The luck seems to be getting worse for two-time champion Timo Scheider, as he was the first of the Team Phoenix RS5s to retire this afternoon as the car ground to a halt on the start/finish line during the 22nd lap. He last had a top five finish back in Zandvoort last year, when Mike Rockenfeller won the title, has only amassed nine points over the past five races.
His teammate Mike Rockenfeller made a very uncharacteristic mistake and collided with Adrien Tambay just five laps later, which gave Team Phoenix its worst result of the the season with two DNFs.
“We had the right strategy of starting on standard tires from where we were at the back of the field and concentrated on getting through without any problems in the beginning,” said Scheider, who suffered some damage due to a lot of aggressive driving that was showcased in a lot of the battles during the race this afternoon.
However, the veteran’s race came to an end due to an electrical issue with the fuel pump that caused the engine to shut down as a precaution: “I wanted to shift into second gear on braking in front of the last corner – and then the engine stopped. So now we’ve got to look ahead.”
It is a far cry from glory days gone by for Scheider, but the focus will be on getting back in the thick of the action at the Red Bull Ring in two weeks’ time.
