Preining angered by rivals trying to 'take me out'

Title contender Thomas Preining faced a challenging start to his DTM race at Hockenheim after his rivals attempted to disrupt his progress. The 28-year-old Austrian driver dropped from third on the grid to 14th due to chaos during the opening lap. Preining expressed his frustration with ServusTV, stating that a few people tried to take him out during the race.

He lost several positions but managed to fight his way back, ultimately finishing in fifth place. The trouble began when Preining was hit by Ferrari driver Emil Frey in Turn 2, causing him to lose eleven places. Preining absolved Frey of intentional actions, attributing the incident to low grip and a challenging start. He also mentioned that the move was not entirely his fault as Vermeulen outbraked himself.

Preining emphasized that intentionally trying to take another driver out of the race is unacceptable, although he did not specify who the culprit might be. He kept the matter private and did not disclose it publicly. Van der Linde, who had previously spun around at the hairpin, was accused of putting up resistance when Preining attempted to pass him on the inside.

However, van der Linde defended his actions, stating that his car was in a different league. Despite a challenging start, Preining managed to recover and secure a fifth-place finish, thanks to strong overtaking moves and a perfect pit stop. He expressed his focus on a clean race without any incidents or "stupid moves" to secure the title ahead of the final race.