Title defender returns to grid in Hungary after serious accident
Driver unharmed, monocoque intact and in use again
Hungaroring like a home round for Audi Sport
Only two weeks after his serious racing accident reigning DTM Champion René Rast will be back on the grid at Budapest on the first weekend in June – driving the same Audi RS 5 DTM in which he had his accident in the DTM round at the Lausitzring. Motorsport fans around the world held their breath when Rast spectacularly somersaulted there.
The carbon fiber monocoque that is identical for all DTM cars not only prevented René Rast from sustaining injuries at the Lausitzring but remained intact itself in the rollover incident as well. Intensive ultrasonic examinations confirmed this.
Consequently, Audi Sport Team Rosberg last Wednesday was able to start reassembling the Audi RS 5 DTM based on the previous monocoque and prepare it for the races at the Hungaroring (June 1 to 3). Following a subsequent brief functional check at Audi in Neuburg, the car will be transported to Hungary.
“A race car cannot be any safer than this,” says Rast who can hardly wait to be sitting behind the wheel of his Audi Sport RS 5 DTM again in Hungary: “The Hungaroring in Budapest has been one of my favorite tracks not only since my first DTM victory in 2017. I enjoyed racing in Hungary even before then because it’s a difficult and very challenging track that is always tremendous fun for me.”
The title defender has fondest memories of the DTM round at the Hungaroring about a year ago. On Saturday, he clinched his first pole position in the DTM and on Sunday, his first victory, plus his first lead of the standings. This success laid the foundation for the title win in his rookie season.
For the Audi RS 5 DTM, it will be the second visit to Hungary this year. On May 1, the DTM stopped in the heart of Budapest to take part in a big motorsport festival. Champion René Rast and current leader of the DTM standings Timo Glock (BMW) thrilled tens of thousands of fans with burnouts and donuts. The DTM races will be held some 20 kilometers away from the city center at the Hungaroring.
For Audi, the race is almost a home round because the Audi plant in Gyor is located a one and a half hour’s drive from the race track. Many of the roughly 11,000 employees will again visit the Hungaroring this time to keep their fingers crossed for the Audi drivers at the venue.
In the past two years, the Audi RS 5 DTM was the benchmark at the Hungaroring which features many turns. “Unfortunately, we lost a lot of performance in the areas of aerodynamics and the suspension due to the new regulations,” says Head of Audi Motorsport Dieter Gass. “
At Hockenheim and at the Lausitzring, we were struggling as the lap times clearly showed. We’re leaving no stone unturned to continuously improve our understanding of the car and to extract the maximum from it. I’m sure it’s also in the fans’ interest if we turn the duel between BMW and Mercedes-Benz back into a three-way battle.”
The two races at the Hungaroring will start at 1.30 PM both on Saturday (June 2) and on Sunday (June 3). SAT.1 will air live coverage on both days starting at 1 PM (CEST). Qualifying can be watched in a live stream at ran.de.
