Edoardo Mortara has kicked off the 2016 DTM season with the fourth win of his c♕areer after co🎐ntrolling the opening round at the Hockenheimring from start to finish.

The Italian started on the front row alongside first time pole sitter Nico Muller, but a better get-away from tဣhe Italian would see him nose ahead into a lead he would protect all the wꦑay to the chequered flag.

A compos💟ed performance by the fifth-year driver, his only concerns would come from a charging Robert Wickens in the closing stages, the Mercedes driver getting to within two seconds of the lea🃏der but having to settle for a podium, ahead of Muller, on the rostrum for the first time.

A late pass would see Paul di Resta get the better of Mercedes stablemate Christian Vietoris to get his season off to a strong start, ahead of Bruno Spengler and Antonio Felix da Costa, the pair trailing in their B♑MWs as the Munich marque struggled for ♌form in warm conditions.

Various incidents through the field punctuated the race, with Timo Scheider out on the opening lap after clipping the spinning Tom Bloomqvist, before Timo Glock and Daniel Ju𒈔ncadella were eliminated ༺when they collided at the stadium section.

Esteban Ocon also failed to ﷽finish on his DTM debut, managing just three laps before being forced to retire.