Nicki Thiim, Aston Martin competitor, expressed his frustration after finishing in a disappointing 11th position in the DTM race at Nürburgring. The Danish athlete could not contain his anger, accusing the organization and Mercedes-AMG of manipulating the competition in favor of their drivers, Maro Engel and Lucas Auer.
The incidents on track, particularly his battle with Tom Kalender, were the trigger for his complaints. Thiim stated that Kalender’s goal was to prevent him from overtaking at all costs, causing him great disappointment: ‘What is happening here is simply a disgrace.’
The Dane recalled an incident on the first lap, where he was pushed into the gravel at the exit of turn 5. ‘It was clear that Kalender was there to hinder my advance,’ he stated, criticizing what he perceives as favoritism from other DTM teams. ‘It’s hard for me to believe that the competition is fair when I see how different manufacturers are treated.’
Thiim’s frustration continued, stating that his lack of speed and penalties added to the difficulties of the weekend. ‘It seems like I’m fighting with a stick while the others do it with a gun,’ he concluded. He currently occupies 4th position in the overall standings, 30 points behind leader Engel.
On the other hand, Kalender defended his actions during the race, claiming that he chose not to block Thiim, even though there was contact that caused his vehicle to retire. The young Mercedes-AMG driver admitted that the situation was far from ideal but that the competition is tough.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_43d1407beda89cdddc166153b73a1f80b54c7497