Aston Martin title contender Nicki Thiim admitted to intentionally nudging rookie Tom Kalender off line during Saturday’s DTM race at the Sachsenring.
Retaliation At The Sachsenring
The clash marks the second consecutive weekend the pair have collided, following an incident at the Nürburgring. Thiim initially ran into the back of the Landgraf youngster after a lap five restart, earning an immediate position drop from race director Sven Stoppe.
Thiim subsequently passed Kalender before squeezing him on the exit of Turn 1. Speaking to motorsport.com, the Danish driver defended his aggressive retaliation.
“In the second battle, it was easy enough. He gets a bit of his own medicine there – it’s give and take! Whining gets you nowhere here. We’re in the DTM, and I don’t want that either,” Thiim said.
Escaping A Grid Penalty
Stoppe issued a reprimand for the second move, allowing Thiim to avoid a grid penalty. The 37-year-old dismissed the warning, telling Motorsport-Total.com: “You have to show a yellow card as well. Sometimes it’s also a professional foul, like in football.”
Kalender plummeted down the order to finish 14th on a circuit where overtaking remains notoriously difficult. The rookie noted he was spun at Turn 3, adding: “That definitely cost me five or six places.”
Thiim recovered to cross the line in eighth. The result leaves him fourth in the overall standings, 30 points adrift of the championship lead with three races remaining this season.
