Kristensen laments missing test

Kristensen was hurt in a crash during the opening round of the DTM at Hockenheim in April, and only returned to a car for the first time last week, when he completed a few laps of Brands Hatch in a DTM Audi.

But while the seven-time winner says he has completely recovered physically, his lead-up to the race has not been ideal.

"My build-up to the race has not been like I want it to be, because I had a crash at Hockenheim," said the Dane. "I was not here for the pre-test. So I have a little bit more of a humble approach for some laps, until everything is gelling.

"But what is positive is that I have absolute confidence, if you ask about Dindo [Capello] and Allan McNish], because they have been through things like this as well.

"The most important thing here is not to let demanding questions get in your way. What is important now is to get into the car, think positive, and get the job done so I don't have to deal with questions."

While the success of his DTM test was the main catalyst for his decision to race this weekend, Kristensen said that he'd already been confident that he was ready to return to the cockpit.

"Yes, of course I was, because I had been mountain biking and things," he said. "But to be honest, you need to be in the car. And that is the same for me now. I want to be in the car, but I feel absolutely confident after the Brands Hatch test."