Norisring, 2-3 July, 2022

Race 1

In a race punctuated by crashes and Safety Car entries, the two Red Bull Alphatauri AF Corse-run Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020s were forced to withdraw early at the Norisring, once again postponing their date with victory in the DTM.

On a circuit that clearly does not bring much luck for Maranello machinery, qualifying had however produced an excellent third place for Ayhancan Guven and twelfth for Felipe Fraga. The first corner, which last year had deprived Liam Lawson of any chance of becoming champion, again turned out to be a trap in Race 1 in which several drivers got caught and would eventually prove decisive for the two Ferraris. Felipe Fraga’s car, eleventh, having survived the first lap chaos which prompted the first Safety Car, was rear-ended on the right-hand side at the restart and was forced to retire. Guven’s Ferrari, meanwhile, collided with a Mercedes after the third Safety Car entrance, causing damage to his Ferrari that the mechanics were unable to repair.

The race, won by the Porsche of Austrian Thomas Preining, also saw many of the frontrunners in the standings eliminated, preventing any breakaways. Tomorrow, the start of the second and final race of the fourth round of the 2022 DTM will once again get underway at 13:30 local time.

Driver Comments

Felipe Fraga
“It was a really bad day for us, and we are feeling very bitter. I think the restarts offered a very bad show for everyone, not only for the ones who had suffered damage. I got rear-ended in a very violent way once again. I don’t know what to say, I was fifth or sixth on the first lap and now I find myself commenting on another retirement. We have to think about the races one-by-one and aim to pick up as many points as possible.”

Ayhancan Guven
“We showed good race pace in yesterday’s free practice and in qualifying today we were able to get a very fine third place. Unfortunately, we lost positions on every restart and I was unable to defend myself. On the last restart someone hit me from the rear but I managed to continue despite the damage, although I had to stop afterwards. I am sorry for the retirement. Let’s try to learn from today’s race and come back stronger tomorrow.”

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Race 2

At the end of an authoritative drive at the Norisring, Felipe Fraga clinched a maiden DTM victory, delivering Ferrari and Red Bull Alphatauri AF Corse their first win of the season. The Brazilian, who is also celebrating his birthday today, had been fastest at the end of the morning’s qualifying session, ensuring the right to start ahead of the pack when the gantry lights went out. After the race director’s reprimand following the incidents at Turn 1 that had provoked repeated Safety Car entrances in Race 1, drivers opted for a more cautious approach. Fraga defended his position while Guven, slipped from seventh to eighth, but the driver who replaced Nick Cassidy in this round, after a fine battle with yesterday’s winner Preining, was able to retake seventh place. At the front of the field Fraga tried to build a small margin over Bortolotti, also setting the fastest lap in the first part of the race, which turned out to be an altogether smoother affair than the previous day’s race.

Guven, at the wheel of the 488 GT3 Evo 2020 in Alphatauri livery, entered the pit lane for the obligatory stop on lap 38, while Fraga carried out the operation nine laps later. The AF Corse mechanics were very lightning fast – just 7”9 for the tyre change – and the Brazilian was able to return to the lead with more than a three-second advantage. From there on, Fraga managed the gap to eventually cross the finish line in the top spot, while Guven posted seventh.

The win will do much to restore morale and confidence for Fraga and Red Bull Alphatauri AF Corse over the coming DTM races, which will observe a rest period in the coming weeks until racing resumes again on 26-28 August at the Nürburgring.

On the leaderboard, Fraga climbs to sixth position on 50 points, compared to the 89 of the leader of the standings, Mirko Bortolotti, while Red Bull Alphatauri AF Corse move up to ninth place on 58 points, 53 points behind the leader, Schubert Motorsport.

Driver Comments

Felipe Fraga
“It’s a fantastic way to celebrate my birthday with my first pole and my first win in the DTM. I am so happy, I cannot find the words to describe my mood. I want to thank the team, they did a tremendous job after yesterday’s race. Today during the pit stop they were extraordinary because I went in with a 1”5 lead over the second and when I came out I had more than two. I want to celebrate with the team because we have been through some very tough times and now we have a win that I think has been very well deserved.”

Ayhancan Guven
“Second race in the DTM but a different feeling to yesterday’s. We qualified fourth but were sanctioned and started from seventh place, although we dropped down a place. From that moment on, however, we had a very good race thanks to a perfect strategy chosen by the team. We overtook an opponent and finished seventh. I’m pleased and proud of the team, which is back to its winning ways. I learned a lot this weekend that will come in handy in the future, so thanks to Red Bull, AF Corse and Ferrari for the opportunity and I hope to return to the DTM soon.”