In the DTM race held at Sachsenring, Nicki Thiim saw his championship aspirations crumble due to a crash with Mercedes AMG driver Jules Gounon. The tragic incident occurred when Gounon returned to the track after his second pit stop, resulting in an injury to his left hand.
Gounon, who reported that he did not understand how the impact occurred, expressed his pain from the blow received. Immediately, he informed via radio that he felt discomfort in his hand, which was treated with a bandage and a splint at the circuit’s medical center. Despite the pain, he indicated that he did not believe the hand was broken.
Thiim, who had warned before the race about his intention to take significant risks, expressed concern for Gounon’s well-being immediately after the crash. Explaining the circumstances of his accident, the Danish driver mentioned that he had lost control of the vehicle unexpectedly due to a possible problem on the track.
The Aston Martin driver indicated that, at that moment, he noticed a sudden loss of grip, which coincided with Gounon’s entry onto the track. Additionally, Thiim observed that other drivers, such as Luca Engstler and Thierry Vermeulen, had also encountered difficulties in the same area, which may have contributed to his incident.
This incident was reviewed by the stewards, who concluded that the track surface was compromised, and for this reason, they did not penalize Thiim. He currently stands fifth in the standings, with a 50-point deficit to leader Thomas Preining, making his title chances practically impossible.
With only 56 points available in the upcoming races, Thiim has accepted that the burden of the competition is too high and has expressed willingness to approach the next events with a more relaxed attitude.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
