In the recent DTM championship event, Thomas Preining left the audience perplexed with an unexpected decision. Although he was leading the race and needed only a third place to secure the title, he allowed his teammate, Ricardo Feller, to overtake him on the last lap.
Preining, who recently won his second DTM title, humorously explained his maneuver. “I had a cramp in my foot, this can happen,” he commented, in a jokingly carefree tone. This excuse became a recurring theme, as another driver, Lucas Auer, also claimed a similar reason for letting Maro Engel pass.
These actions are not new in DTM, but team orders have been prohibited since 2022. Thus, Preining denied that he intentionally let Feller pass, insisting that his position in the championship was so comfortable that even a tenth place would have been enough to win the competition.
A dominated race
Preining started the year’s race from the seventh position, but quickly gained positions, becoming fourth on the first lap. “I wasn’t in attack mode today,” he admitted. He avoided the initial chaos, which included several accidents, and managed to recover ground to achieve second place before the first pit stop.
Opposing strategies
His team, Manthey, chose to mount used tires, intending to have an advantage in case of a safety car. In contrast, Mercedes’ Winward team selected new tires for Engel, but for Preining, this did not create additional pressure. “I wasn’t worried that Maro would be faster or that he’d go 10 seconds ahead; the farther away, the better!”
Unconditional support
Preining expressed his satisfaction with the clear alignment of the team that allowed him to race more comfortably. Feller stuck to the same tire strategy and avoided making attacks, which facilitated the race for Preining. “I always had support behind me, a more relaxed situation than with several Mercedes drivers around,” added the champion.
An unexpected finish
On the last lap, Preining’s strange “cramp” opened a door for Feller, who seized the opportunity to pass him just before the finish line. “I don’t know if this could have changed anything for me in the drivers’ championship,” Feller commented, who nonetheless finished the season with a podium.
Both drivers will celebrate Preining’s title, and Feller may end up offering a foot massage to his teammate as a joke after this peculiar measure of support during the race.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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