Paffett secures 7th in the DTM championship with a P5 finish at Hockenheim
Gary Paffett press release
Photo by: XPB Images
British DTM driver Gary Paffett moved up the Championship standings to secure seventh place following a P5 finish in the season finale at Hockenheim. Saturday's qualifying session saw Paffett post the seventh quickest time; a 1:33.103.
On Sunday afternoon he lined his THOMAS SABO AMG Mercedes C-Class up on the fourth row of the grid for the final race of the 2011 season. Paffett had a strong start to the race and made a move on the outside of turn one to overtake Spengler. Successfully defending his position against both Spengler and Jarvis into turn two, Paffett maintained P6 and began to pull away from the two drivers.
Paffett spent the next nine laps reeling in Scheider, but was unable to find a way past. Prior to the race, the team had decided that they would bring Paffett in early for his first pitstop in an attempt to jump the other drivers in the stop. On lap 10 they brought Paffett in and the team made a swift stop.
Scheider stopped one lap later and as the Audi driver came out of the pits Paffett overtook him on the exit of turn two and snatched fifth place. Paffett was now behind Rockenfeller and the two drivers began to pull away from Scheider. On lap 18 Paffett stopped early for his second pit stop and rejoined in fifth place behind Rockenfeller.
The two cars were doing similar lap times which meant Paffett was unable to get past the German driver and crossed the finish line in fifth place, securing four more Championship points.
Fifth place was a decent result for us considering we started in P7
"Fifth place was a decent result for us considering we started in P7 and the cars at the top of the grid were all lapping similar times. It was disappointing not to have Jamie's speed but to pick up four more Championship points and move up two places in the Championship is a positive end to what has been a difficult season;" commented Gary Paffett. "2012 will bring a lot of changes to DTM; a new car and the addition of BMW. This season may have only just finished but I am already looking forward to the next one and what we can achieve as a team;" continued Paffett.
Gary finished the DTM 2011 Championship in seventh position with twenty five Championship points.
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