Thiim’s DTM Title Bid Ends After Gounon Is Hurt in Sachsenring Crash

Nicki Thiim’s DTM title challenge came to an abrupt end at Sunday’s Sachsenring race when his Aston Martin struck Jules Gounon’s Winward Mercedes. Gounon was rejoining the circuit after his second pit stop, and the right-front impact injured the Frenchman’s left hand.

Gounon said he had no warning of the collision. “I don’t know what happened. I was driving and suddenly got hit. It came out of nowhere. Unfortunately, the impact was on the steering.” He immediately reported pain in his hand over the radio and iced it after the crash.

Gounon said he did not believe his hand was broken but needed an X-ray. Medical staff fitted a bandage and splint to immobilize it. He described the pain as manageable and said he felt it might be okay.

Thiim Puts Health First After High-Risk Race

Thiim quickly checked on Gounon and asked about his condition. “Health always comes first,” the Dane said. “Obviously, he has something wrong with his hand when you receive such an unexpected hit. But he can move it.”

The Comtoyou Aston Martin driver had made his approach clear before the race, warning that he intended to take maximum risks. “I said before the race: Either the car comes back on a flatbed, or we score really good points,” Thiim said. The son of DTM legend Kurt Thiim even wears the words “Go hard or go home” on his helmet.

Describing the sequence, Thiim said Luca Engstler had gone off immediately ahead while Thierry Vermeulen had managed to carry on through the corner. “Luca went completely off, Vermeulen also went straight on—and then I get there,” the Aston Martin driver said.

Thiim Says He Lost Grip on the Rejoin

Thiim said he saw Gounon leaving the pits, braked and then suddenly lost all grip. “I completely lost grip and slid into Jules,” he said. “Wrong time, wrong place. Absolutely no bad intention. I would not have made the corner if he had not been there. Something was on the track.”

He also noticed that the car’s deceleration appeared to fall away abruptly—a sign, he said, that something was on the racing line.

Thiim rejected the idea that he braked too late and said Engstler’s departure supported his account. Reaching the place where Engstler went off, he argued, would have required a complete brake failure.

Engstler Reports a Loss of Braking Performance

Engstler said he also suspected oil in the braking zone, though he could not rule out contact with the white line. “Something must have happened. It was very strange,” the Abt Lamborghini driver said. “I hit the brakes and immediately went into ABS. The car did not slow down at all. Then it just went straight on.”

Engstler said he had selected a braking point similar to those used in previous laps. Everything appeared normal again there one lap later.

The 26-year-old suggested that residual damp on the circuit may have contributed. “When oil and water mix, it gets even more slippery than when it is completely dry,” he said.

Vermeulen Also Found Less Grip

Vermeulen, who had just made the corner before Thiim and narrowly avoided the collision, encountered similar problems. “I saw Gounon coming out of the pits, so I knew I had to brake late to cover him,” the Dutchman said. “I found a bit less grip than I expected. I don’t know if I was a bit too wide or if there was something on the track.”

The Emil Frey Ferrari driver was relieved that he did not hit Gounon’s Mercedes. He said the first sector was generally dirty and that material on the racing line may have affected his braking.

Why Thiim Was Not Penalised

The stewards did not penalize Thiim for the incident, although Maro Engel was punished for taking out Kelvin van der Linde at the same location. After reviewing the other incidents immediately beforehand, officials concluded in their report that “the track surface at this particular point was compromised in terms of available grip.”

Thiim now sits fifth in the standings, 50 points behind leader Thomas Preining, with 56 points still available. “For me, going to Hockenheim with theoretical chances is not happening,” Thiim said, acknowledging that his title fight was effectively over and that he could approach the next races with a more relaxed mindset.

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