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."
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