Defending champion René Rast secured his first win of the 2018 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season, ending the first half of the year on a high, with the German using pit stop strategy to jump pole sitter Gary Paffett, by opting to pit very early.
The Team Rosberg driver came under pressure from Paffett in the latter stages, but was able to do enough to keep the Briton at bay by 0.824 seconds at the flag.
Paul Di Resta made it a 2-3 finish for Mercedes, making it two British drivers on the podium, as the West Lothian driver heads to Brands Hatch just 27 points behind the current points leader.
Philipp Eng continues his impressive run of form as a DTM rookie, as the Austrian took fourth place, ahead of a determined Augusto Farfus, who made good use of Pascal Wehrlein to get past both him and Nico Müller at Tarzan, after the former pitted on lap 20.
The 2015 champion was still able to use the pace of his C63 AMG Coupé to get past Müller in the latter stages for sixth, after his Hankook tyres switched on.
The Swiss driver would get a warning for his robust overtake on Edoardo Mortara, who took eighth, ahead of Lucas Auer, whilst Timo Glock completed the top ten.
Joel Eriksson, who was also given a warning for pushing another vehicle off track, brought his M4 DTM across the finish line in 11th, ahead of Spain’s Daniel Juncadella, who was battling with Eng, Mike Rockenfeller, Farfus and Müller before the half way point of the race.
Bruno Spengler recovered from being spun out by Audi Team Rosberg’s Jamie Green at Tarzan on lap 21 to finish 13th, ahead of the Briton, who received a drive-through penalty for hitting the side of the Canadian’s car, having locked up his brakes.
Loïc Duval was one of the last drivers to opt to make his mandatory pitstop, but the Frenchman would finish behind Green, and ahead of Rockenfeller, who took the 2013 title at this circuit.
Marco Wittmann would also end up at the bottom end of the field at the finish, having had contact with both Duval and Green after the Indy-style restart on lap 24. The two-time champion suffered a left front puncture, having to pit on lap 25.
Continued electrical woes for Robin Frijns saw the Dutch driver unfortunately retire on lap 11, as the unsolved issues brought a now disappointing weekend on home soil to a close, making him the only retiree of the race.
The DTM heads back to Brands Hatch in four weeks’ time for the first time since 2013, with Paffett leading the standings on 148 points, ahead of countryman Di Resta, with Glock rounding out the top three on 101.
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Petronas leads the team standings on 213, with SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport making it a Stuttgart 1-2, ahead of BMW Team RMR.
The Stuttgart brand continues to extend its dominant grasp on the Manufacturers’ standings after ten races to 547 points, 189 ahead of BMW Motorsport, with Audi Sport now on 165 points.
Brands Hatch will also be the first time in 15 years that the DTM has used a Grand Prix circuit variation in the United Kingdom, when the championship headed to Donington Park in 2003.
Race result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | BEST | GD |
| 1 | 33 | René RAST |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 35 | 56:44.864 | 1:32.288 | 3 |
| 2 | 2 | Gary PAFFETT |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 35 | 0.824 | 1:32.265 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 35 | 1.349 | 1:32.193 | 5 |
| 4 | 25 | Philipp ENG |  |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 35 | 1.825 | 1:32.384 | 2 |
| 5 | 15 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 35 | 2.123 | 1:32.581 | 8 |
| 6 | 94 | Pascal WEHRLEIN | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 35 | 3.200 | 1:33.051 | 4 |
| 7 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 35 | 4.883 | 1:32.359 | 16 |
| 8 | 48 | Edoardo MORTARA |  |
SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 35 | 6.302 | 1:32.827 | 9 |
| 9 | 22 | Lucas AUER | |
SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 35 | 8.864 | 1:32.602 | 10 |
| 10 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 35 | 9.177 | 1:32.492 | 17 |
| 11 | 47 | Joel ERIKSSON |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 35 | 9.818 | 1:32.956 | 14 |
| 12 | 23 | Daniel JUNCADELLA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 35 | 10.404 | 1:32.161 | 11 |
| 13 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 35 | 13.709 | 1:32.479 | 7 |
| 14 | 53 | Jamie GREEN | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 35 | 26.500 | 1:32.598 | 15 |
| 15 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 35 | 40.438 | 1:32.295 | 13 |
| 16 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 35 | 43.370 | 1:31.805 | 6 |
| 17 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 35 | 1:10.745 | 1:32.282 | 12 |
| R | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 10 | DNF | 1:32.590 | 18 |