Ferraris target result in DTM at Red Bull Ring

The fifth round of the DTM championship takes place this weekend at the Red Bull Ring track in Spielberg, Austria. Spectators returned to the stands for the last round at the Nürburgring and will now be allowed into the paddock for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic.

Home Circuit. Racing on their home circuit, the two Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020s of Red Bull and AlphaTauri will be some of the most eagerly awaited cars in Austria. Red Bull not only gives the track its name but is also a partner of the two cars fielded by AF Corse.

In the last round at the Nürburgring, Alex Albon of AlphaTauri AF Corse triumphed in Race-2, earning valuable points to move into fourth in the overall standings on 82 points. Although championship leader Kelvin Van Der Linde is still far ahead on 129 points, the Ferrari driver is within reach of Maximilian Gotz in second, on 96, and Marco Wittmann in third on 94.

Liam Lawson of Red Bull AF Corse was unlucky in Germany, where two punctures in Race-2 put him out of the running.  Lawson, winner of the opening race at Monza, is now behind his teammate Albon in the standings, with 80 points, but tops the special ranking for young drivers.

“I am satisfied with the first part of the season even though things did not go well for me at Zolder and above all at the Nürburgring”, said Lawson in the press conference. “Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but it’s all still possible. The Red Bull Ring suits our cars, especially the fast turns, even though the straights are perhaps a bit too long for us. However, in general, it’s a favourable layout for us, and the test we did last week also went well. The fact that we will have fans in the paddock again will completely change the atmosphere. My goal for the weekend? I want to win!”

Last week, the Ferraris and others tested at Spielberg to refine their set-up for this new round, which includes two races of 55 minutes plus one lap.

Programme. On Friday, two free practice sessions are scheduled from 1pm to 1.45pm and from 3.30pm to 4.15pm. Qualifying for Race-1 is on Saturday from 10.20am to 10.40am, with the green light of the race at 1.30pm. On Sunday, qualifying is from 10.10am to 10.40am, while Race-2 kicks off at 1.30pm.