Jamie Green ended the 2008 DTM curtain-raiser at Hockenheim with the ‘top Brit' mantle to his name – no mean feat in a 19-strong field of whom no fewer than six hail from Blighty – but that honour should have gone the way of Mercedes team-mate Paul di Resta, on a day when the three-pointed star struggled to see rivals Audi for dust.
Having lined up fourth on the grid – alongside AMG team-mate Bruno Spengler – di Resta passed the Canadian during the first round of pit visits and was lying in third position when a clutch problem caused his engine to stall at his second stop. After losing around half a minute with the delay, the Scot would take the chequered flag a lowly 13th. The irony of the position was not lost on him, even if he did take away some small consolation with the race's fastest lap to his name, three tenths up on the previous lap record set by Green in last October's season finale.
“I am disappointed,” the former F3 Euroseries Champion rued afterwards. “In the beginning I had a very good race; I posted the fastest lap and a podium finish was possible. Unfortunately, the engine stalled after my second pit-stop because the clutch was not working properly. That was it.”
That left Spengler as Mercedes' highest-placed finisher, sandwiched between the two Audis of Tom Kristensen and Martin Tomczyk and surviving a late assault from the latter on the penultimate lap – a move that saw the German lock up and briefly leave the track – to seal fourth spot. The 2007 series vice-champion's lap times however, were on average a gaping half a second slower than those of race-winner Mattias Ekström.
“I am disappointed,” the 24-year-old mused, “because I had aimed for a podium finish. I lacked grip and therefore it was difficult to catch up with the Audis. In these circumstances, fourth place is still ok.
“One year ago I didn't have any points after the season-opener; now I scored five. This was the first out of eleven races, so there are many opportunities to improve.”
![Mercedes ace Bruno Spengler in action in the 2008 DTM curtain-raiser at Hockenheim [pic credit: Mercedes-Benz Motorsport]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/429611.jpg)
