Manufacturing facility Porsche driver Thomas Preining has make clear why his relationship with Maro Engel has been icy for a number of years.
The subject got here up on the Over the Restrict podcast hosted by Dries Vanthoor and his brother Laurens.
Teasing Preining, Vanthoor joked: “Apparently you’re superb pals with Maro Bengel,” a German pun concerning the Mercedes driver’s surname.
Preining grinned earlier than talking frankly about Engel: “Clearly, I’m not the one one having a tough relationship with him,” he stated. “Funnily sufficient, I’ve recognized him for a very long time. As a result of after I was a Porsche Junior, we had the identical sponsor, so we met a number of occasions.”
The sponsor in query was the vitality drink firm Silberpfeil, which in 2017 backed Engel’s Class 1-spec Mercedes within the DTM, and whose CEO Robert Stasny was additionally Preining’s supervisor.
At the moment, Preining stated the connection with Engel was fairly good and he served as a task mannequin.
“Again then, I used to be trying as much as him,” he stated. “Clearly, he was an expert.
“Additionally, the best way he is doing all of his sponsor work and presenting himself additionally for AMG was on a really extremely skilled degree.”
Maro Engel, Mercedes-AMG Staff HWA, Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM
Picture by: Alexander Trienitz
However issues modified when the 2 raced towards one another within the ADAC GT Masters in 2021. Preining was competing in his second full season within the collection with team-mate Christian Engelhart, driving for Timo Bernhard’s workforce, whereas Engel and Luca Stolz had been combating for the title with Toksport-WRT Mercedes
“In a single race, he simply mainly drove via me initially,” Preining recalled.
“I did not even say something as a result of the automobile was totally damaged and he continued. And so we did not converse.
“Then after the race, he went on TV and stated it is my fault. And the entire commentators went loopy about it and it was an entire factor.”
Preining is probably going referring to a collision on the Nurburgring season finale the place Engel hit him from behind, sending him into the WRT Audi pushed by Dries Vanthoor. Engel obtained a drivethrough penalty for the incident, costing him and Stolz the title.
The 27-year-old stated that since that second, there was no verbal communication between the pair.
“I did not converse to him anymore since then. That is like 4 years in the past,” he stated. “He nonetheless has onerous emotions as a result of each time we see one another on observe, he is hitting me, particularly in DTM.
“I’m all for onerous racing, however once we drive subsequent to one another on the straight, he actually struggles to maintain the steering wheel in a single place.”
Engel’s response
When contacted by Motorsport.com’s sister title Motorsport-Whole.com about Preining’s feedback, Engel stated: “Sure, it’s true, I attempted to assist Thomas Preining a bit at the start of his profession. His statements don’t shock me.”
Pressed additional as to why Preining’s feedback didn’t shock him, Engel selected to not elaborate additional.
For Preining, the continued stress makes no distinction to how he approaches his racing.
“Ultimately, there’s all the time individuals that you simply like, those that you do not like, particularly in racing,” he stated. “There’s people who find themselves straightforward to race towards and individuals who attempt sure issues. However ultimately, you need to beat all of them. So it makes no distinction for me.”
Learn Additionally:
We would like your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Staff
