Nico Müller: A bittersweet weekend 🎥
DOUBLE PENALTY Nico Müller has never been as fast as he was at the Norisring on a DTM weekend. Despite this, there was "only" one podium and two lap records. The Audi driver is now second in the standings. For the second time in six seasons (after Hockenheim in May 2016), Nico Müller started at 1.30 pm on Saturday at the Nuremberg [...]
For the second time in six seasons (after Hockenheim in May 2016), Nico Müller started a DTM race at the Norisring in Nuremberg at 1.30 pm on Saturday from the very front. He also got off to a great start, as the highlights show, after which the Bernese driver turned into the first hairpin in the Audi RS 5 from Team Abt Sportsline in the lead.
As is so often the case, there was a tussle in the midfield and the first casualty, which prompted race control to send the safety car onto the track a few laps later for safety reasons.
Nico Müller knew immediately that this would cost him the victory he was waiting for.
Rast as profiteer at Müller's expense
Many of his rivals took advantage of the impending yellow period to strategically bring forward their mandatory pit stop. This included René Rast, who stalled the engine of his Audi at the start - positioned directly behind Müller - and was lucky that everyone was able to get out of the way. His team, Rosberg, saw the only chance to save the situation in an immediate tire change. He had already come from the back of the field to win twice this year with the same strategy.
After his late pit stop on lap 30, Müller returned to the track in seventh place, overtook one opponent after the other on the fresher tires and, with a surprise attack on the last corner, also snatched the BMW of Joel Eriksson, which had been in second place until then.
With the 18 points for second place and the three additional points for pole position, the Swiss was able to limit the damage caused by others. Nevertheless, he was slightly disappointed.
Nico Müller: "We've never been this strong before. After the start, I knew that only a safety car phase could throw a spanner in the works. That's exactly what happened. It's a shame, but I'm proud of the team, who stayed cool and brought me down in anger. The strategy worked out so that I was still able to finish second despite losing 40 seconds."
New lap record holder at the Norisring
As a further consolation, Müller was also able to go down in the annals of the legendary Norisring as the new lap record holder in qualifying and the race. He almost achieved the same feat on Sunday, only Rast was seven thousandths faster in qualifying.
In the race, it was Müller who improved his own lap record from the previous day by seven tenths to 46.618 seconds (177.614 km/h) - in 77 Norisring Speedweek events to date, no one has ever driven so quickly in a race. The previous record from the 2017 DTM was 47.846, which proves just how fast the Class 1 touring cars of the turbo generation have become.
Stupid run
Unfortunately, this speed brought him practically nothing in the second race. Starting alongside Rast from the front row again, Nico Müller unfortunately hit his Audi team-mate on the rear when both cars were turning into the second corner, causing the previous day's winner to spin. In second position behind BMW driver Bruno Spengler, who had made a lightning start and was rewarded with victory, the 26-year-old driver from Bern had to complete a pit stop as a penalty. Thrown back to 14th place, Müller still made up six places after 70 laps (56 minutes).
Nico Müller: "René thought I was already behind him and I thought he wouldn't pull in and leave me enough space. So we were both wrong. This could have been avoided by both sides. The penalty was harsh, but that's the way the regulations are designed. Too bad, we both would have had a car for the win. The pit lane cost me 32 seconds, at the finish I was still 29 behind Spengler..."
New territory in the Netherlands
Despite the two disappointing races in Nuremberg, the only Swiss DTM driver's haul was so good (26 points) that he moved up to second place in the standings on the fourth race weekend with 102 points behind René Rast (127) and just ahead of BMW driver Philip Eng (101). The two mid-season races will take place for the first time on July 20 and 21 at the TT Circuit in Assen (NL).
Nico Müller: "Assen is new territory for many of us. The cards are being reshuffled. I could have scored a lot more points in Nuremberg, but the championship is still wide open and still has a long way to go. Anything is still possible..."
