Mirko Bortolotti finishes second in the DTM season opener at Oschersleben – What problems the SSR Lamborghini driver had and how he experienced the duel with Riccardo Feller
The fact that Mirko Bortolotti can celebrate second place in the DTM season opener at Oschersleben is “better than expected” for the SSR Lamborghini driver: He struggled with a problem with his car at the start of the race and lost a position to Ricardo Feller (Abt-Audi, 3rd) after the pit stop, which he was only able to regain at the restart after the first safety car phase.
“To be honest, we still don’t know what the problem was,” mused the Italian about the early stages of the race, when he also complained to his engineer over the radio. “I had a loss of grip and it felt like a mechanical problem. Something was going on with the rear axle.”
“My steering wheel was off-center on the straights,” reported Bortolotti, who spoke of a period of “five or six laps before the pit stop window opened”. “We didn’t know what it was, I just saw that the tire pressures remained stable. That was a relief, because normally it then takes a few corners before you have a puncture. But that wasn’t the case.”
Nevertheless, the SSR team chose a “safe strategy by stopping early to make sure that everything was OK with the rear axle,” reveals the Lamborghini driver, for whom the early stop was “the right decision”. “It’s better to play it safe and finish the race instead of trying the optimal strategy and having a puncture. “
Bortolotti loses out due to early pit stop
Even though Feller came in just one lap later, the Abt-Audi driver was able to benefit from the SSR-Lamborghini drivers’ earlier stop. “We lost a place to Ricardo in that situation, although I was able to close the gap again because he was on cold tires.”
However, Bortolotti got in the way of the other drivers, who were also in the pits. “That cost me a lot of time and helped him to get the tires up to temperature,” reports the 34-year-old. “The opportunity to regain the position was gone as a result.”
It was only later, at the restart after the first safety car phase, that the Italian benefited from a mistake by the car in front of him. Feller wanted to attack Jack Aitken (Emil-Frey-Ferrari) and drove into the rear of the Ferrari driver, making him easy prey for Bortolotti.
Feller: “All fair, but not entirely confident from me “
“It was definitely important to look for and find the gap and wait for the right moment. That worked today,” smiles last year’s DTM runner-up. “It doesn’t always work, but it worked today.”
“I chose the wrong side,” said Feller on ran.de. “Jack [Aitken] braked brutally early, so I drove into the back of him. Mirko came in with an overrun, which was a bit unfortunate. It was all fair, but not entirely confident on my part.”
Opponent Bortolotti sees the situation differently: “He did the right thing, I don’t think he positioned himself wrongly,” says the 34-year-old. “You’re always smarter afterwards. The track characteristics here at Oschersleben are a bit peculiar. He could have got past Jack. He doesn’t have to look down on himself, because he did a good job. “
Feller had no chance of launching an attack against Bortolotti, either in the early stages or towards the end of the race. “It would have been very dangerous,” Feller admits. “It’s the first race of the year, we have to play safe and take as many points as possible, even if it would have been fourth place in the end.”
“I think the track helped me to defend myself,” admits the Lamborghini driver, as the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben offers few opportunities to overtake an opponent. Bortolotti jokes: “Although he was certainly faster, I was able to defend myself, park the bus and keep my position. “