Marco Wittmann has slammed the removal of the DTM’s performance weight system after the weekend’s races at the Red Bull Ring in Austria, with the BMW driver also taking aim at the Audi driver’s tactics.
Wittmann has slipped to joint fourth in the drivers’ championship standings after Austria, after finishing fifth and sixth in the two races respectively.
He feels that the abolition of the performance weights system, through unanimous agreement from all three manufacturers ahead of the event, has handed Audi the keys to the title.
The German also felt that he was unnecessarily blocked by Audi drivers in the race, who were seeking to help their lead driver Mattias Ekström extend his points advantage.
The results mean that Audi drivers now occupy the top four places in the standings, with the Ingolstadt marque also claiming a clean sweep of all podium positions, pole positions and fastest laps in Austria.
“I am disappointed and angry,” said Wittmann. “Following the changes to the weight situation, Audi now clearly has the car with the best race pace in the field.
“If you still feel it necessary to block the opposition, then that is not on. I am the kind of racing driver who wants to see hard but fair racing. Unfortunately, that was not the case today.”
BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt added that he was at a loss to explain why Audi behaved in such a tactical manner in Sunday’s races, when they clearly had a performance advantage and comfortable margin at the head of the championship standings.
“Marco Wittmann was blocked several times, and ruined his tyres in the process which meant he had to settle for sixth place in the end,” added Marquardt. “Despite this, a big compliment has to go to Marco, who kept his nerve and came away with eight points.
“On the whole, I cannot understand why the opposition is still playing such unnecessary tactical games, although they clearly are ahead in terms of performance.
“The situation in the overall standings may look relatively straightforward now, but we are still looking forward to the grand finale in Hockenheim.”