Photo: DTM Media

René Rast closing in on Gary Paffett and Paul di Resta ahead of Austria

The Austrian circuit Red Bull Ring hosts the ninth round of the DTM this weekend, as the fight for the championship between Mercedes-AMG drivers Gary Paffett and Paul di Resta has come under threat by Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s René Rast, the highest scoring driver in the last few races.

The championship looked set for an exclusive Mercedes battle between Paffett and Di Resta, alternating at the top of the standings for the whole season. But the reigning champion had a turning point earlier in the summer with his first victory of the season at Zandvoort, scoring 126 points in the last eight races, including a perfect last round at the Nürburgring, with two pole positions and two victories.

Rast wasn’t thinking about challenging for the title two weeks ago, but the 31-year-old has re-thought his strategy for the remainder of the season: “From now on, we can only win. The deficit to Gary and Paul is still very large. But I’m going to fight as long as the opportunity exists, no matter how small it may be.”

Paffett leads the championship with 206 points, two ahead of his team-mate and 57 over Rast with 112 points still available.

“In general, our performance was very good at the Nürburgring. We are back on the pace, scoring points again and back in the lead of the championship. So I am really looking forward to Spielberg. I think our car is going to work well there,” said Paffett confidently about his chances at the Red Bull Ring.

BMW Motorsport Team RMG’s Marco Wittmann is still targeting third place in the championship despite Rast’s recent form. The two-time champion is fifth in the standings, 12 points behind the reigning champion.

“We still have four races ahead of us, and I hope we can push hard again in the final stages of the season,” said Wittmann. “Our goal is to battle for third place in the championship. I think it is becoming less and less likely that we will be able to reel in first and second place. We have to accept that, but third place would be a nice way to end the season.”

The Red Bull Ring is a favourite among the drivers due to its idyllic setting in the Austrian Alps, offering a challenging and fast layout. The 4.318-kilometre track presents seven left-hand corners and two right-hand ones, with a 12% uphill incline leading to Turn 2, reaching speeds of 250 km/h.

Audi Sport dominated the event last year, with Mattias Ektröm and Rast sharing the victories, but motorsport boss Dieter Gass is cautious about what to expect this weekend: “In terms of track characteristics, the Red Bull Ring most closely resembles the Norisring. And there we struggled quite a bit this year. Still, we’ll try to take the positive momentum from the last races with us to Spielberg and to deliver another top result again.”

Mercedes-AMG leads the manufacturers’ standings with 801 points, 270 ahead of BMW and 436 over Audi. However, as the least-scoring manufacturer at the Nürburgring, Mercedes-AMG DTM boss Ulrich Fritz remains cautious about his team’s chances this weekend.

“The race weekend at the Nürburgring did not go quite as we would have wished,” Fritz said. “But afterwards, we immediately set about analysing what had happened and identified a few things that we definitely want to do better in Spielberg. In the last two years, unfortunately, we haven’t managed a single podium finish in Austria.

“In terms of the title fight, we are now entering the decisive phase. First and foremost, we have to ensure that we create optimum and, above all else, equal conditions for our drivers,” concluded Fritz.


Another highlight at the Red Bull Ring will be the presence of Sébastien Ogier at the wheel of a seventh, non-scoring, wild card entry for Mercedes-AMG. The five-time World Rally Champion is looking forward to his DTM debut, although remaining cautious about his expectations.

“It will be a completely different weekend from what I’m used to in the WRC, with a lot to learn,” said Ogier. “The level of this high-quality championship means that I’ll have to be realistic with my expectations. It’s all very new to me, so I can’t aim for any performance.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity that Mercedes gives me and I’ll make sure to enjoy it as much as possible!” added Ogier.

Timetable

Friday 7th September
16:45 – Free Practice 1

Saturday 8th September
8:30 – Free Practice 2
10:35 – Qualifying for Race 1
13:30 – Race 1 (55 minutes plus 1 lap)

Sunday 9th September
8:30 – Free Practice 3
10:35 – Qualifying for Race 2
13:30 – Race 2 (55 minutes plus 1 lap)

All times CEST