Photo: Audi Mediacenter

René Rast: “I can’t remember having such a hard time in the DTM”

Audi Sport Team Rosberg driver René Rast had a difficult day on Saturday at the Lausitzring, with the reigning champion lacking performance and only finishing seventh in the opening race of the weekend.

Rast could only qualify in seventh place on the grid, 0.353 seconds behind fellow Audi driver Robin Frijns having been unable to improve on his second run.

At the start, Rast went on the outside at Turn 1, going onto the grass on the following corner.

Despite managing to hold his position, the Team Rosberg driver couldn’t move forward in the race.

“Very tough day, I was lacking the pace in qualifying, could only be P7,” said Rast after the race. “In the last 2-3 years I cannot remember having such a tough time in DTM, and the same in the race, just missing pace overall.

“I finished P7, I tried everything I could but, in the end I had no pace, so we have a lot to improve for tomorrow.”

The reigning champion got off the podium at Spa-Francorchamps to fly straight away to Berlin, where he contested the six-race Formula E season finale at the Templehof circuit with Audi.

With the last race done and dusted on Thursday evening, Rast went to the Lausitzring for the second round of the DTM season.

“I only felt the difference between the cars for the first four or five laps of the first free practice session,” added Rast. “After that, I remembered what I was doing and was able to focus on driving the DTM car.

“The races at Berlin were tough, it was a tight schedule and it was also very hot, you could see the mechanics and everyone were worn out. It was a good experience, but we are back for DTM now.”

After Saturday’s race at the Lausitzring, Rast sits third in the championship, 46 points behind Team Abt Sportsline’s Nico Müller.