How it came about that Lucas Auer was the first top driver to go for slicks despite a wet track and why his nerves were on edge on the last lap
While Rene Rast was slipped through on rain tyres in the final laps of Sunday’s DTM race in Spielberg (read the race report here), Winward Mercedes driver Lucas Auer wasn’t even in the top 10 with three laps to go – and still finished sixth thanks to his slicks on the drying track.
The local hero even saw his hopes slip away on the last lap. “It was just more of a tightrope walk, because it suddenly started to drizzle again, and the rain tyres weren’t that much slower then. “
“Then I thought to myself: Crucifix! Now we’ve made the right decision – and then it starts raining again. But it turned out – great!”
Race engineer risks slicks for Auer despite title fight
The Austrian has to thank his Portuguese race engineer Mauricio Moreira for the courageous decision to change to slicks on lap 23 as the second driver after Rolf Ineichen. Because he radioed Auer: “Only with slicks will we score points today!”
And this despite the fact that the Austrian had just overtaken Rast and, as a title candidate in fifth place, also had a lot to lose. “That was the perfect decision,” said a delighted Auer, who is now Sheldon van der Linde’s first pursuer in the championship, eleven points behind, ahead of the title finale at Hockenheim.
“I wouldn’t have dared to do that. But that was the only chance we had to pull something off today.” Yet things didn’t look good at all at first – and Auer dropped back to 21st place before he was 15th for a while after the competition had stopped.
“Almost crashed three times on the first lap “
“I almost went off at least three times on the first lap after the pit stop,” he reveals. “But when the tyres then reached operating temperature, I knew: we did the right thing.” It was also important that Auer set the fastest race lap with three laps to go, thus securing an extra point for the championship.
How he now assesses the title fight, in which Abt Audi driver Rast, Porsche winner Thomas Preining, Grasser Lamborghini driver Mirko Bortolotti and HRT brand colleague Luca Stolz also have chances alongside him and van der Linde?
Auer: At least one win at Hockenheim needed for title
“Everything is open,” says Auer, who likes Hockenheim. “The top five in the overall standings are only separated by 18 points. I am convinced: Only the one who wins at least one race in Hockenheim will be champion. For us, that means: full attack!”
Auer is absolutely satisfied with his performance in Spielberg, except for Sunday’s qualifying, in which he did not finish higher than twelfth in pouring rain.
“Fourth place yesterday was like a victory for us with the speed we had,” he sums up. “Only today in the rain I didn’t deliver in qualifying. That was shit, I have to say. Also from me – just not enough. That’s why I’m happy with the race now. “
