A Nürburgring to forget for AF Corse in the DTM

Felipe Fraga’s twelfth place and Nick Cassidy’s retirement wrap up a weekend devoid of satisfaction for the AF Corse Red Bull Alphatauri Ferraris. After an overnight BoP change, the two 488 GT3 Evo 2020s were forced to head off from mid-pack, with Fraga and Cassidy starting 16th and 19th respectively.

More collisions. The race saw Cassidy get off to a brilliant start, allowing him to climb numerous positions up the order to twelfth place, while Fraga slipped back to twenty-first. Cassidy tried to close in on the top ten but once again a collision - this time the work of Engel - sent the New Zealander into a spin, who pitted on lap seven just as the Safety Car was being deployed. The no. 37 driver slowed down - excessively so according to race stewards - and subsequently received a 10” sanction. Fraga, who had held 14th spot until that point, was also penalised for contact.

Heading to Spa. On lap 27 Cassidy made a final withdrawal into the pits, while Fraga concluded the race in twelfth place. Celebrating victory was Luca Stolz, in a Mercedes, while Sheldon Van Der Linde, who, in spite of a ninth place finish, lengthened his lead in the general standings over Bortolotti, now lying 21 points behind.

The next DTM race is scheduled for the weekend of 11 September at Spa-Francorchamps.