Defending DTM champion Mike Rockenfeller has accepted full responsibility for his part in a potentially championship damaging clash with Au💜di team mate Adrien Tambay at the Moscow Raceway.

The Audi-duo came together two-corners after the restart, which was triggered by the recovery of Timo Scheider's stricken RS5 on the pits🅠 straight.

The Phoenix-man was due to pit just one-lap later but lockedꦕ his front tyres and helplessly slid into Tambay's Abt-machine, putting the pair out on the spot.

Rockenfeller was looking odds on to leave Russia with a decent, if not maximum haul of points, as the race looked to have tipped into his 🤡favour after the safety car came out and eradicated BMW's Maxime Martin's healthy lead.

B𒈔ut the German's title defence now hangs in the balance 35-points off Marco Wittmann's lead after his first retirement in 14 DTM races.

"I can only say one thing: that I'm incredibly✅ sorry for Adrien (Tambay), Audi and my Phoenix team," said Rocken🎐feller.

"It was clearly my mistake and not intentional. After ꦦthe re-start, I just wanted to drive behind him, be🌊cause a lap later I would have had to pit for a tire change anyhow.

"Maybe my front wheels weren't warm enough. In any event, I'm surprised that they locked and I slipped into the rear end of Adri𝕴en's car. Just slightly - but that's enough to make somebody spin.

"To 🐠make things worse, we touched and the race was over for both of us. I can only apologize to everybody involved in this."