Christian Vietoris is confident he is now fully fit after successful GP2 return
Christian Vietoris is certain that he is back to 100 per cent fitness after missing the last two GP2 rounds for health reasons
The German crashed heavily in the sprint race of the first weekend of the year in Turkey when he suffered a brake failure, and after racing in the DTM at Zandvoort the following weekend he skipped the GP2 races at Barcelona and Monaco to allow his head to recover.
He has since raced twice more for Mercedes in the DTM, and reported no ill effects after returning to GP2 action on the streets of Valencia on Friday.
"I am fine now," Vietoris told AUTOSPORT after qualifying 15th in Spain. "I have had two DTM races since the doctors said I was okay, and everything felt fine in the car today, so it's not a problem at all for this weekend."
The 22-year-old dismissed speculation that mounted in the GP2 paddock that he had been prioritising the DTM after a disappointing season opener in Turkey.
"After the crash in Turkey I felt okay, then the doctors checked me there and said I was fine," he added. "But I went to Zandvoort with the DTM, and it was a weird feeling in the car. Sometimes it felt like you do when you are drunk.
"After that I was checked by the doctors in Germany and they said I needed to rest. We missed Barcelona, and unfortunately Monaco was only one week later so it was too soon. The forces involved in driving a GP2 car are on another level to the DTM, so it was important to be careful."
Since being cleared by doctors Vietoris has raced twice more in the DTM, and he says he is now looking forward to working on his dual programme across tin-tops and single seaters.
"I have been checked by the doctors again and they are happy," he said. "I am happy to be back, and I am looking forward to combining GP2 with the DTM properly now. There are no problems - the only thing we have to worry about is finding more speed!"
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