Outta curb at the Norisring, a Grasser Lamborghini Temetario GT3 battered into the guardrail, leaving driver Maximilian Paul hospitalized with a suspected lower‑leg fracture as the DTM race turned into a nightmare.
Paul’s condition and medical assessment
Paul, 26, suffered a near‑total loss of the front end of his vehicle. Team manager Gottfried Grasser reports that Paul remains in contact but the extent of his injuries is still under detailed examination. “Not well,” Grasser said, indicating that medical tests are underway to clarify the damage.
Kelvin van der Linde’s injuries and race status
Schubert BMW’s driver, Kelvin van der Linde, sustained pain in his left leg and arm and was taken to the hospital on his own request. A BMW spokesperson confirmed no serious injuries, only bruising. Consequently, van der Linde will not start on Sunday as the car is no longer operable, despite the team’s earlier attempts to secure a replacement chassis.
How the collision unfolded on the Grundig‑Hairpin
While still en route to the pit, Paul’s Lamborghini veered right during the heavy braking phase, exceeding 250 km/h. Uncontrolled, the car’s rear axle tore loose, disabling steering and crashing into the guardrail. The damaged vehicle then collided with van der Linde’s BMW as the latter was turning into the hairpin, stripping the BMW door and cracking its side pipes.
Brake failure ruled out; oil slick blamed
Telemetry data collected before the first barrier impact showed no irregularities in the Temetario’s braking system, effectively excluding brake failure as the cause. Grasser credited an oil slick from Timo Glock’s McLaren as the catalyst for Paul’s loss of control.
Timo Glock’s oil routing error explained
Glock clarified that low oil pressure, caused by an error in routing the line from the oil cooler to the gearbox, forced him to retire. He insisted he never touched Paul, and no other drivers reported encountering the slick, a claim corroborated by Team Dorr’s manager Axel Funke.
Grasser’s logistical challenges for Oschersleben
Beyond Paul’s injury, the Grasser team grapples with a shortage of spare parts for the new Temetario. Grasser said finding a replacement chassis for the upcoming DTM weekend in Oschersleben is uncertain, as supply chains for critical components remain stretched.
Implications for the DTM field
With van der Linde sidelined and the Grasser team unable to field a spare vehicle, the DTM roster will see a missing Grasser entry at Oschersleben, unless the team secures the necessary parts in time for the race.”
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