Thomas Preining stayed in his cockpit after his third Norisring DTM victory and limped to his father due to an ankle injury sustained three weeks prior while running in the woods at home, in addition to enduring two 24-hour races and driving without air conditioning during the race.
The lack of air conditioning was crucial as he battled Jack Aitken’s Ferrari for victory, stating that it gets extremely hot in the cars.
Preining’s decision to forego a soda bottle offered to him by a mechanic upon exiting the cockpit was influenced by the strict regulations, recalling a past disqualification incident at the same track.
The delay in leaving the cockpit was also tied to the water situation, as the onboard water bottle needed to be removed before the weigh-in despite being carried for the entirety of the race.
Preining, mindful of the rules, remained in the cockpit to ensure the water bottle was present for the official weigh-in, showcasing the post-race exhaustion shared by his competitors, such as Aitken, who clung to a bag of ice cubes during interviews.
