Rene Rast Dominates DTM Red Bull Ring, Jack Aitken Crashes Out

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Highlights

René Rast overtook Marco Wittmann to win at Red Bull Ring.
Rast’s flawless 5.8-second pit stop boosted his race lead.
Jack Aitken crashed on final lap, altering podium positions.
Gilles Magnus penalized five grid places for forcing off track.
Rast leads DTM standings with 157 points after race.
Sunday’s second race starts at 1:30 p.m. after rainy qualifying.

René Rast wins the first DTM race of the weekend at the Red Bull Ring, passing polesitter Marco Wittmann on lap three to seize control.

The Schubert Motorsport driver converts that move into a measured victory, his third of the season, and moves into the championship lead.

René Rast leads at the Red Bull Ring after passing Marco Wittmann in DTM — Image Credit: Motorsport

Rast’s BMW M4 GT3 carries strong pace on both stints, underpinned by a slick 5.8-second service that protects and extends track position after the tyre change.

The race’s decisive late twist arrives when Jack Aitken crashes on the final lap, promoting Wittmann to second and Thierry Vermeulen to third.

Final-lap crash for Jack Aitken hands podium places to Wittmann and Vermeulen.

Wittmann initially converts pole and absorbs early pressure, but Rast forces the issue with a clean pass on lap three and immediately gaps the field.

Aitken rises to third on lap one and duels with Ricardo Feller before strategy becomes the differentiator.

Feller’s race unravels in the pits with a wheel nut delay and a misfitting wheel gun, dropping the Audi contender to 13th.

Aitken’s stop runs long, yet he still undercuts Wittmann for second and defends robustly, contact included, before his late error ends that resistance.

René Rast and the BMW M4 GT3 during the DTM weekend at the Red Bull Ring — Image Credit: Daily Sportscar

Further back, Jules Gounon slows dramatically with a smoking Winward Mercedes and stops soon after the flag despite limping home.

Stewards issue Gilles Magnus a five-place grid penalty for Sunday for forcing Maro Engel off track, his third driving warning of the season.

Gilles Magnus receives a five-place grid drop for forcing Maro Engel off track.

Timo Glock’s race is compromised immediately by a first-lap puncture, forcing an early stop and leaving him last.

Rast wins by 3.5 seconds from Wittmann, with Vermeulen third. Ben Green finishes fourth ahead of Engel and Thomas Preining.

The result resets the title picture: Rast leads on 157 points, Lucas Auer drops to second on 155 after finishing 12th, and Jordan Pepper sits third on 154.

René Rast leads the championship on 157 points, ahead of Lucas Auer and Jordan Pepper.

Sunday’s race starts at 1:30 p.m., with qualifying at 9:15 a.m. Rain is expected, making tyre preparation and pit windows decisive amid evolving industry trends.

DTM’s margins remain tight, reinforcing its status among the most competitive types of motorsports in Europe, even as storylines featuring Verstappen and others shape the broader racing narrative.

Visual Summary

Rast – Win #3

Aitken: Last Lap Crash

Wittmann
BMW
2️⃣

RAST
Schubert BMW
1️⃣
+3.5s

Vermeulen
Ferrari
3️⃣

    Flawless pit stop: Rast gains time with a 5.8s stop.
  
    Last lap crash: Aitken loses podium at turn 1.
  
    Championship shakeup: Rast leads Auer by 2 pts

RAST 157

AUER 155

PEPPER 154

    Rast narrowly takes DTM lead after Red Bull Ring
  

  🌧️

  Sunday race (1:30 p.m.): Rain expected, strategies could change everything.

Zane Muniz

Zane Muniz writes across NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, IMSA, NHRA, and dirt-racing news. His breaking-news alerts and event previews ensure motorsport fans never miss a lap, drift, or drag-strip showdown.