Bortolotti: Grasser Not Changing Approach Amidst Title Tilt

Mirko Bortolotti says GRT Grasser Racing Team is sticking to a race-by-race approach as it heads into the second half of the DTM season, even as the Italian leads the drivers’ championship in the team’s maiden series campaign.

Ahead of this weekend’s season resumption at the Nürburgring, Bortolotti is at the top of the points standings with 89 points out of the previous eight races, scoring podiums at Portimao, Imola and Norisring.

This puts the Lamborghini factory driver nine points clear of second-placed Sheldon van der Linde, with Rene Rast a further point back in third.

Despite his position in the championship, Bortolotti asserted that the team needs to not make changes to its weekend approach compared to the first half of the season, even as the title battle is set to intensify.

“I think the approach is not changing,” Bortolotti said. “I think we are focusing race by race, day by day.

“That’s what we did from the first race onwards and I don’t see a reason why we should change the approach now.

“First of all, it’s eight races to go. In DTM, everything can happen, anyone can win. We have so many possible race winners out there.

“It can change so quickly, so the focus is just on our work and getting 100 percent out of our car and our potential, out of the team, the strategy, the pitstops.

“Every little detail makes the difference in this championship, because it is all so close together.

“So it’s already a lot of things to be focused on if you want to be at a hundred percent and ticking all those boxes.  So that is the only thing we are focused on and nothing else.”

Notably, Bortolotti is the only driver in the top-five of the championship yet to win a race this season.

Van der Linde scored back-to-back wins at Lausitzring while Rast, Nico Mueller and Lucas Auer (as well as Felipe Fraga and Ricardo Feller) all have one victory each to their name so far.

While a race victory would go a long way towards further boosting Bortolotti’s championship bid, he remains levelheaded about his winless status.

“It’s not on my list of priorities, to be honest,” he said.  “If I have a chance to win a race, I will do everything to do so.

“If not, I will take the next possible best result. That’s my mentality and that’s my approach, it’s always been like that and will always be like this.”

Bortolotti has looked back positively on Grasser’s first half season in DTM, but remains vigilant and said the team needs to avoid slacking off and falling behind the competition.

“I think the first half of the season was positive,” he noted.

“We’ve been consistent, we’ve been competitive. Not every time at the level I wanted, but I think most of the time we’ve been up there.

“So I think we have done a good job as a team. Don’t forget we are still basically a rookie team.

“From my side, I think the experience in Assen last year helped me a lot to to be close to a hundred percent starting from the first race and I think we proved it.

“But there is still halfway to go in the championship and I think we are heading into four really important rounds with eight races to go.

“Every point will count from now on so for sure it is important to have had a positive first half, but at the same time it is as important to keep the momentum going and keep doing our work.”