A sizzling race on the Lausitzring, and never simply due to the excessive temperatures: Emil Frey Ferrari driver Matteo Cairoli celebrates his second win of the season in Sunday’s second race and on the identical time takes the lead within the general standings. However the Italian needed to fear in regards to the victory proper as much as the checkered flag.
As a result of Comtoyou Aston Martin driver Nicki Thiim, who had already began from pole place the day earlier than, put the Ferrari driver beneath huge strain within the closing levels. Regardless of his more energizing tyres, the Dane couldn’t discover a well past and in the end missed out on Aston Martin’s first DTM victory by simply 0.413 seconds.
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“The Dane actually made me sweat, and I even had the air con on within the automotive,” says a visibly worn-out and exhausted Cairoli on ProSieben. “He can’t hear this proper now, however he actually put me beneath strain. Sooner or later I assumed: ‘Okay, every part is falling aside right here with the tires,’ as a result of they had been actually executed.”
“However sure, I fought till the top and gained my second DTM race,” provides the Emil Frey Ferrari driver, who had already triumphed in Zandvoort and has now additionally taken over the championship lead. “That’s actually good to know! I didn’t know that till now, and now I’m even happier. We’ll simply maintain going like this.”
Ford teenager Wiebelhaus celebrates first DTM podium
The battle for the ultimate podium spot was additionally intense: HRT Ford driver Arjun Maini, who had began Sunday’s race from pole place, needed to concede to his younger teammate Finn Wiebelhaus within the closing laps. The 20-year-old rookie thus secured his first podium end within the DTM.
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“We had an ideal duel on the finish,” says Wiebelhaus on ProSieben. “I’m tremendous proud of the consequence for the crew. It wasn’t a battle, we left one another sufficient house and it was a really good duel. Large respect to Arjun for pushing me a lot to the restrict there, however not past the restrict.”
“I had a tire benefit, that additionally must be mentioned,” provides the HRT Ford driver. “Arjun had already used the tire as a result of sadly I needed to park the automotive yesterday as a result of contact with . I don’t assume that was proven on the reside broadcast both, simply to make that clear once more. That’s why it labored out effectively in the long run.”
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(Grasser Lamborghini) finishes fifth, adopted by fellow model driver within the Abt Lamborghini. (Schubert BMW) finishes seventh, forward of Winward Mercedes driver . (Schubert BMW) and (Manthey Porsche) full the highest 10.
HRT Ford driver Maini takes the lead in the beginning
The beginning of the race handed with none main chaos: Ford driver Maini initially transformed his pole place into the lead, although already carefully adopted by Cairoli, Thiim and Wiebelhaus. One of many victims on the opening lap was Manthey driver Thomas Preining, who was dropped from sixth place to eleventh place.
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The security automotive needed to come out as early because the second lap to permit carbon elements to be faraway from the start-finish straight. The set off for the primary neutralization was , whose Grasser Lamborghini had misplaced a big a part of its rear bodywork.
The next restart additionally introduced no adjustments on the entrance. Within the midfield, nevertheless, Preining battled with ’s Dörr McLaren, with the Porsche driver hitting the rear of his rival a number of occasions. “He retains pushing me in each nook,” Dörr complained instantly over the radio.
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Though the teenager, who had inherited the victory from Marco Mapelli (Abt Lamborghini) retrospectively the day earlier than, was carrying 20 kilograms of success ballast, Preining was unable to discover a well past him till the primary pit cease window opened.
Cairoli advantages from Maini pit cease blunder
Fourth-placed Wiebelhaus was the primary driver to peel off for a tire change shortly afterward, although adopted by quite a few drivers from the midfield, together with Schubert BMW driver Kelvin van der Linde and within the Landgraf Mercedes.
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Whereas Preining was capable of get previous Dörr within the midfield due to an undercut, Maini additionally misplaced a place through the pit cease: the tire change by the HRT Ford crew took a bit of longer than deliberate, permitting Cairoli, who had come into the pits a lap earlier, to take the lead along with his undercut.
“In itself it was an excellent, enjoyable race. I had an excellent begin, however then I made a mistake through the pit cease,” Maini reveals after the race on ProSieben, explaining precisely what went improper: “I overshot the pit field a bit of, and that made it actually exhausting for the fellows. The error was on me.”
Maini verlor seine Führung gegen Cairoli beim Boxenstopp
Maini verlor seine Führung gegen Cairoli beim Boxenstopp
In consequence, the polesitter dropped again to second place, simply forward of teammate Wiebelhaus, who additionally benefited from his early pit cease. Whereas most drivers peeled off for service early, one driver waited notably lengthy: Nicki Thiim solely headed for the pits shortly earlier than the pit cease window closed.
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The Dane, who had no recent slick tires accessible after his tire gamble on Saturday, slotted into the hole between Maini and Wiebelhaus and efficiently defended his third place, though he first needed to deliver his used tires as much as temperature.
Maro Engel and , the 2 AMG drivers, had been unfortunate on the first cease: as a result of the Winward mechanics apparently had not completely secured a wheel at each stops, each drivers needed to full a penalty lap and thus misplaced worthwhile positions. The Frenchman later even retired his AMG utterly.
Maini additionally unfortunate on the second pit cease
On the entrance, Cairoli was in the meantime coming beneath strain from Maini. The Indian at occasions fought his approach again up near the Emil Frey Ferrari driver, however couldn’t discover a well past. Thiim was additionally capable of shut as much as the 2 leaders earlier than the second pit cease.
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When the second pit cease window opened, Wiebelhaus was the primary driver from the main group to return into the pits. Nevertheless, the tire change at HRT as soon as once more didn’t go optimally, so the teenager couldn’t use the attainable undercut and initially remained in fourth place.
AMG teenager brought about a tense scene: the Landgraf Mercedes driver braked so late when turning into the pit lane that he nearly crashed into the rear of Bastian Buus’ Land Porsche. Kalender was solely capable of forestall a rear-end collision with an evasive maneuver.
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Two laps after his teammate, Maini additionally accomplished his second tire change. Nevertheless, the Indian’s undercut try towards Cairoli, who got here into the pits a lap later, didn’t deliver the hoped-for success. The Ford driver’s hole was too giant to reap the benefits of the tires that had already been introduced as much as temperature.
Thiim was additionally the final driver from the main group to return in for a tire change on the second pit cease. A transfer that paid off: the Aston Martin manufacturing facility driver returned to the observe forward of Maini in second place and was capable of defend his gained place towards the Indian, who then even dropped additional again.
Of all individuals, teammate Wiebelhaus closed in through the ultimate part and put the polesitter beneath strain. The 2 HRT Ford drivers fought an intense duel for the ultimate podium place. Two laps from the top, Wiebelhaus lastly managed to move his teammate and take over third place.
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“I feel he was on new tires on the finish and due to this fact considerably sooner, however he fought pretty and it was an ideal race,” Maini praises his younger teammate, who had already stunned with second place on the grid on the season opener in Spielberg. “Truthfully, I had no probability on the finish. Congratulations to him.”
“He’s doing a extremely stable job all through the entire season, and it’s incredible to have such a younger, quick teammate who at all times pushes you,” provides the Indian, who in the end narrowly misses the hoped-for podium in fourth place. “I’m very blissful for him, he deserved it.”
Matteo Cairoli takes the general lead within the DTM
The 2 Schubert BMW drivers Marco Wittmann and Kelvin van der Linde additionally fought an inside crew duel. “That was mega, actually,” says the South African with a smile on his face. “I used to be blissful, the battles with Marco and in addition with Maro Engel had been clear and precisely what we wish to see within the DTM.”
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“And naturally, I used to be the one who benefited and got here out forward there,” provides van der Linde on ProSieben. “I feel it was an excellent consequence for the package deal right now. My qualifying wasn’t good, it lacked a bit of one thing. However in fact, in the long run it was a extremely powerful race and I’m glad we got here again.”
Together with his victory, Cairoli additionally takes the championship lead: the Ferrari driver now has 78 factors to his title and thus pushes Lucas Auer (77 factors) right down to second place. After his win on Saturday, Ben Dörr finishes solely sixteenth and due to this fact comes away empty-handed. Dörr teammate additionally retires early as soon as once more.
The groups and drivers would not have a lot time to course of the occasions of the previous weekend: the fourth race weekend of this 12 months’s season () is already going down in two weeks (July 3 to five), when the one avenue race of the 12 months is on the schedule on the Norisring in Nuremberg.
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