Ferrari back on the podium in the DTM thanks to a solid performance from Felipe Fraga in the Red Bull AF Corse-run 488 GT3 Evo 2020. The Brazilian finished the final race of the weekend at the Algarve track in runner-up spot, while Sébastien Loeb rounded off his experience in the series with a comeback to 18th position.
Overtaking. The race proved more linear than yesterday's and produced a tough battle amongst the leading positions with the frontrunners churning out blistering lap times. Among them, Fraga managed to overtake Bortolotti before trying to whittle down the gap to Nico Müller who, having started from pole position, was holding on to the lead. Starting from 27th place, Sébastien Loeb began a progression that saw him claw back several positions and notch up some fine times in spite of the cluttered track.
Undercut. Fraga, meanwhile, tried to play catch-up with Müller with an undercut - a strategy which allowed the Brazilian to reduce the gap to just under two seconds. At this point, the no. 74 Ferrari driver engaged in a close-quarters combat with the Audi counterpart, full of attacks and responses until at least three laps from the end, at which point Fraga opted to look after the tyres and the position through to the chequered flag. The driver from Jacundá went on to claim his first podium in his second DTM race, while for Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse, it was the 15 podium since their debut in the category in 2021.
Comeback. Loeb, meanwhile, opted for a different strategy from his team-mate, making his mandatory pit stop on lap 23, at which point the nine-time world rally champion in the AlphaTauri AF Corse 488 GT3 Evo 2020 was in second place overall, after his rivals' stops. Coming back out on track in twentieth place, the Frenchman continued to work his way up the order to eighteenth overall place, thus completing the weekend with two solid performances in which his talent had allowed him to fight on equal terms with even the most experienced DTM drivers.
Points. With these results both Fraga and AF Corse move up in the standings and join the group of drivers in pursuit of the leader of the general standings, Mirko Bortolotti.