Franck Perera receives grid penalty for Sachsenring accident with Clemens Schmid – Lamborghini factory driver sees situation quite differently
“How am I supposed to stay calm here, please? We were third and we’re getting cleaned out full of shit! Argh!” – Emotional outburst in the cockpit from Clemens Schmid and unequivocal words in the Grasser pit after the upset of the DTM weekend at the Lausitzring par excellence – with consequences for Franck Perera.
The Frenchman had hit Schmid with a large excess. Both saw the situation completely differently afterwards. The stewards agreed with Schmid’s opinion and put the blame for the accident solely on Perera. The consequence: In Saturday’s race at the Sachsenring – another track that is hostile to overtaking – he will be moved back five places on the grid.
Reason: “The stewards have heard the driver and team representatives. After reviewing the video evidence, the stewards determine that car 94 bears full responsibility for this collision. Therefore, they penalise the driver with a demotion of five grid positions at the next race in which the car will participate.”
“I tried to put pressure on him and he braked too early. He was way too early and also changed the line. There was nothing I could do,” says Perera.
Schmid counters: “I braked where I braked every lap. I think the TV picture is clear. Even though he gave me quite a push, he didn’t come close to getting the corner. I think he has a very unique opinion there. “
Crash in the battle for 3rd place! DTM DTMLausitzring pic.twitter.com/wVGKS4vnoX
– Motorsport-Total.com (@MST_DTM) August 20, 2023
Just minutes after the collision, the two met in the pit lane. “We agreed to disagree and exchanged a few pleasantries.” Schmid did not reveal more about the brief conversation with Perera. Had the Austrian held on to third place, it would have been his first podium finish in the DTM – just two days after his 33rd birthday.
Bernd Schneider: Clearly Perera’s fault
DTM expert Bernd Schneider sees the situation like this: “Clemens Schmid slowed down a bit compared to his initial pace, but that was clearly a driving mistake by Franck Perera. That should not happen to such an experienced driver.”
“I also think Clemens braked in the same place. Franck pulled in a bit, caught the bump, maybe he got more ABS. But he was also much too late. That’s definitely on him. “
Schmid adds: “I don’t know what got into him. Somehow he’s going a bit crazy at the moment. At the Nürburgring, he already wiped out someone after he totally slammed on the brakes. And now again. Maybe he should seek psychological help.” He wanted to clarify everything else internally, as it was a collision within the brand.
The beneficiary of the collision was, of all people, Thomas Preining, the fiercest championship rival of Perera’s SSR team-mate Mirko Bortolotti. “I think Perera was just very optimistic. Schmid saw it too late and already turned in. Then the two of them crashed together.”
“Who is to blame or if anyone is to blame, I don’t know. I haven’t watched it in the replay yet. But for me, of course, it wasn’t that bad. “
