A bitter mishap by a Manthey EMA mechanic during the pit stop cost Thomas Preining the first “Grello” victory in the DTM at Sunday’s race at Oschersleben. Because the team broke the rule that the mechanics have to hold the rear tires in their hands before the stop from crossing the line into the pit lane.
“The man went out with the tire and noticed that his suit wasn’t closed,” says team founder and consultant Olaf Manthey in an interview with ‘Motorsport-Total.com’. “He put the hoop down, put on his suit and picked up the hoop again. He shouldn’t have put the hoop down, he has to hold it in his hand.”
The rule is intended to ensure that wheels are not left in the pit lane before the stop and caught by other vehicles, which has caused incidents in the past.
Preining: “Sounds like a stupid punishment”
At Manthey EMA, the offense happens on the side facing the boxes, which means little danger, but Preining had to serve a penalty lap penalty for it, lost the lead and dropped back to third place.
The Austrian’s face spoke volumes after the strong performance and not everyone in the paddock can understand the strict rule.
“Of course I’m very frustrated,” says Preining at ‘ran.de’. “It sounds like a stupid penalty, but the rules are the same for everyone. I really can’t say much about it, I’m proud of my race, I’m proud of the team. It all worked out really well, sometimes you’re unlucky.”
“If we make mistakes, we have to answer for it”
Manthey takes the punishment sportily. “In the WEC you can put the tire on the ground, but the regulations are different here. And we have to comply with them just like the others. And if we make a mistake, then we have to answer for it. It’s annoying, but character-building.” , says the 68-year-old.
Especially since the race director clarified the day before at 6:16 p.m. on the relevant Article 39.1 of the regulations: This said that the bikes may no longer be put down after entering the “working lane” and must be held with muscle power. Up until then, the regulations had only mentioned that the wheels had to be held until the vehicle came to a standstill.
The front wheels, on the other hand, can be laid flat on the ground because the rear wheels have to be changed first and the crew consists of only two mechanics per side.
Manthey: “We don’t tear anyone’s head off for that”
How does Manthey explain that despite the clarification of the day before and the failed stops, a mistake was made again? “It just happens in the heat of the moment,” he says. “But we don’t tear anyone’s head off for that. Close your eyes and through.”
He understands Preining’s frustration, “but we don’t have fingerpointing,” he clarifies. “We lose together and we win together. We don’t hit him left and right around the ears when he slipped across the meadow like yesterday,” he refers to Preining’s slip from the previous day after the failed stop.
“That happens. That’s racing – and there’s no big fuss about it. The drivers naturally see themselves as members of the team,” Manthey evokes the team spirit of the traditional Porsche squad.
Incidentally, the DTM newcomers were not the only ones who violated the rule this weekend: Maro Engel’s Landgraf team and Marco Wittmann’s Project 1 squad, as well as David Schumacher’s Winward squad the day before, were penalized for similar offences.