The DTM preseason closed its first episode with the second day of testing for its GT3s at Hockenheim. Day again marked by rain, in which AVL has been able to do the necessary calibration laps of the ‘BoP’ and in which the best times have not been faster than those of the previous day. Thus, Nico Müller was the fastest driver of the daybut Marius Zag ends the first official test of the DTM with the absolute best time.
The first of the two stops of the DTM pre-season is history and the next time that the GT3s of the contest run together will be in the Portimao test, the same scenario in which the first appointment of the season will take place. Until then, Marius Zaug can boast of being the fastest man in the DTM after closing the Hockenheim test with a best time of 1:38.344, record that neither Mirko Bortolotti during Wednesday morning nor Nico Müller, ultimately, have been able to overcome.
Be that as it may and focusing on the second day of the Hockenheim test, the dynamic has been very similar to that of the previous day. Rain with brief periods of respite that allowed the drivers to run dry. During the morning session, Mirko Bortolotti set the fastest time with the #63 Lamborghini after signing a time of 1:39.201 in his penultimate lap. The Belgian Laurens Vanthoor finished three tenths with the #92 Porschewhile Marco Witttmann finished third in the first of the BMW M4 GT3s.
In the afternoon, Nico Müller imposed his law with the Audi #51 after signing a time of 1:38.532 in the final stretch of the day. Mirko Bortolotti was just over a tenth behind the Swiss, while Marius Zug, René Rast and Mikael Grenier completed the ‘top 5’ of a second session in which up to fourteen pilots rolled in a distance less than the second. On this second day of testing, Sébastien Loeb did not drive the AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 until the afternoon session, with a time also reduced by the ‘BoP’ practices.
Although the track conditions were not ideal, dDuring the afternoon session AVL carried out the calibration exercise of the ‘BoP’. The procedure used stipulates that, at five-minute intervals, each of the drivers designated by the team – structures of two cars – had to go out on the track to complete two fast laps with new unheated tires and 30 kilos of fuel in the tanks, although some turns were removed for exceeding track limits. beyond these, the slower times than on Tuesday seem to indicate a certain
Photos: DTM