Green's Hockenheim penalty "not hard enough", reckons Wittmann

The championship's start procedure, implemented for the first time in the Hockenheim season-opening round, requires drivers to line up side-by-side at 80km/h after the safety car has pulled into the pits.

Audi driver Green took the lead from Timo Glock, but was handed a five-second stop/go penalty after being judged to have jumped the restart.

Despite receiving the penalty, Green was able to build a big enough gap to make his pitstop and still rejoin in the lead and eventually claim victory.

Reigning DTM champion Wittmann said Green's penalty should have been harder.

He said: "In my view the penalty was not hard enough against Jamie probably."

"For sure we still have to improve it [restart procedure], and I think there should be always a little advantage for the leader because at the end it makes no sense if the leader loses four or five positions.

Good start rule needs refining

Drivers from the series have come forward in support of the new procedure, believing it to provide more of a show for fans, but have called on officials to fine-tune the regulation ahead of this weekend's round at Lausitzring.

Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller said: "It's a learning process and for sure Hockenheim was not ideal from many aspects in my opinion.

"We need to get together in Lausitzring with the race director because obviously people learn from there.

"The series needs to sort it out mainly to have strict rules, that they can control it and to have a fair restart in a way.

"If you make up one position I am fine, but it can not be that you can gain seven positions because it's just not right in my opinion.

"But I'm happy that they have it even though I lost quite a lot in Hockenheim, probably a podium or a victory, I don't know.

"But for sure it's the right way to go for the fans and for the racing, for the show. I'm happy that we have it but we need to fine-tune it."

Stefan Mackley / Autosport