Thomas Preining Eyes DTM Exit Amid Frustration with Balance of Performance Regulations]

Former DTM champion Thomas Preining expressed his frustration with the series’ Balance of Performance regulations following Saturday’s race in Nuremberg, where the Porsche factory driver finished ninth. The 27-year-old Austrian voiced concerns about the competitive imbalance affecting the sport’s integrity.

“It’s relatively obvious that this has nothing to do with sport,” Preining stated. “We are catastrophically shit in terms of pace. It’s zero fun.”

Preining, who has secured three victories at the Norisring, faces an uncertain future in the DTM. With his flight departing immediately after Sunday’s final race, he indicated he is considering retirement from the series.

“I’m looking forward to that, because there is absolutely nothing positive here,” he said. “This makes no sense anymore. I’m quitting.”

The Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo struggled throughout the weekend, managing only 11th on the grid on Sunday despite a 30-kilogram weight reduction compared to qualifying. The car’s straight-line speed disadvantage remained evident, with Preining consistently trailing the leading Ford Mustang cars by approximately 10 km/h.

“You could put the cooks from catering in the other cars,” Preining sarcastically remarked about his inability to defend against overtaking attempts. “They would drive right past you.”

The lack of straight-line speed has hampered Preining’s performance despite the Porsche being equipped with a larger 43mm restrictor. He noted his overtaking prowess has been neutralized this season, claiming he has “zero overtakes” and “zero overtaking attempts” due to the overwhelming disadvantage.

“I’ve done a lot of overtaking in my career. In my opinion, I’m the best overtaker in the DTM,” Preining said. “This year, I have zero overtakes so far. Zero overtaking attempts even, because it’s simply hopeless.”

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