Mike "Rocky" Rockenfeller has taken the podium for the new Audi A5 DTM, with a third place finish in the DTM race at Brands Hatch in Great Britain. Meanwhile, in the overall classification, Mattias Ekström has improved to third position. There were five Audi A5 DTM automobiles that finished in the points. The German from Audi Sport Team Phoenix marked the foundation for the podium finish from the very beginning on the shortest DTM track of 2012. Although overtaking is extremely difficult on this track, he surpassed Christian Vietoris, who drove a Mercedes-Benz, with his Schaeffler Audi A5 DTM. He then advanced to third place behind Gary Paffett and Bruno Spengler.
Vietoris had begun from the front row. "Rocky" closed the gap to the BMW during the final phase of the 98-lap race, running on the second spot. However, he was not able to outperform the Lausitzring winner. In an interview, he shared that he wanted to obtain the points because "this third place was enormously important." He added that it provides a "new motivation boost" for the entire team.
Mattias Ekström, who was driving the Red Bull Audi A5 DTM and from Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline. was able to make up ground from the eighth rank on the grid to the fifth position, thus improving from fourth to third rank in the overall standings. The Swede surpassed Christian Vietoris on the first lap and Adrian Tambay on the second lap. He subsequently took advantage of a slower pit stop of the Portuguese Filipe Albuquerque from Audi Sport Team Rosberg in his TV Movie Audi A5 DTM. Albuquerque held the fourth rank for a long time, but had to settle for the tenth place in the end.
