The private broadcaster ProSieben offered its interested sports viewers an attractive program this Saturday with the DTM and Ice Hockey World Championship, which also included challenges to be overcome within eight consecutive hours. The good news from the perspective of motorsport fans: Despite the attractive ice hockey rights and a time overlap, ProSieben insisted on showing the entire DTM race at the Lausitzring on free TV.
When the broadcast started at 1:00 p.m., it was not yet clear what the programme designers would be dealing with. A short summary of the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany and the first of two DTM qualifying sessions – for the first time on free TV – went ahead as planned. Then, at 2:20 p.m., the first semi-final of the Ice Hockey World Championship in the Czech Republic kicked off as planned with the hosts playing against Sweden.
Ice Hockey World Championship meets DTM: It’s getting tight at ProSieben
Already during the explosive duel between the former world champions Czech Republic (2010) and Sweden (2018), it became clear that things could get tight with the start (4:45 p.m.) of the planned live coverage of the DTM in Lausitz.
At the beginning of the last third at the latest, it was clear that the planned pre-reporting of the DTM 15 minutes before the start of the race (5:00 p.m.) would only be available via live stream on ran.de and joyn, because obligatory interruptions and a mass brawl on the ice 48 seconds before the end of the game caused corresponding time delays.
At 4:42 p.m., ProSieben responded by informing the excited ice hockey and motorsport fans that the DTM would be shown live immediately after the semi-final match. This fact was repeated again by the commentators a short time later.
ProSieben in sports stress: Killing hands over to Kaiser
At 4:49 p.m., a final interruption shortly before the end of the game resulted in a two-minute commercial break. In the midst of the euphoric celebrations of the hosts, who gave the Swedes no chance in their clear 7:3 triumph in Prague, presenter Matthias Killing said goodbye to the ice hockey fans and handed over the baton at 4:52 p.m. to his colleague Andrea Kaiser, who was already anxiously waiting for her turn on the grid at the Lausitzring.
After a short greeting, another commercial break of around six minutes ensured that the introductory lap of the DTM was already underway, when DTM commentator Eddie Mielke thanked the Czechs for “rushing” so that the first of two DTM races this weekend could start on time.
Rain showers instead of fistfights
At the Lausitzring, fistfights did not cause interruptions like in ice hockey, but the heavens opened up so much that after an interruption due to heavy rain, the race director Sven Stoppe even called off the race for safety reasons. One was inevitably reminded of September 3, 2000, when heavy rain also made it impossible to hold both races because the water did not drain away and the pilots described racing as “too dangerous.”
The DTM was spared this this time. The program planners had to intervene once again, because when the race restarted at 6:00 p.m., the question arose again as to whether the switch to the pre-reporting of the second Ice Hockey World Championship semi-final between Canada and Germany’s conquerors Switzerland would take place at 6:05 p.m., because the remaining running time of the DTM at that time was still 29:11 minutes.
DTM overall ranking 2024
Despite Ice Hockey World Championship: DTM is on TV
Mielke’s announcement to the racing fans caused a sigh of relief when he explained unequivocally that the DTM race would be shown live until the finish. The probably less enthusiastic ice hockey fans were informed that the ice hockey cracker would be shown in a live stream on ran.de and joyn from 6:15 p.m.
When the race started at 6:20 p.m., there were still 14:12 minutes left to go in Lausitz. DTM fans actually saw the podium candidates finish their race, but not all of the top 10 places, for which points are awarded, cross the finish line.
The DTM broadcast ended abruptly at 6:38 p.m., as 10:42 minutes had already been played in the first of three thirds of 20 minutes each in Prague. Despite the double red flag and the resulting 40-minute interruption, the DTM managed to win on points against the Ice Hockey World Championship.
Kelvin van der Linde: “It was crazy with the aquaplaning”
The decision to interrupt the race twice with red flags because of the heavy rain was met with approval by the drivers. “It was crazy with the aquaplaning,” said race winner Kelvin van der Linde. “At times I had the feeling that I had no grip at 80 km/h behind the safety car. Everyone wanted red flags, and I was in favor of them too. That was the safest and best solution.”
Second-placed Maro Engel, who briefly dropped to 19th place after the start because of a trip through the gravel trap, agreed: “When it rains at the Lausitzring, the water doesn’t drain away so well. The asphalt was so shiny that you couldn’t see the track properly. It was right to stop the race both times.” Engel admitted that he wanted to drive one more lap during the first pit stops, but was instructed by his engineer to switch to rain tires straight away. This decision turned out to be spot on.
Olaf Manthey would have let go earlier
However, there were also observers in the paddock who would have started the race earlier. Among them was motorsport icon and Manthey company founder Olaf Manthey, who experienced very different conditions in his own racing days… His protégé Thomas Preining commented: “There was a lot of aquaplaning, and you’re a passenger anyway. Turn 1 was blind and very tricky. I hope Olaf agrees with me. After all, it’s his car…”
New Pirelli rain tyre impresses on debut
The new rain tires, which exclusive supplier Pirelli is initially only using in the DTM and the ADAC GT Masters, added extra spice. The drivers and teams had only been able to gain a little experience with the new mixture in the run-up to the Lausitz weekend. Van der Linde on ProSieben: “I wrote to a few friends on WhatsApp who had already driven the tires. Luckily I have a lot of friends in motorsport who helped me.” The South African did not want to reveal who the advisors were exactly.
“The first impression was good,” said van der Linde, who was at least able to test the Pirelli in rainy practice on Friday. “The tires didn’t seem to have any problems at the end, even in relatively dry conditions. With the old tires, it was always a bit of a lottery in terms of tire pressures. You could quickly get into trouble. Now the working window seems to be larger.”
Rain race good warmup for 24h Nürburgring
The conditions on Saturday in Lausitz were challenging, but nothing the drivers hadn’t experienced before. AMG veteran Engel said with a grin on his face: “We’ve all driven on the Nordschleife before. When you drive there, you experience things that you don’t get anywhere else.” “A nice warm-up for next week,” agreed van der Linde, with the upcoming 24-hour race on the Nürburgring (June 1-2) in mind.