 | 13 |
| 7 | 53 | Jamie GREEN | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 22.887 | 1:22.382 | 11 |
| 8 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 40.196 | 1:22.510 | 6 |
| 9 | 15 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 40.307 | 1:22.616 | 7 |
| 10 | 31 | Tom BLOMQVIST | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 41.818 | 1:23.173 | 5 |
| 11 | 36 | Maxime MARTIN |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 42.033 | 1:22.573 | 12 |
| 12 | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 43.624 | 1:22.308 | 18 |
| 13 | 22 | Lucas AUER |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 47.351 | 1:22.766 | 4 |
| 14 | 2 | Gary PAFFETT | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 48.758 | 1:22.649 | 8 |
| 15 | 77 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 59.428 | 1:23.651 | 17 |
| 16 | 48 | Edoardo MORTARA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 40 | 1:19.821 | 1:23.041 | 10 |
| 17 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 1:27.978 | 1:22.930 | 15 |
| R | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 29 | DNF | 1:23.212 | 16 |