Norisring fan Nicki Thiim was already among the fastest in Friday’s free practice. On Saturday morning, the Dane set the fastest time in his qualifying group, securing a spot on the front row of the grid. However, at the end of the first lap, he was spun around by a competitor and dropped back to last place. 15th place and one point for Mirko Bortolotti were little consolation.
But things were to get even worse on Sunday. Both ABT drivers were involved in a multi-car pileup in the first corner immediately after the start. After just 25 seconds, the race was over for Nicki Thiim and Mirko Bortolotti – and so was the team's impressive run of 63 DTM races in the points.
“I’ve never experienced such a tough weekend at the Norisring,” said ABT Motorsport Director Martin Tomczyk. “We tested a lot of different things on Friday and had a highlight with Nicki’s front row start on Saturday. Unfortunately, he was unable to convert his good starting position into a good result because he was spun around on the first lap. To be honest, I’m lost for words when it comes to Sunday. We started both cars from far back, which massively increased the risk of being involved in a Norisring-typical start collision. Losing both cars in the same crash is extremely painful.”
“It’s always great to drive at the Norisring,” said Nicki Thiim. “The track is cool and the atmosphere with the many fans was fantastic again this year. The weekend started very well for me on Friday and with the front row on Saturday. Unfortunately, nothing worked out after that. Both races were over in the first lap. That’s not how we imagined our home race. It’s a real shame for the team, who work incredibly hard and remain positive.”
“Overall, it was a difficult weekend for us,” said Mirko Bortolotti. “Unfortunately, this was the first race since Red Bull Ring 2023 in which I failed to score any points in the DTM. It’s a shame that this consistent run has come to an end here – it’s particularly bitter that we had to retire the car on Sunday on the very first lap. Unfortunately, we lacked pace throughout the entire weekend. We weren’t competitive, especially on the straights – even in direct comparison with other Lamborghinis.”
After a four-week summer break, the second half of the season will start on 9/10 August at the Nürburgring.