Audi dismisses BMW obstruction claims

Audi’s head of DTM, Dieter Gass, has dismissed the suggestion that Audi have been deliberately trying to hamper Bruno Spengler’s title challenge to series’ leader, Mike Rockenfeller, in the last two races.

In both Moscow and the Nurburgring, Spengler has had contact with Audis, and both times finished out of the top-10. As a result, the reigning DTM champion has gone from second to fourth in the drivers’ standings, and is 39 points off of Rockenfeller in the drivers’ championship, with three rounds remaining.

Despite making any outright accusations after the race at the Nurburgring, Spengler told TouringCarTimes he felt aggrieved with some of the Audi drivers’ on-track conduct, as he crossed the line 14th with “half a car”.

However, Audi’s head of DTM, Dieter Gass, has dismissed any claims of Audi deliberately trying to help Rockenfeller, by asking its drivers to hamper Spengler.

“I think it was very obvious that the Audis were fighting amongst themselves,” Gass told TouringCarTimes. “We have our race drivers and they’re paid to race, not give positions away.

“You saw today that they were fighting very hard and very fair with each other; almost as hard as as they were with Bruno. I don’t think I saw anything unfair manouevers, though.

“I saw what was happening with Adrien and Bruno, and to be honest, I personally feel stressed if I see that sort of thing.

“After Moscow, I said it already that I don’t want to see anyone taking out a championship contender, but this hasn’t happened.

“We were fighting backwards and forwards, and I don’t think it was harder on Bruno than it was on any of the other Audis.”