The DTM season finale at Hockenheim is overshadowed by a serious accident involving six people. Some of the drivers affected, including David Schumacher, have to go to the hospital. The accident for championship candidate Thomas Preining is particularly bitter.
Breathing a sigh of relief after the serious accident at the DTM season finale in Hockenheim: The drivers David Schumacher, Rolf Ineichen (Switzerland) and Dennis Olsen (Norway), who were taken to the hospital for further examinations, are not seriously injured and have already left the hospital. However, Ralf Schumacher's son David will not start in the last race on Sunday (1.30 p.m. / ProSieben) because his Mercedes is too damaged. This was initially unclear for the six other pilots involved in the accident.
"It was a tough race and I'm glad that nobody was seriously injured in the accidents," said Lucas Auer, who won the race that started again after a long break and put himself in a brilliant position for the finale. The nephew of the former Formula 1 driver and current DTM boss Gerhard Berger now has 147 points and thus only two fewer than leader Sheldon van der Linde (South Africa), who drove from 16th to second place in the BMW on Saturday. With 128 points, ex-champion Rene Rast only has a small chance, Mirko Bortolotti (Italy/121) could theoretically also become champion.
On the other hand, the Austrian Thomas Preining, who retired in the crash, can no longer take part in the championship race. An employee at the track suffered "a forearm injury" in a fall, said a DTM spokeswoman. The fall is not related to the accident on the track. The race was initially stopped with a red flag and continued after a lengthy clean-up work.
Porsche driver Preining collided with David Schumacher, both of them slid into the barriers at high speed. Pilots driving behind could not avoid it. In the event of an impact, the engine of Olsen's Porsche was thrown onto the track and briefly caught fire.
(This article was first published on Saturday, October 08, 2022.)
