Rene Rast says he's 'proud' of himself and Audi after coඣming to within just four points of successfully defending his 2017 DTM crown following a sensational second half of the season.

Rast and Audi looked down and out of the 2018 title race earlier in the year after the Team Rosberg driver found him𓆏self 104 points adrift of the chamཧpionship summit nine races into the season.

However, having secured his first win of the season during the second race at Zandvoort, Rast went on to enjoy a magnificent run of form, which saw the reᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚigning champion finish off the podium on just two further occasions in the sec🎃ond half of the 2018.

That run ultimately culminated in Rast making DTM history after the 31-year o💮ld took a record breaking six victories on the bounce, including the two he scored during this weekend's Hockenheim finale.

Incredibly, that elevated him above Mercedes' Paul di Resta up to second in the drivers' tꦜable and just four points shy of eꩵventual champion Gary Paffett.

“What an incredible yeꦑar, what a comeback! I’m very proud ꦉof Audi Sport, Team Rosberg and of myself, too," said Rast.

"We had a tough start to the season, but never gave up,♒ kept improving the car a🦩nd also made progress in terms of strategy. All of the Audi drivers worked together fantastically as a team.

"Only by doing💯 so, was it possible to keep the title dream open up until the end. Ultimately, it wasn’t quite enough. That’s a little bit of a shame, but Gary (Paffett) and Mercedes-Benz deserved to win. They were strong throughout the whole year.”