After an unusually long summer break, the second half of the DTM season begins next weekend. In a 14-day rhythm, races will be held at the Nürburgring, Spa, the Red Bull Ring and Hockenheim, before the new DTM champion will be crowned. René Rast, in his ABT Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II, is only ten points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti in the Lamborghini. Of the three ABT drivers, Rast has the best chances of winning the title. Below we have an interview with the three-time DTM champion before the two DTM races at the Nürburgring (Both races will be live on ProSieben from 1 PM CEST on Saturday and Sunday).
The DTM had an unusually long summer break – what did you get up to? Where and how did the Rast family go on holiday?
At home, in Bregenz in Austria. We had a fantastic summer. For me, a holiday is when I’m at home. That’s why it was a great time. I did a lot of sports, went hiking or cycling every day. I enjoyed the days off and just spent some time with my family. It was a very nice holiday. Of course, I also did a bit of training.
Right after the Norisring, your management invited all of the drivers to a joint fitness week in Kitzbühel – including Sheldon van der Linde, one of your biggest rivals in the title fight …
I’ve known Kelvin and Sheldon for a long time. Of course, Sheldon is a competitor, but only on the track when we have our helmets on. When we’re meeting up privately, we’re good friends. There’s no rivalry at all. That’s why it was very relaxed in Kitzbühel. We simply have a good relationship.
Before the second half of the season, you are only ten points behind championship leader Mirko Bortolotti. How do you rate your chances of winning the title?
It’s difficult to judge. Of course, it doesn’t look that bad now. But there are still four weekends to go. There are still one or two tracks that might not suit us so well – the Red Bull Ring, for example. We have to wait and see how the season develops. We always have to be among the front runners and not make any mistakes – then we have a chance. But I think it will be very difficult. The Lamborghini, especially, is very strong this year.
You tested at Spa during the summer break. What did you learn from the test?
The Spa test was for us to gather setup data. We ticked off the most important points, although it wasn’t an easy test, because there were a lot of red flags. We had to compromise on what we tested, because of the reduced time. Hopefully we found out the right things and drew the right conclusions.
During the season’s final phase, there will now be races every 14 days. What will be the important points for this?
Preparation is not as crucial as it used to be in Class 1 or Formula E. It’s mainly about maximising the weekends. No stupid mistakes. Getting everything spot on, especially in qualifying. Scoring points in the races is crucial. Don’t make any mistakes there either, don’t risk any penalties. Good pit stops, good strategy. These are the key factors. We are only halfway through the season, so a lot can still happen.