Thomas Preining, driver of Manthey Racing, has experienced a disappointing day at the DTM in Spielberg, where his performance on Sunday contrasted drastically with the victory achieved on Saturday. With a penalty that left him 14th on the grid, he finished the race in 13th position.
According to Preining, the key to his poor performance was the lack of grip compared to the previous day. “Today, the circuit did not present the same conditions as yesterday, and that made the difference. Yesterday we had much better grip,” commented the 27-year-old driver.
Furthermore, he pointed out that the track had been affected by the previous competition from other categories, which hindered his ability to maintain pace. “The day before, the circuit was faster, perhaps two tenths faster,” he added.
The difficulties of driving in the middle of the pack
The difficult starting position was one of the factors that hindered Preining. Unlike Saturday, when he started from pole position, this Sunday he found himself trapped among other vehicles. “It is complicated to make overtakes when you’re in the middle of the pack and you don’t have the necessary performance on the straights,” he stated.
With this result, the 2023 DTM champion has lost the top position in the standings, making way for Maro Engel.
Qualification marked by traffic
The qualifying session was not favorable for Preining. Patrick Arkenau, in charge of Manthey operations, explained that the driver was affected by traffic on the track, needing to abandon two laps. “Excessive traffic is difficult to manage, especially with our position in the pit lane,” said Arkenau.
He also commented that the strategy of his rivals gave an advantage to other teams. “It is not a criticism, it is a legitimate tactic,” he added to justify the strategy of the other teams.
Looking to the future: Zandvoort
Despite the complications faced, Manthey Racing acknowledges that it needs to improve its strategy. The team is now focusing its energies on the upcoming race at the Zandvoort circuit, where tire wear is expected to play an important role with the new Pirelli compound. Preining has expressed hope to come out with a better approach during qualifying, aiming to reclaim his place among the best.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
