Attack instead of retreat: AF Corse and Ferrari want to win the title in the 2022 DTM season – Sports Director Ron Reichert blows the whistle
“We still have a score to settle with the DTM,” says AF Corse sports director Ron Reichert ahead of the 2022 DTM season opener. The Red Bull team and also Ferrari have long considered pulling out of the DTM after the title slipped out of their hands at the last second following the dramatic 2021 season finale at the Norisring. Now the team is on the attack.
“I think it’s clear that after missing out on the drivers’ championship by such a narrow margin, you naturally want to go for it. That’s why the goal for this year is clearly to achieve both,” said Reichert, who is aiming for both the drivers’ and team titles. For the 2022 season, AF Corse has two arrows in its quiver: Felipe Fraga and Nick Cassady, who are supposed to get it right in the championship.
“It’s just a disgrace for the sport what happened again today on the race track,” Reichert rumbled to ‘Ran.de’ at the time after the season finale in Nuremberg, in which Liam Lawson was knocked out by Kelvin van der Linde.
That’s why Maximilian Götz – also with the help of the Mercedes stable order – took the title. AF Corse, Red Bull and Ferrari therefore considered withdrawing from the series, but instead of burying its head in the sand, the team has clearly formulated the titles as its goal.
To that end, the racing team has purchased two brand new Ferraris, which have already been on track in private testing at Spielberg and driven by the Ferrari racing team’s new driver duo. “I think we have quite a strong driver pairing there,” said Reichert.
“With Nick, everyone saw at the Norisring: He gets into the car and is immediately up front. Felipe has flown under the radar for many. He races in America and Brazil and is super strong everywhere there. “
Bigger and tighter: the record-breaking DTM 2022
Taking home the lost title from 2021 in the upcoming season will not be an easy task for the Ferrari squad, however, as the DTM field has increased significantly once again.
A record field of 29 drivers was recently decided on the part of the series, which is why Reichert expects “very balanced competition” in the DTM. AF Corse will certainly not get anything for free in the 2022 season …
