BMW driver Wittmann was on the right track to take an unlikely victory from the final row of the grid after timing his pitstop to perfection, with Schubert Motorsport having introduced him in for his obligatory cease simply earlier than a Full Course Yellow was deployed.
However with the tip of the race in sight, his BMW M4 GT3 crawled to a halt at the beginning/end straight attributable to a gas stress alarm, permitting Aitken to retake the place and declare his second profession victory within the DTM.
Aitken had made a clear begin from pole place because the 2024 marketing campaign started at Oschersleben, with Mirko Bortolotti likewise holding on to second within the SSR Efficiency Lamborghini.
However because the preliminary laps wore on, Bortolotti began coming beneath stress from the Abt Sportsline Audi of Ricardo Feller, who had handed HRT Mercedes of Arjun Maini for third at the beginning.
This allowed Aitken to construct a buffer for himself on the entrance of the pack, the British driver pulling in a bonus of three seconds because the pit window opened after 20 minutes of racing.
Bortolotti was among the many first of the frontrunners to peel into the pitlane, with Aitken and Feller following him into the pits on the following lap.
Aitken resumed the race within the web lead, however Feller managed to get the soar on Bortolotti because the overcut proved to be the superior technique on a observe the place drivers struggled to get warmth into their tyres.
Podium: Race winner Jack Aitken, Emil Frey Racing, second place Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Efficiency, third place Ricardo Feller, Staff ABT Sportsline
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
It appeared Aitken would have a clear run to the end, however the race was turned on his head when Ben Dorr misplaced a wheel on his McLaren exiting the ultimate nook across the midway level of the race.
With the unfastened wheel rolling its manner on to the observe, a warning interval was necessitated, earlier than the race management determined to carry out the total security automotive.
Nonetheless, simply earlier than the FCY got here into drive, Schubert cleverly referred to as in Wittmann to the pits, the BMW driver having determined to go lengthy within the first stint after a pink flag in qualifying left him on nineteenth on the grid.
It gave the impression to be a masterstroke from Schubert, as Wittmann cycled again on observe effectively away from the chasing pack. Whilst the protection automotive that adopted closed the pack again up, Wittmann was capable of make an excellent restart as Bortolotti repassed Feller for third.
Nonetheless, a primary win for the reason that 2022 finale at Hockenheim wasn’t to be, as a uncommon mechanical challenge left the German stranded on observe and put Aitken again in entrance.
The protection automotive was introduced again on observe to assist retrieve Wittmann’s stranded BMW, however the observe may very well be cleared for a one-lap sprint to the end.
Aitken made no errors because the SC peeled into the pits, conserving himself effectively away from the competitors to start out the season with a shocking win.
Race winner Jack Aitken, Emil Frey Racing Ferrari Ferrari 296 GT3
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
Bortolotti claimed second for Lamborghini, whereas Feller resisted the opposite Schubert BMW of Sheldon van der Linde on the ultimate lap to say the third spot on the rostrum.
Mercedes duo Luca Stolz (HRT) and Lucas Auer (Winward) completed fifth and sixth behind van der Linde, whereas Rene Rast ended up seventh within the third of the three Schubert BMWs.
A call to cease early dropped Stolz’s team-mate Maini from fourth on lap one to eighth on the end, forward of the second Emil Frey Ferrari of Thierry Vermeulen and reigning champion Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA), the one Porsche runner inside the highest 10.
Aside from Wittmann and Dorr, the one different driver to fail to complete the race was SSR’s Nicki Thiim, who retired after simply 10 laps with technical problems with his personal.