Was that team orders at Mercedes-AMG? When leader Lucas Auer, who is now out of title contention despite his victory in the DTM Saturday race at Hockenheim, let his fellow Mercedes driver Maro Engel past after the restart, it sparked a team-orders alert. The Austrian slowed so much in the Mercedes-Arena that Engel, who was better placed in the championship, swept past comfortably and took the lead.
The DTM regulations have banned manufacturer agreements and team orders since 2022. And on lap five, Auer was 1.5 seconds slower than Engel in the second sector. A clear indication that he lifted. “Friends like Lucas are always good to have around, of course”, Engel said when asked about the move by Motorsport-Total.com.
“It’s no secret that we get on very well. He knows what is at stake for me. He was a big help at that moment,” said Engel, who has shared the Winward Mercedes with Auer in GT World Challenge Europe since last year.
Team orders ban prohibits “agreements” and “instructions”
The fact is: if Auer really did let his better-placed fellow Mercedes driver in the title fight past of his own accord, then no agreement can be proven against Mercedes-AMG.
Because in the team orders paragraph 20.2, the sporting regulations expressly prohibit “agreements between manufacturers or competitors (teams) and drivers which provide that the manufacturer or competitor may issue direct or indirect instructions to the driver for his conduct during a qualifying session or race which restrict the driver in sporting competition”.
Auer’s explanation: “I had such problems with my foot”
A breach carries the threat of a 250,000-euro fine. But how does Auer explain his manoeuvre? “It sounds a bit silly, but it was my decision,” said the Landgraf Mercedes driver after his first win of the season.
“I had such problems with my foot that I got cramps. I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risk – and it was the best way to resolve it. I had a bit of drama throughout the race.” The 32-year-old cannot help smiling himself. “Saying that out loud almost sounds a bit unserious, but it’s the truth,” he added.
And he admits that it was not the first time he had got a cramp in the early stages. “I have that now and then, that you tense up a bit when there’s a heated first lap. Then a red flag and warming up again … I think everything came together there. Normally I’m not that susceptible.”
DMSB checked radio traffic for Auer and Engel
The German governing body DMSB (Deutscher Motor Sport Bund), which is responsible for ensuring compliance with the regulations, also noticed the move by the two Mercedes-AMG drivers and subsequently checked the radio traffic. But, unsurprisingly, there were no irregularities or instructions in it that pointed to a managed position swap.
Which is not definitive proof that there could not have been an agreement beforehand behind closed doors. Nevertheless, the DMSB can only act once it has concrete evidence of a managed position swap – and apparently there is none.
In the end, the move had no consequences anyway: because of a botched 16.4-second pit stop, Engel fell back behind Auer, who eventually won the race. Engel ultimately finished fourth – and is now 22 points adrift in the title fight ahead of the final day of the season. Only a catastrophic Sunday for Thomas Preining can still make Engel champion.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: motorsport.com
