Maro Engel – The second third of the season – Review Part 2
The fifth race of the season was also the highlight of the season: the Norisring in Nuernberg. A great, narrow street track, 140,000 fans and at the same time the finals of the European football championship – when I think back it was a great experience. I decided to wear a special helmet for this race showing the design of a football, in order to support the German team in the final against Spain.
In Nuernberg, I had my best qualifying up to that point, qualifying in 12th position. The race was to be even better: In front of a sell out crowd and great summer weather I managed to move up to 9th position rapidly. I managed to stay there for a long time, and perhaps it was even possible to get my first point in 8th position, but in the closing laps I was fighting severe braking problems and had to back off my pace in order to make the finish. At the end I crossed the line in a season best of 9th – and thus for the first time in the Top 10.
The next stop on the 2008 DTM calendar brought us to the Dutch track in Zandvoort. After the success in Nuernberg this weekend unfortunately was a little disappointing. 17th in qualifying and a lot of bad luck in the race, which I finished in 14th position. A result, which definitely did not satisfy me. I tried to learn as quickly as possible from my mistakes and disappointment to come back stronger for the next race at the Nuerburgring already.
The race in the Eifel was to be remembered as a “Chaos Race”. I hadn’t been to the Nuerburgring for more than 6 years, Nevertheless, I found my line very quickly. In a crazy qualifying with very difficult weather conditions I kept my nerve and ended the session in 8th position. With great motivation and the target to get my first point, I went to the starting line. Unfortunately, Tom Kristensen as pole sitter drove a very slow green flag lap. All cars behind him had to fight with rising engine temperatures.
Shortly after the start the engine management switched off the engine to prevent engine damage. It seemed to take forever to restart the engine, after the engine finally started again I was in last place by a large margin. But I was not ready to give up so easily. After several laps I managed to catch up to the field again and passed some colleagues. That went well for so long, until Katherine Legge drove a maneuver that I still don’t understand: in the Coca-Cola curve, I was inside beside her, but she came closer and closer, until she finally hit me and we both ended in the gravel bed. Afterwards she said, she wanted to pit, but that was definitely not possible.
This crazy weekend was followed by the one-month summer break. Time to relax a bit and to visit family and friends, just like now during the winter break. I am taking this opportunity to have a holiday and to recharge my batteries for next season. Christmas, I will spend with my family and where I will celebrate New Year’s Eve is still open.
I wish all my fans a merry Christmas and a happy new year. In January, the third and final part of my season review will follow.
Your Maro.