Nicki Thiim makes DTM historical past: The Dane wins the primary race on the Norisring, giving Aston Martin its first-ever victory in DTM historical past. The Comtoyou driver had beforehand secured pole place and left nothing to likelihood on his solution to victory, which was overshadowed by a horror crash.
“Lovely, nicely, I am nonetheless a bit speechless,” says Thiim, who’s celebrating his second victory on the Norisring. “Right here you want a bit of massive balls. However it’s enormous enjoyable and we actually recognize that we will all the time come right here. Now we’ll rejoice a little bit, however tomorrow there’s one other race for essential factors.”
Winward-Mercedes driver Maro Engel finishes in second place; within the closing levels he was in a position to shut in on Thiim as soon as extra, however couldn’t launch a critical assault on the Dane. “I gave it every part, however merely had no likelihood,” says the AMG driver. “Nicki had every part completely below management, that was very spectacular, you must say.”
“Second place was the utmost right now and we’re happy with that,” says Engel, who was in a position to additional lengthen his lead within the general standings. Arjun Maini (HRT-Ford) completes the rostrum in third. Within the closing laps, the Indian nonetheless needed to fend off Lucas Auer, however the Landgraf-Mercedes driver discovered no well beyond.
Thierry Vermeulen (Emil-Frey-Ferrari) finishes fifth, adopted by HRT-Ford driver Finn Wiebelhaus and Jules Gounon within the Winward-Mercedes. Mirko Bortolotti (Grasser-Lamborghini) leads to eighth place, whereas Thomas Preining (Manthey-Porsche) and Ben Dörr (Dörr-McLaren) full the highest 10. Emil-Frey-Ferrari driver Matteo Cairoli reaches the end in eleventh place.
Critical accident causes lengthy interruption
The race was overshadowed shortly after half distance by a critical accident between Kelvin van der Linde (Schubert-BMW) and Maximilian Paul (Grasser-Lamborghini), which initially brought about a serious scare after which a protracted interruption.
Apparently, Paul misplaced management of his Grasser-Lamborghini whereas braking for the Grundig hairpin and first slammed into the guardrails on the right-hand facet. He then slid uncontrollably throughout the observe earlier than hitting the South African’s BMW at excessive velocity – and, of all locations, on the degree of the motive force’s door.
After the well being situation of each drivers was initially unclear, there was later a cautious all-clear: Each van der Linde and Paul had been responsive, however had been taken to hospital for additional examination.
Native hero Marco Wittmann with early retirement
The beginning of the race initially handed with none main incidents: Engel tried to go across the exterior of polesitter Thiim within the first nook, however Thiim held his floor and defended the lead. Behind them, Maini, Gounon and Auer lined up.
Â
Additional again within the subject, there have been minor skirmishes during which Marco Wittmann picked up a puncture on his Schubert-BMW and needed to head in for an early pit cease. The native hero then returned to the observe in the course of the sector and shortly afterwards determined to park the automotive for good.
“As a result of we put a special tire on the left rear, you naturally have an offset within the automotive, you first need to carry the tire as much as temperature,” Wittmann explains on ProSieben. “You may have a blue flag, you are mainly a lap down that you just will not get again right here. And so the race is over.”
“I imply, for the reason that first free observe we merely have not had the efficiency to combat our approach again by some means,” the BMW driver admits disappointedly. Whereas Thiim was then in a position to barely lengthen his lead, second-placed Engel even got here below strain from Ford driver Maini within the early levels.
AMG teenager Kalender causes security automotive part
After round 20 minutes, Tom Kalender (Landgraf-Mercedes) triggered the primary security automotive part of the race. The teenager crashed into the “Wall of Champions” and broken the rear suspension within the course of. Kalender initially continued, however shortly afterwards parked his Landgraf-AMG in the course of the observe.
Â
As a result of yellow-flag part, the opening of the pit-stop window was delayed. On the subsequent restart there have been no adjustments of place, however shortly afterwards Engel was the primary driver from the main group to return in for the obligatory tire change.
The Winward-Mercedes driver rejoined the observe instantly in entrance of chief Thiim and tried to carry up the chief a little bit. With chilly tires, nevertheless, that was hardly attainable, so the Dane rapidly bought previous and was then in a position to draw back decisively.
Then third-placed Maini additionally got here in for his cease, though the tire change didn’t go completely and the HRT driver misplaced worthwhile seconds in consequence. After the pit cease, Auer due to this fact initially moved previous the Indian, who nevertheless reclaimed the place with a tough transfer within the Dutzendteich hairpin.
Nicki Thiim brings protected victory residence
Pole-sitter Thiim was among the many final drivers to pit for his obligatory tyre change, with the cease executed completely by the Comtoyou staff. In consequence, the Dane, who had come near successful on the Lausitzring, rejoined the observe forward of Engel and managed to carry onto his place regardless of being on chilly tyres.
Â
At that time, nevertheless, the AMG driver was the quickest driver within the subject and slowly labored his approach as much as Thiim, earlier than the chase was initially stopped for round 50 minutes by the accident and the next interruption.
After two laps behind the security automotive, the race was launched once more for the ultimate quarter-hour plus three laps: Thiim defended his lead forward of Engel and Maini, whereas Thomas Preining was initially in fourth place.
Within the closing laps, the Manthey-Porsche driver needed to defend towards assaults from his rivals, who overtook him one after one other: First Auer went previous, then Vermeulen, Wiebelhaus, Gounon and Bortolotti additionally moved forward. Preining finally completed ninth and had clear phrases after the race about Porsche’s classification.
For former Components 1 driver Timo Glock, the drama of the previous few weeks continues on the Norisring as nicely: In the course of the interruption, a defect was detected on his Dörr-McLaren, accompanied by an oil leak on the gearbox. It’s even doubtless that this oil leak led to Paul’s off and the intense accident.
Thiim celebrates the second DTM victory of his profession, as soon as once more on the Norisring. The Dane already took his maiden win on the road circuit two years in the past, again then nonetheless in SSR Efficiency’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2. Together with his success, Thiim now writes one other chapter of DTM historical past.
He’s solely the fifteenth driver within the sequence’ greater than 40-year historical past to have gained races with totally different manufacturers. The curious twist: Considered one of these 15 drivers is none aside from his personal father. Kurt Thiim celebrated DTM victories for Rover, BMW and Mercedes. A feat that Thiim has now no less than partially repeated.
On Sunday, the second DTM race in Nuremberg is on this system: The beginning grid will once more be decided within the two-part qualifying session (from 9:00 a.m.), earlier than the beginning lights for Sunday’s race on the Norisring flip inexperienced as common at 1:30 p.m.
We would like your opinion!
What would you wish to see on Motorsport.com?
– The Motorsport.com Workforce
