Nico Müller: "There is only full attack".

In the two races on Saturday and Sunday at the Hockenheim GP circuit (live on Sat1), the last championship title in the Class 1 era of Europe's most popular touring car racing series will be awarded. With a 19-point lead over Nico Müller, the already two-time champion and defending champion René Rast naturally has the best chances.

Anything can still happen
But as we saw most recently in Zolder, with the Swiss leading the championship from the start of the season until then, a lot can happen and everything can change quickly. Two retirements or two bad races for Rast and two good ones for Müller, then the tide turns again.

Last year's runner-up still firmly believes he has what it takes.

What's your attitude going into the DTM finale at Hockenheim?

Nico Müller: "For the first time this season, we're starting a weekend in the chasing pack. Otherwise, we were always the hunted. Of course I'd rather travel to the finale with a lead. But I think there's also something positive about it. There's only one direction. You can fully attack and just give everything to turn the thing around again. It won't be easy, but we still have a very good chance. Two strong performances like we delivered six of the eight DTM weekends will certainly put us in a position to put René under a lot of pressure again."

What would the DTM title mean to you?

Nico Müller: "Extremely much. Ever since I sat in the stands at Hockenheim as a boy and watched the DTM final, witnessed that action and those emotions, it was clear to me that I'd like to achieve that myself one day."

How bad would it be if the title didn't work out?

Nico Müller: "You don't think about that at the moment. You just focus on the big goal. I hope I don't have to answer that."

What were the decisive moments in the 2020 season?

Nico Müller: "In the end, the only thing that counts is who's on top at the very end. Of course, there were one or two important moments. For example, the super-strong start to the season at Spa with the two wins. There were many important moments, but the most important and all-important moment is yet to come."

Why were you three title contenders so much stronger than everyone else?

Nico Müller: "We pushed each other extremely hard within the team right from the start, even during the tests. Personally, it was clear to me that Robin would be very strong. With René, the question marks were also limited. After his performances in recent years, it was clear that he was the one to beat. The fact that the gap to the chasers was so big surprised me to some extent. We're all at such a high level in the DTM that it's the little things that make the difference in the end. We've managed to do that better than the others more often. That's what distinguishes this three-way battle."

Was it particularly exhausting to complete the 2020 DTM season in just 100 days?

Nico Müller: "It was a very intense time, because all three of us had to complete other programs in addition to the DTM, be it Formula E or the endurance track at the Nürburgring. There was hardly any time to breathe. Mentally and physically, it was actually no problem for me personally. You had to be able to plan very well, you needed the support from home. So I'm really in a great situation and I really appreciate having a family that supports me and takes care of everything else so I can concentrate on my job."

How did you spend the days after Zolder in terms of the upcoming final?

Nico Müller: "I was in lively communication with my team and my engineer to learn the important lessons from Zolder that will only make us stronger for the finale. It's exactly these weekends that make you grow and become stronger. So it was a very important time to invest in the Zolder analysis. Then the focus was on preparing for Hockenheim. Going through everything again, what happened in the past, what you need to have on the screen for setup decisions and so on. We'll do everything we can to be 100 percent ready, get the maximum out of our package and hopefully win both races. Then we'll see what comes out of it."

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