Schneider's perfect weekend - Hockenheim.

Bernd Schneider won the opening DTM race today at Hockenheim just ahead of the second placed finisher Marcel Fassler.

It completed a perfect weekend for the D2 Mercedes driver after taking pole position in qualifying; being fastest in the warm-up and top runner in the sprint race.

Despite a totally dominant performance from the 2000 DTM reigning champion over the Hockenheim weekend second placed Fassler put pressure on him towards the end of the race by closing within half a second by the last lap.

Fassler though who had been helped by the safety car period, which was brought out after Martin Tomczyk crashed his Audi, could find no way by and had to be content with second.

The final podium place went to Schneider's teammate Peter Dumbreck in the other D2 AMG Mercedes. Fourth and fifth were Uwe Alzen in his Warsteiner AMG Mercedes and Tomas Jager in his Persson Mercedes. Rounding off the top six was ex-F1 driver Pedro Lamy in his Rosberg Mercedes.

Complete Feature Race results from Round One of the 2001 DTM Championship at Hockenheim, Germany:

Pos / Driver / Car / Time / Laps.

1. Bernd Schneider D2 AMG Mercedes 41:15.568 38 laps
2. Marcel Fassler Warsteiner AMG Mercedes 41:16.384 38 laps
3. Peter Dumbreck D2 AMG Mercedes 41:20.325 38 laps
4. Uwe Alzen Warsteiner AMG Mercedes 41:21.011 38 laps
5. Tomas Jager Persson Mercedes 41:30.121 38 laps
6. Pedro Lamy Rosberg Mercedes 41:32.802 38 laps
7. Laurent Aiello Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R 41:36.715 38 laps
8. Darren Turner Rosberg Mercedes 41:37.820
9. Bernd Maylander Eschmann-Manthey Mercedes 41:38.080 38 laps
10. Christian Abt Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R 41:38.414 38 laps
11. Timo Scheider Holzer Opel Astra Coupe 41:38.787 38 laps
12. Manuel Reuter Phoenix Opel Astra Coupe 41:39.451 38 laps
13. Christijan Albers Persson Mercedes 41:41.195 38 laps
14. Yves Olivier Phoenix Opel Astra Coupe n/a 37 laps
15. Hubert Haupt Euroteam Opel Astra Coupe n/a 37 laps
16. Peter Mamerow Mamerow Opel Astra Coupe n/a 37 laps
17. Martin Tomczyk Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R n/a 23 laps
18. Patrick Huisman Eschmann-Manthey Mercedes n/a 7 laps
19. Michael Bartels 2001 Holzer Opel Astra Coupe n/a 4 laps
20. Alain Menu 2001 Euroteam Opel Astra Coupe n/a 1 lap

Top 10 Sprint Race results for Round One of the 2001 DTM Championship at Hockenheim, Germany:

1. Bernd Schneider D2 Mercedes 1:01.298
2. Peter Dumbreck D2 Mercedes 1:01.604
3. Tomas Jager Persson Mercedes 1:01.944
4. Pedro Lamy Rosberg Mercedes 1:02.109
5. Uwe Alzen Warsteiner Mercedes 1:02.057
6. Darren Turner Rosberg Mercedes CLK 1:02.176
7. Marcel Fassler Warsteiner Mercedes 1:01.497
8. Laurent Aiello Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R 1:02.293
9. Bernd Maylander Eschmann-Manthey Mercedes 1:02.164
10. Christian Abt Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R 1:02.587