Schneider: 'Others' bad luck gives me the edge'
Runaway DTM points-leader Bernd Schneider says his dominance of the championship is down to the bad luck of others - and not favouritism by Mercedes-Benz
Schneider, who has won five out of the 10 points-scoring races held so far and took his fourth pole of the year at Oschersleben, is 42 points ahead of Mercedes team mate Klaus Ludwig and 51 ahead of Opel's only realistic challenger Manuel Reuter. No other driver has won more than two races.
"It surprises me that I'm so far ahead," said Schneider. "But when you take a look at the races, it's clear that a lot of the other drivers really are having bad luck. But that's just the way it goes.
"When it goes well, you have some luck too. And if you are driving under pressure, you are sometimes also faced with bad luck and you make more mistakes. So far, I have been quite lucky."
Opel sports chief Volker Strycek concurs with Schneider's view, saying: "When you are in victory lane, the luck seems to go with you. Whatever Bernd does at the moment, it seems to work. Our drivers are feeling the pressure at the moment, but it's up to us to try and put him under pressure."
With a maximum of 120 points at stake in the final six races, including Oschersleben's double-header, Schneider looks like taking the title before the final round, but still remains cautious: "For sure, the other drivers will keep charging," he said, "and I still have to score more points. But my situation doesn't necessarily make it easier: sometimes when you are driving carefully, even more things can happen than when you're attacking.
"Winning races is always my goal," he added, "but I have to find the right balance and I will not risk everything from now on."
Oschersleben warm-up: blow for Reuter
Mega-shunt halts Oschersleben race one
How Audi DTM heavyweights Rast and Muller compare
The GT3-based DTM is a different proposition to the Class 1 era that ended in 2020, but Audi’s top protagonists remain the same. Rivals Rene Rast and Nico Muller have now swapped teams, making their Team Rosberg and Abt engineers uniquely qualified to reveal what makes the pair tick
David Schumacher surprised by friendlier DTM environment
DTM rookie David Schumacher says the championship's convivial paddock atmosphere has come as a shock this year, having felt he had “no friends” during his time in single-seaters.
How Bernhard's Porsche "underdogs" made DTM history
Porsche didn’t take long to make its mark on the DTM, with its first victory arriving at the Norisring earlier this month. But few expected that to come courtesy underrated Austrian Thomas Preining and his single-car Bernhard team. Here’s how they did it
DTM rejects drivers' demand for repeater lights in rolling starts
The DTM has turned down calls from drivers to install a set of repeater lights to improve visibility and cut down the chances of startline accidents.
The longest-serving Red Bull driver revealing F1’s true brutality
His day of days in Formula 1 came at Indianapolis in 2005, a day grand prix racing strives to forget. But Patrick Friesacher, the long-serving Red Bull lieutenant, remains active today driving a two-seater that provides ordinary people with a glimpse of an F1 car’s savage potential, including this writer...
How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir
OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle
The remarkable career of a 'classy' champion who rejected politics
Over two decades as a factory driver with Audi and BMW, Martin Tomczyk earned the respect of team-mates and rivals as a hard but fair racer. After calling time on his racing career, the 2011 DTM champion sat down with Autosport to look back
The other Hamilton conqueror seeking career revival
On his rise through the ranks before reaching Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton was usually a cut above the rest. But he never truly asserted himself over a Mercedes-backed fellow Briton who traded single-seaters for touring cars and is now seeking new opportunities after a year largely spent on the sidelines
How the DTM's shambolic finale poses awkward future questions
OPINION: The scenes at the Norisring as Mercedes used blatant team orders to secure the first DTM title of the new GT3 era totally undermined the credibility of the championship. But as well as overshadowing the season, it also presents uncomfortable questions to series bosses about the direction it is headed in
How Audi's new DTM star is channeling Rast to achieve his "childhood dream"
Having learned the ropes in GT3 alongside Rene Rast, Kelvin van der Linde is in line to take up the three-time champion's baton as Audi's new DTM king. From humble origins in South Africa, it's been a remarkable journey so far for the current series leader, but he knows that the 2021 title is a long way from settled just yet
The number-crunching behind the new-look DTM's equalisation drive
Switching to GT3 regulations marked a fresh start for the DTM in 2021, but it has also drawn a line in the sand against other series using similar cars by engaging AVL Racing to develop a bespoke Balance of Performance system. Here’s how it works
The initial verdict on DTM's move to GT3 cars
OPINION: Facing collapse last year, the DTM has shifted its philosophy from a championship for silhouette-based touring cars to GT machines not too dissimilar to those racing across multiple series worldwide. But despite some initial BoP-based teething troubles, there were some pleasant findings as the 'new DTM' got underway at Monza