Lausitzring to forget in a hurry for Ferrari in the DTM

In one of the most troublesome weekends since Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse began their DTM series participation, the Ferraris came away from the Lausitzring hoping to turn the page as quickly as possible on the event and instead focus on the forthcoming round in Imola in four weeks.

Forfeit. Qualifying brought an unwelcome surprise for Felipe Fraga, who was forced to stop at the side of the track due to a fire aboard - the cause of which is still being investigated - that prevented the Brazilian from taking the start of the second race of the weekend. AF Corse’s attention was thus turned to Nick Cassidy’s 488 GT3 Evo 2020 in the AlphaTauri livery, seventh on the grid.

Battles. The start once again featured several cars jostling side-by-side as they hit the brakes into the first corner, with Cassidy managing to drop just a single place before the mandatory pit stop on lap nine. The mechanics were quick to carry out the service, allowing the New Zealander to move up into seventh place. Lap after lap, the Ferrari clung to the group in the battle for third spot, with Enge, Mueller and Bortolotti all in the hunt for precious championship points.

Withdrawal. Despite making several attempts, the New Zealand driver was unable to stage the decisive attack on his rivals and, three minutes from the chequered flag, slipped down the order due to a puncture caused by debris that had not previously been removed from the track, advising the team to withdraw the car with the chequered flag by now in sight.

So the weekend at the Lausitzring, the second act of the 2022 DTM season, concludes with just a ninth place to show for it. The Ferraris will now have to dig deep as they attempt to earn important points in the coming round at Imola, on 17 and 19 June, if they hope to regain their positions among the frontrunners in the general standings.