Joel finishes Brands Hatch opener in 14th place

Joel took 14th in the first DTM race of the weekend at Brands Hatch, right behind four-time 2018 podium finisher and BMW stablemate Timo Glock.

Joel started the race from 16th on the grid after getting to grips with the Brands Hatch GP track – which he visits for the first time this weekend – in qualifying, but slipped to 18th and last off the line due to a poor start.

He made his compulsory pit stop on lap eight, and rose to 14th once everyone had pitted. He was then sat behind Glock for the remainder of the race, in which overtaking proved as difficult as many had expected given the fast and tight nature of the British track.

Up front, Daniel Juncadella sealed his first-ever DTM win, the Mercedes man using his considerable experience of the Brands Hatch GP loop from last year’s Blancpain GT Series to good effect.

Augusto Farfus was the top BMW runner in second place.

While 14th yielded no points for Joel in this race, he won’t have to wait long for another chance, with DTM action resuming in the UK tomorrow with the final leg of the weekend.

Results – Race 1