Premat hoping for Lausitz return

The French driver injured his back in a crash with Tom Kristensen during the first race of the season, which forced him to miss last weekend's race at Oschersleben.

While he is still waiting to find out if he will be cleared to race in the third round of the season, Premat is pleased with how his recovery is going.

"My back is getting much better," he told autosport.com. "I'm not in pain, and I can run again and drive my road car, so it's very good."

The Audi driver admitted that he is getting frustrated sitting on the sidelines, but he stressed that he will not rush his return if he is not fully fit.

"It's very boring not racing, but I want to be safe with my back," he said. "I have to be realistic, because it might need more time."

Premat has taken heart from the performances of the older cars in the field at Oschersleben though, and he believes that with less weight, his 2006-spec Audi could be even more competitive next time out.

"I was very impressed with the '06 cars, and I was happy for Mike Rockenfeller," he said. "We already knew that our car was quick, but he showed that the 06 Audi can be on the podium.

"We could have an advantage for Lausitz as well, because we will have even less weight. Hopefully I will be back for the next race."