Jamie Green was the best Mercedes-Benz team finisher on what was a bit of a lacklustre outing from the other drivers at the Nurburgring leg of the 2012 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season. Green finished fourth, and drivers’ championship leader Gary Paffett placed just sixth, although he still holds a comfortable lead over BMW’s Bruno Spengler, who won this race.

Paffett has 103 points to Spengler’s 83, while Green is at third with 81. Mercedes’s HWA Team is still on top of the team standings with 127 points, while the automaker paces its two competitors with 237 points in the manufacturers’ standings.

“That was a tough race in high temperatures and against some tough competition,” exclaimed Green. “A P4 finish after starting from seventh on the grid is a respectable result – I’m quite satisfied under the circumstances and after the difficult qualifying.”

“Today’s race went much better than qualifying,” said Paffett, who qualified at P11. “Sixth place is a decent result, but more points might have been possible given our pace today. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a hiccup during the second pit stop, but that’s simply part and parcel of motor racing.”

DTM racing continues next weekend at the Circuit Park Zandvoort in the Netherlands. Expect Paffett and company to bounce back.