"We are going to FIA": Grasser appeal rejected - no DTM champion at finale?
No success for Grasser Racing Team at the appeals court of the German governing body DMSB (Deutscher Motor Sport Bund) on Friday: The Lamborghini team's appeal against the disqualification of race winner Mirko Bortolotti for a non-compliant wheel bearing at the DTM race at Oschersleben was rejected. The DMSB officially confirmed the decision. Nevertheless, team principal Gottfried Grasser ...…
The German motorsport governing body, DMSB, has rejected the appeal of Lamborghini team Grasser Racing Team against the disqualification of race winner Mirko Bortolotti. The appeal was against the disqualification of Bortolotti for a non-compliant wheel bearing at the DTM race in Oschersleben. Despite the rejection, Grasser states that the team will now take the case to an FIA court in Paris.
This decision could delay the DTM title decision and potentially decide the champion of the season. The disqualification occurred after a routine inspection revealed that the wheel bearing on Bortolotti's winning car did not match the DTM GT3 homologation or a reference part. The stewards based their decision on Article 5.1 of the DTM Sporting Regulations, which states that all parts must be used exactly as supplied by the vehicle manufacturer.
Grasser's team argued that the machining of the wheel bearings was free, based on formal errors in the regulations. The hearing before the DMSB appeals court lasted over two hours, with Grasser represented by lawyer Thomas Fleischer. If the team succeeds in overturning the decision, it could significantly impact the points standings of the title contenders, with Thomas Preining currently leading by 23 points and Marco Wittmann by 24 points.
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