DTM News
Opel Scores Points Finish in Front of 147,000 Crowd
By
Oct 24, 2005, 12:38

Opel finished its year in the DTM with another points-paying finish from its Swiss driver Marcel Fässler, who overcame treacherous and changeable weather conditions, and a poor start, to finish in the top six at Hockenheim, which was witnessed by 147,000 fans. The race also marked the retirement of multiple touring car champion Laurent Aiello, the 2002 DTM champion and also a Super Touring title-winner in Britain, France and Germany. He finished just outside the points in ninth.

Team OPC was straight on the pace in testing on Friday, with Aiello and Heinz-Harald Frentzen taking a superb 1-2 in the opening 90-minute session. All four Vectra GTS racecars were in the top 10, with Fässler in sixth and Manuel Reuter 10th. In the second session, Fässler was third fastest overall, with Aiello continuing his good form in fifth.

In Saturday’s free practice period, Frentzen was fourth fastest, with Aiello and Reuter again in the top 10 positions. The damp conditions of that session were continued into qualifying, where Frentzen, Fässler and Aiello all made it safely into the single-lap Super Pole. Reuter missed out, however, following a mix-up with his selection of tyres, which meant he would start 12th.

In Super Pole, Frentzen produced an excellent lap to take fourth position on the grid, while Fässler and Aiello had to settle for eighth and tenth respectively, as the wet but drying weather conditions made it difficult for drivers to move up the grid. Aiello even tried his run on slick tyres, but suffered from a massive lack of grip.

“Three Vectra GTS racecars in Super Pole matches our best qualifying of the season,” said Opel’s motorsport chief Volker Strycek. “The second row is a good starting position for Heinz-Harald, but there was no chance for Laurent and Marcel, as the later drivers were always going to have a drier track. Not a bad performance, all round.”

Frentzen said: “I had a good balance in the car already after free practice, and that continued into qualifying. Fourth place in the Super Pole confirmed that our impression that we had a good car was right. I would like to have known what time I could have achieved if I had run with slick tyres, but we’ll never know.”

Fässler said: “Seventh is okay, although the big difference to Heinz-Harald’s time is due to the track conditions. I ran wide at the first corner and lost a lot of time there.” Aiello added: “I was the only driver to try slicks. I had nothing to lose, but it didn’t work out.”

The race started in wet conditions, and Frentzen lost places to Frank Stippler (Audi) and Gary Paffett (Mercedes) at the start, but repassed Paffett, who would later be crowned champion, with a brilliant move in the Mercedes Arena. Paffett repassed him a lap later, however, but Aiello was moving in the right direction, passing two-time F1 world champion Mika Häkkinen with a fantastic move around the outside of Turn 2 to take seventh place.

In a tactical masterstroke, Fässler pitted first for slick tyres, and leapt up the order after a bad start had dropped him towards the back. Aiello would lose ground, however, when he went off in the Stadium section on lap seven, dropping to 11th. Frentzen also hit trouble at his first pitstop, as the right-front wheel jammed on, losing him precious time.

Fässler ran sixth for the rest of the race, with Aiello recovering to ninth. Reuter finished 12th after a great scrap early on with outgoing champion Mattias Ekström, while Frentzen failed to finish after a heavy crash in the Südkurve. He was extracted from the car by the extrication team, and went into hospital for a check-up after a first analysis in the track’s medical centre. Doctors reported that he was conscious and able to move all his limbs. He suffered from a concussion.

“The main thing is that Heinz-Harald is okay, from the information we’ve been given,” said Strycek. “As for the result today, it was not what we had hoped for after testing and qualifying. Marcel’s sixth position is all we have to take home with us from this final race. We have been proud to be a part of the DTM, and would like to thank our many fans, whose support is the best you could wish to have.”

Fässler added: “Sixth is not great, but it’s not bad as I was almost last going into the first corner after a bad start. We made a great strategy decision, as I was struggling on the wet tyres and the choice to go to slicks early was the right one.”

Aiello said of his final race: “It was a shame I couldn’t make the points, but I have to blame the fact I went off as the reason for this. It has not sunk in yet that it was my final race today, but I have to thank everyone that has contributed to my career.”

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