The choice has been made: Christian Engelhart will have a good time his DTM comeback with the Grasser workforce on the Nurburgring. The 39-year-old German will drive the Lamborghini Temerario with begin quantity 19 as a substitute for the injured Maximilian Paul, which initially couldn’t be fielded in Oschersleben after the horror crash on the Norisring.
However the Grasser workforce has purchased a brand new chassis, which implies Mirko Bortolotti could have a teammate once more and Engelhart returns to the DTM after two years. “We made this selection along with Lamborghini, and I’m more than happy that Christian is again with us within the DTM cockpit,” says workforce principal Gottfried Grasser.
The choice, which was made late final week, is kind of shocking, as candidates comparable to Franck Perera and Patric Niederhauser have considerably extra expertise within the new Temerario GT3. Nevertheless, Engelhart additionally is aware of the automobile from quite a few check drives and claimed a DTM victory in Oschersleben in 2023 – within the Toksport WRT Porsche.
“Feels a bit like coming house”
And he has additionally already celebrated main successes with the Grasser workforce, together with the endurance title within the Blancpain GT Sequence (now GT World Problem Europe) in 2017 and victory within the GTD class on the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019, in addition to second place within the ADAC GT Masters, when he shared the Grasser Lamborghini with Bortolotti, with whom he will get on effectively.
In 2024, he began the DTM season as a daily Grasser driver, however in the course of the season he needed to bear surgical procedure due to a knee damage and quit his cockpit – now the 2021 GT Masters champion returns after 17 DTM begins thus far, of all causes, due to a leg damage to a colleague.
Engelhart completed third at Hockenheim in 2023 within the Grasser Lamborghini
Foto: Christian Engelhart
“I’m massively wanting ahead to beginning within the DTM once more – along with GRT and Lamborghini. I affiliate many profitable profession moments with this workforce and this model,” says Engelhart, who drove for the Konrad workforce this yr within the 24h race on the Nurburgring and within the NLS championship.
“It feels a bit like coming house. On the similar time, I want Max a speedy restoration. I’ll do every thing I can to signify him effectively and help Lamborghini and the Grasser Racing Workforce on the Nurburgring nearly as good as doable.”
Paul again within the Grasser Lamborghini in simply 13 days?
It can’t be dominated out that this might be a short comeback. In keeping with workforce principal Grasser, Maximilian Paul, who broke his left tibia and fibula and suffered a lumbar vertebra fracture a bit over a month in the past, is making exceptional progress, and it can’t be dominated out that he’ll make his racing comeback as early because the Sachsenring weekend (September 11-13).
“Max is on a very good restoration path, and I imagine and hope that we are going to see Max again within the automobile on the subsequent check,” Grasser publicizes. He’s referring to the official DTM check on the Sachsenring, which takes place on August 23.
That may imply Paul returning to the Grasser Lamborghini simply 50 days after the accident in Nuremberg, which might be a serious shock given the intense accidents.
Will Paul nonetheless contest 4 DTM races this yr?
“On this scenario, a check is essential,” explains Grasser. “You solely see within the automobile the way you’re actually doing.” Other than that, it’s “additionally essential for the thoughts” to get again within the automobile shortly, says the workforce principal, who himself lately sat in a racing automobile within the ADAC GT Masters. If the check goes as hoped, a race outing on the Sachsenring is even conceivable.
Grasser can be impressed by his driver’s speedy restoration progress. “It’s unbelievable how he’s going by way of this restoration course of,” he says. Initially, the hope was that Paul might return to the Grasser Lamborghini on the season finale in Hockenheim, however the progress in rehab is bigger than anticipated.
The most important problem is that the drivers apply greater than 100 kilograms of pressure to the pedal when braking – with the left foot, the one Paul injured.
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