The Grasser team will compete with only Mirko Bortolottis Lamborghini Temerario GT3 at the upcoming DTM weekend in Oschersleben following Maximilian Pauls heavy Norisring accident two weeks ago. This comes despite the Austrian squads efforts to get the second car ready in time and find a replacement driver for the injured German.
“We would certainly have found a driver, but the reason we cannot repair the car in time is the delivery of parts,” team principal Gottfried Grasser explained on inquiry by Motorsport-Total.com. “It is logistically not feasible.”
Interestingly, the chassis of the crashed Temerario GT3 remains intact – and a repair would generally be possible. The primary damage occurred in the front area during the impact with Kelvin van der Lindes BMW. The damaged components of the car are replaceable.
No spare car for the Grasser team
A replacement car would have been a theoretical alternative, but already at the beginning of the season, it was a major effort for Lamborghini to supply all teams with the new GT3 machine in time. It is conceivable that this is now impacting the current situation.
The plan is now for the second Grasser Lamborghini to be back on the grid at least by the sixth DTM weekend of the season, which takes place at the Nurburgring in one months time. “We are in exchange with Lamborghini regarding this and consider it realistic,” Grasser announced.
Due to the withdrawal of Paul’s car – who suffered a tibia and fibula fracture as well as a lumbar vertebra fracture during the Saturday race in Nuremberg – the DTM field for the upcoming weekend in Oschersleben shrinks to 20 cars.
Kelvin van der Linde starts in Oschersleben
BMW factory driver Kelvin van der Linde, who was also involved in the crash and suffered bruising, will be able to compete at Schubert’s home game in Oschersleben, unlike Paul.
The South African returned to the cockpit of his BMW M4 GT3 Evo on Wednesday during a test at Oschersleben, eleven days after the accident, completing around 70 laps. “I am fit,” clarified van der Linde, for whom a new BMW was built in short time.
The 30-year-old will already be in the WRT BMW this weekend for the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint series in Misano alongside his teammate Charles Weerts, competing in one race each on Saturday and Sunday.
In the case of Maximilian Paul, who is now facing a lengthy rehabilitation period after being discharged from the hospital in Nuremberg, the severity of the injuries suggests it will take months before he can return to the starting grid.
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