Ricardo Feller Stuns DTM World with Unbelievable Victory at Red Bull Ring!
In a jaw-dropping twist of fate, Ricardo Feller has claimed his first victory of the DTM season, sending shockwaves through the racing community at the iconic Red Bull Ring. The Land Audi driver, who only secured his spot in this competitive league thanks to a last-minute decision by his team, seized the lead after a costly blunder by polesitter Thierry Vermeulen. Feller’s triumph marks his third career win in the DTM, and it was anything but easy.
“This is an incredible feeling! I am beyond happy and immensely proud of my entire crew,” Feller exclaimed in an interview, showering praise on the Land team for their flawless pit stops. “It’s a beautiful victory! It’s a shame Sunday is here and everyone is leaving; we can’t celebrate properly. However, I couldn’t be prouder to give Land their very first DTM win today. Winning here at the Red Bull Ring was something I never anticipated. But that just makes it even sweeter. We have to savor this moment.”
Feller didn’t just win; he dominated the challenging race. Behind him, Emil Frey Ferrari’s Vermeulen took second place while Landgraf Mercedes’ Lucas Auer clinched third, regaining the points lead in a fiercely contested battle. Maro Engel from Winward Mercedes crossed the finish line in fourth, with HRT Ford’s Arjun Maini and Grasser Lamborghini driver Jordan Pepper rounding out the top six.
Unlike the previous day’s race, the start of the second showdown was chaotic, with Vermeulen leading the pack, followed closely by Feller and Jack Aitken. However, the midfield erupted into a frenzy with multiple collisions that led to drama for several title contenders. The chaos ensued when Marco Wittmann was nearly spun out by Ben Dorr at the first corner, dropping him to the back of the pack. Meanwhile, Thomas Preining suffered a puncture in his Manthey Porsche, effectively ending his chances of competing for the lead.
As if the drama couldn’t escalate further, Abt Lamborghini’s Nicki Thiim spun off the track, while Aitken also fell back with a puncture. In a cruel twist of fate, Fabio Scherer had to retire his HRT Ford due to a broken driveshaft, adding to the chaos.
When the first pit window opened, Feller and Vermeulen had built a solid lead, with a six-second gap over Auer in third. The two leaders strategically delayed their pit stops, setting the stage for an intense rivalry. Feller capitalized on Vermeulen’s minor slip-up to seize the lead before the race reached its halfway point.
As the pit stops unfolded, Feller defended his lead against Vermeulen, while Auer’s slower stop cost him precious positions, allowing HRT Ford’s Maini to surge ahead. In the middle stint, Feller significantly extended his lead, proving that he had expertly utilized his fresh tires.
The final pit stop proved crucial, with the Land Audi team executing flawlessly, enabling Feller to maintain his lead. However, it was a different story for Maini, who suffered a slow pit stop that dropped him behind Auer and Engel, and further complications for Rene Rast saw him penalized with two laps for unsafe release and crossing the white line during pit entry, sending him plummeting to 13th place.
With Rast’s disastrous finish, local hero Auer managed to reclaim the championship lead at his home race, now sitting seven points ahead of Grasser’s Jordan Pepper, while Rast trails in third, 11 points behind. The tension is palpable as the DTM season heads toward its climactic finale at Hockenheim on October 3-5.
Stay tuned as the battle for the championship intensifies!
