Rene Rast has recounted his fascinating end to the second DTM race of the Lausitzring spherical, by which he misplaced an exciting duel for victory in opposition to Jack Aitken.
Rast undercut the Emil Frey Ferrari driver within the first spherical of pitstops, however finally succumbed to Aitken’s stress on the penultimate lap.
“We at all times [kept] a bit hole, however sadly we weren’t quick sufficient on the finish,” Rast commented, explaining: “My tyres from yesterday’s race have been simply on the finish of their life once we put them on already. I had no grip, so I might probably not defend laborious.
“I believe there was a little bit of carcass peeking out of the tyre and we have been utterly executed,” the BMW driver grinned. “I could not speed up out of the corners. I had such poor traction and I knew he might solely actually cross on the skin.”
Aitken’s “fairly good” tyre administration was hailed as a key think about his victory by Emil Frey technical director Juerg Flach, in an interview with Motorsport.com’s sister publication Motorsport-Complete.
Aitken was considerably quicker within the late phases of the race. “Rast’s entrance tyres gave up,” Flach added. “In consequence, Jack made up virtually 4 seconds in three laps. And the overtaking manoeuvre was magnificent.”
Jack Aitken, Emil Frey Racing Ferrari Ferrari 296 GT3
Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz
Aitken defined: “For me, the primary sector was the strongest, so I might actually assault him there. I used to be simply anywhere the place he left a niche, and in the long run it was the skin of [Turn] 6.”
Rast was powerless to carry his rival off: “I gave him the skin, however he nonetheless had a lot grip that he was capable of sustain on the skin – my tyres had nothing left to offer. After all, I might have bumped him a bit, however everyone knows what occurs then!
“It was cool racing. We at all times left one another house on the skin or inside. That is the way it must be. Clearly, it was a bit too tight for my style on the finish with Jules, however yeah, it was good racing.”
Winward-Mercedes’ Jules Gounon additionally tried to assault Rast within the remaining metres. “I attempted to exit of the final nook, however I couldn’t put the facility down as a result of my rear wheels have been simply spinning all the best way,” stated the German.
“I noticed Jules nonetheless had good traction… he put himself on my left-hand aspect and we had a drag race to the end line. Generally he was pulling forward, typically I used to be pulling forward,” Rast added after ending with a 0.045s hole in his favour.
“It was only a little bit of a nightmare in that state of affairs since you can’t do quite a bit. You simply sit there. I used to be watching Jules, he was watching me, and every of us was simply hoping to be forward of the opposite one. I do not know what the hole was on the finish, nevertheless it was most likely the closest end I ever had with anyone.”
On this article
Sönke Brederlow
DTM
René Rast
Jack Aitken
Jules Gounon
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