– At the Nürburgring, Nicki Thiim lost his temper because of Tom Kalender – and he accused Mercedes-AMG of setting the Landgraf driver on him. In the Saturday race at the Sachsenring (race report), the Aston Martin title contender clashed again with the youngster – and now follows up. Because Kalender did not give him space while defending – as is actually required in the DTM.
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“This is now the second time that this has happened with him. Nürburgring was the first time – now again,” Thiim, who finished eighth, complains. “That’s why I gave him a little nudge down in the hairpin. But nothing where I say it’s completely out of control or anything. That’s part of it – and has to be part of it in my world. I live in an old-school rock’n’roll world.”
The incident happened after the restart in the fifth lap – and Thiim drove into Kalender’s rear in the fight for eighth place, causing the Landgraf youngster to go off into the dirt and fall back to 13th place. “He must be punished,” Kalender demanded over the radio. Race director Sven Stoppe reacted promptly, and Thiim had to fall back behind Kalender.
Revenge foul by Thiim against Kalender?
That was especially bitter because Thiim lost five places as a result. And launched a revenge. “In the second battle, it was simply enough. He gets a taste of his own medicine – it’s give and take! Whining doesn’t help here at all. We’re in the DTM, and I don’t want that either,” Thiim explains his maneuver, in which he first passed Kalender in the first corner and then left him no space at the corner exit.
“I was on the inside, he overshot the apex. I was completely inside – and he did exactly what he did to me at the first restart. You just have to be able to take that,” Thiim explains why he left Kalender no room after the overtaking maneuver in the first corner.
“Sometimes it’s a professional foul, like in football”
Race director Stoppe also gave Thiim a warning. “He can give it to me,” Thiim shrugs. “You have to show a yellow card sometimes. Sometimes it’s also a professional foul, like in football.”
Only afterwards did it become clear that the warning was issued in addition to the first incident – and Stoppe turned a blind eye to the second maneuver. However, the damage is limited anyway, as Thiim has a clean record so far and only faces a three-place grid penalty after three warnings.
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Kalender: “It just cost us the race again”
But what does Kalender say about the renewed skirmish with Thiim? “I actually had a pretty good start, but then was turned around by Nicki again in the third corner,” he says. “That probably cost me five, six places.”
After that, he could only follow behind, as overtaking at the Sachsenring is difficult. “It just cost us the race again,” Kalender says after finishing 14th. Has he already talked to Thiim about the incident? “No, not yet. But I don’t think talking helps either,” Kalender says.
Thiim was still able to work his way up to eighth place in the race. “It was a good battle with Vermeulen,” he says. And his former teammate Mirko Bortolotti, who finished directly ahead of him in seventh place, is “the very best in the field” at defending anyway, he compliments the Italian.
Title fight: Thiim expects “decisive battle” on Sunday
“That’s why it was difficult to do anything from there. Driving completely into everyone? I don’t feel like that either. Then I have to buy so many beers afterwards,” Thiim smiles. At least he provided some entertainment. “I always have the fans in mind a bit, that you also put on a bit of a show. That’s why we’re here.”
In the overall standings, the 37-year-old is in fourth place three races before the end – with a 30-point deficit to the top, as his direct rivals scored well. “We have to be within 15 points when we go to Hockenheim – then we can gladly talk about an open championship,” he makes clear. “That’s why I say: Tomorrow will be the decisive battle.”
Thiim also hopes for some help from above – and “interesting weather”. Does he wish for rain? “Yes, as a Dane,” he answers. “We always like rain.”
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