Mercedes-AMG Motorsport ends a successful DTM season by winning the drivers' and constructors' championships
In the end, there were only tears of joy. Maximilian Götz, the 35-year-old driver on the Mercedes-AMG Team HRT, had just accomplished a feat that even the boldest optimists had hardly dared to hope for; 1st place atop of the podium at Norisring. It wasn’t long before his emotions got the better of him. Although he had only started the final race of the DTM season in third place in the overall standings, he crossed the finish line as champion, with a lead of just three points. "I still can't believe it. This is the greatest moment of my career," Götz stammered in a shaking voice: "I'm going to enjoy this to the fullest”. And how he enjoyed it: he lifted the robust trophy into the sun-filled sky and held it there as if he never wanted to take it down again. In the stands, friends and family were as moved as Götz, who was born in Ochsenfurt, just under 100 kilometers away, and is still a member of the Nuremberg Motorsport Club. He couldn't have wished for a better place to celebrate his greatest triumph.
It was a dramatic victory to boot. In an exciting race, Götz had benefited from the duel between Liam Lawson and Kelvin van der Linde, who had finished ahead of him. The two fought each other so fiercely that the way became suddenly open for Götz.
In the final laps, his mission was clear: race win equals overall victory. Focused on the finish line, he defended his top position and crossed the finish line accompanied by fireworks in the end. "I'm very happy for him," said Philipp Schiemer, Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG: "That was a perfect end to an exciting season."
Perfect and above all successful. Behind Götz, Lucas Auer finished second in the second race, while Maximilian Buhk made the triple victory for Mercedes-AMG perfect. Even before the trip to the season finale at the Norisring, Mercedes-AMG had been confirmed as the winner of the manufacturers' championship. "This was an important season goal. My thanks go to our teams and drivers, who all made their contribution to this success," said a delighted Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing.
Lucas Auer's victory in the second race at the Hockenheimring was a key factor in the early triumph in the constructors' championship. "I had a dream start and was then able to control the race from the front," reported the 27-year-old after his second win of the season. Joy yes, ecstasy no. He left that to his brand teammate Maximilian Götz a week later.
