New Zealand driver Nick Cassidy got back behind the wheel for the fifth round of the DTM series at the Nürburgring GP circuit over the weekend, scoring valuable points in the process.
The Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse driver’s weekend got off to a challenging start with qualifying being cancelled due to poor weather. That meant the grid was for race one was determined by the drivers’ standings, leaving Cassidy to start 21st.
Despite the odds, race one saw the Kiwi push his way through the field in sub-optimal conditions, going up against the likes of René Rast and Philipp Eng in the process.
Cassidy’s efforts saw him cross the line in seventh for what would be a good welcome back to the series after his hiatus from the previous round due to his Formula E commitments.
Teammate Felipe Fraga started race one in sixth and quickly made up positions throughout the initial stages so much so that he had taken the lead by the end of lap one.
Towards the closing stages of the race, a move up the inside of the Brazilian driver by Mirko Bortolloti saw the two spin off the circuit which ended their races, leaving Sheldon van der Linde to take the win.
Almost perfect racing conditions greeted the drivers for race two on Sunday but both Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse drivers struggled in qualifying as a result of overnight Balance of Performance changes.
Starting race two in 19th, Cassidy began to climb through the field but was clipped by Maro Engel, sending him spinning and rendering his race over.
However, there was better news for Fraga who finished the second race in 12th.
“A frustrating weekend overall for myself. I felt good with the car this weekend but don’t feel we got to show our potential, especially on Saturday when we had to start so far back,” said Cassidy.
“On Sunday being touched into a spin after another great start summed up my weekend. I look forward to bouncing back strongly at Spa.”
Cassidy currently sits 20th in the DTM drivers’ standings while Fraga is placed 12th.
We next join Cassidy and Fraga at Spa-Francorchamps on September 9 to 11 for round six of the DTM championship.
