Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse driver Nick Cassidy battled to a top-10 finish at the Nürburgring in Germany as the second half of the DTM season got underway, while team-mate Felipe Fraga was left frustrated after suffering more back luck. Here is all you need to know:
– After a lengthy summer break, round five of the DTM championship got underway at the Nürburgring and Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse arrived full of confidence following Fraga’s victory last time out at the Norisring.
– Cassidy was also keen to get back behind the wheel of the AlphaTauri-liveried Ferrari having not raced in DTM since round three because of his Formula E commitments.
– When racing did get underway, Fraga started the first race from sixth and Cassidy found himself 21st after qualifying was cancelled due to bad weather, meaning the grid was determined by the drivers’ standings.
– Fraga then made an incredible start as he moved into first place before the end of the opening lap. The Brazilian Stock Car champion was hoping to extend his advantage but was clipped by Mirko Bortolotti and sent into a spin, eventually having to retire his car due to the damage sustained in the incident.
– Cassidy had better fortunes as he avoided any incidents and was able to carve his way through the field, eventually finishing in seventh to secure some well-deserved championship points.
– With sunshine and near-perfect racing conditions on Sunday, there were high hopes but qualifying proved to be tough for both drivers due to overnight Balance of Performance adjustments announced by race management.
– Cassidy made a strong start from 19th position as he began to move through the field before being sent into a spin by Germany’s Maro Engel and forced to retire, while Fraga battled to 12th place.
– Cassidy said: “A frustrating weekend overall for myself. I felt good with the car this weekend but don’t feel we got to show our potential, especially on Saturday when we had to start so far back. On Sunday being touched into a spin after another great start summed up my weekend. I look forward to bouncing back strongly at Spa.”
Fraga added: “Saturday started just perfect for me. I had the best start of my life with the cold tyres and had a lot of fun cruising through the front rows. Then it became hard to defend the lead and finally I got taken out by Mirko. It feels really bad, as it probably would have been a win or for sure a second place. I feel sorry for the team, nothing I could do to avoid the incident. Today, I just had no pace compared to the others. I’m looking forward to Spa now, we are still highly motivated.”
– Fraga now sits 12th in the championship standings, while Cassidy is in 20th place overall. In the Team standings, Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse are currently ninth.
– Next up for Fraga and Cassidy will be Round 6 of the DTM championship at Spa-Francorchamps on September 9-11, 2022.
Race 1 result, Nürburging
1. Sheldon van der Linde (RAS) – Schubert Motorsport
2. Kelvin van der Linde (RAS) – ABT Sportsline
3. Ricardo Feller (SUI) – ABT Sportsline
7. Nick Cassidy (NZL) – Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse
DNF Felipe Fraga (BRA) – Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse
Race 2 result, Nürburgring
1. Luca Stolz (GER) – Team HRT
2. Dennis Olsen (NOR) – SSR Performance
3. Lucas Auer (AUT) – Team ABT
12. Felipe Fraga (BRA) – Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse
DNF Nick Cassidy (NZL) – Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse
2022 DTM Drivers Championship standings (after 5 rounds of 8)
1. Sheldon van der Linde (RSA), 110 points
2. Mirko Bortolotti (ITA) – 89
3. Lucas Auer (AUT), 85
12. Felipe Fraga (BRA), 50
20. Nick Cassidy (NZL), 9
2022 DTM Teams Championship standings (after 5 rounds of 8)
1. Schubert Motorsport, 149 points
2. ABT Sportsline, 128
3. SSR Performance, 89
9. Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse, 64