Comeback
Götz, Lawson and Ellis were among the first to pit for the mandatory stops, although neither were able to
gain positions on their rivals. Albon, meanwhile, was able to overtake and move into virtual fourth position,
shortly before pitting on lap 13. The service work by the AF Corse mechanics was once again impeccable
and the AlphaTauri driver managed to pass Muth. Albon continued to churn out fast times to close the gap
on the leaders, overhauling Ellis first, then Juncadella, before moving into Lawson’s slipstream. The New
Zealander was unable to slow down his team-mate, who would attack and overtake Götz on lap 21. As soon
as he had overtaken, Lawson was then able to catch the Mercedes driver and outstrip him a few laps after
the withdrawal of Marco Wittmann, second place in the standings on the eve of the round in Hockenheim.
In spite of faster pace than Van der Linde’s, Albon was unable to close the gap separating him from the
South African, while Lawson, on the final lap had to endure being overtaken by Rockenfeller, Van der
Linde’s team-mate, after a fierce one-to-one combat, relegating him into fourth place.
The chequered flag unfurled to hail victory for the Audi driver while Albon finished second, clinching a fourth
podium of the year, while Lawson posted fourth. The results mean that Lawson keeps hold of the
championship leadership, on 188 points, joined by Van der Linde. Albon lies in fifth, on 122 points, keeping
his title hopes alive.
Race 2
With a consistent yet determined showing, Liam Lawson (Red Bull AF Corse) claimed an excellent
runner-up spot in the second race of the DTM weekend at Hockenheim to edge further away at the head of
the overall standings. The driver now holds a 14-point advantage over the nearest second-placed rival in the
countdown to the final round of the season. Alex Albon in the other Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 (AlphaTauri
AF Corse) posted sixth place.
High tension start
Emotions were running high from the get-go, with Liam Lawson third on the grid and Alex Albon, fifth, vying
for positions in a tense struggle. Lawson’s #30 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 got involved in a long, heated duel
with Van der Linde. After plenty of door to door tussling, the New Zealander racer with Red Bull AF Corse
was able to get the better of his immediate rival in the general standings. However, whilst attempting an
overtaking manoeuvre, Van der Linde was deemed by race authorities. Having secured the position, Lawson
was able to dictate the pace, in spite of the ballast, breaking away before eventually finishing the race in
second place ahead of Maximilian Götz.
An excellent sixth place finish for Alex Albon. After a delicate, tricky start to the race, the AlphaTauri AF
Corse driver gained ground: in addition to a brilliantly swift, efficient pit stop, Albon was able to stage an
intelligent defence in the second half of the race, fending off attacks from his most immediate pursuers, but
whose bid for a higher position was hindered by the heavy success ballast as a result of the Race 1
podium.
The standings
Today’s second place in the run-up to the final round of the season, helps Lawson consolidate his
leadership in the overall standings: the New Zealander driver now holds 206 points compared to the 192 of
Van der Linde. Götz follows on 180 points.
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