Cassidy to replace Albon in DTM finale at Norisring
Nick Cassidy will contest the final round of the DTM season at the Norisring this weekend, replacing Alex Albon in one of the two AF Corse Ferraris.
This would mark Cassidy’s second-ever appearance in a DTM weekend, having taken part in the 2019 title decider at Hockenheim as a wildcard in a Lexus LC500 SUPER GT car.
The Kiwi also took part in the Super GT x DTM Dream Race at Fuji Speedway the same year, winning the opening leg of the weekend for the TOM’S Lexus team.
Cassidy and Albon had always been due to share the AlphaTauri-liveried car this year, with the Kiwi stepping in whenever Albon had a clashing commitments in Formula 1 as Red Bull’s reserve and simulator driver.
Red Bull previously allowed Albon to continue in the DTM in Austria - which fell on the same weekend as F1’s Dutch Grand Prix - after a victory at the Nurburgring propelled him to championship contention. But with the Anglo-Thai driver no longer in the title fight, he will resume his duties with Red Bull’s F1 team this weekend in Turkey.
The announcement marks an early end to Albon’s stint in the DTM, which included podium finishes at Monza and Zolder apart from a dominant win from pole position in the second race at the Nurburgring.
He will return full-time to F1 next year, driving for the Mercedes-powered Williams team alongside the incumbent Nicholas Latifi.
With Albon switching his focus back to F1, Cassidy will complete his first race in a tin-top car since his glittering career in Super GT - which included winning the 2017 GT500 title with Ryo Hirakawa - came to a close last year.
The Kiwi has prior racing experience in Ferrari GT3 cars from endurance races such as the Suzuka 10 Hours, and more recently tested for AF Corse at the Lausitzring in May in preparation for a part-time campaign in the DTM.
With a DTM race outing not materialising until October, the 27-year-old has been primarily focusing his efforts on Formula E, and was one of the top rookies this season - scoring two pole positions and as many podiums while driving for the Envision Virgin Racing team.
Cassidy/Albon's teammate and Red Bull protege Liam Lawson heads to the Norisring as the championship leader, 14 points clear of the Abt Audi of early season favourite Kelvin van der Linde.
“I’m really excited to be joining the team," said Kiwi, who won the Super Formula title in 2019. "It’s been great following Liam and Alex this season, they’ve just done a tremendous job so far. I’m looking forward to Norisring now.
"I really like the circuit, I’ve been racing there before in Formula 3. I feel like I’m a rookie with DTM but it should be quite exciting and I hope I can help the team secure the teams’ championship this season.”
Red Bull's motorsport consultant Dr Helmut Marko added: “It was a reality at the beginning of the season that the driving duties of the Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse car would be shared by Alex and Nick, this was because we could not predict how the changes in both race calendars (F1 and DTM) would affect our driver line up.
"It’s unfortunate that both Istanbul (F1) and Norisring (DTM) races were changed during the season to create a conflict in the availability of Alex for the final race of the DTM season.
"It was not a decision taken lightly considering the commitment Alex has shown to DTM this season, but Alex’s duties in Istanbul will be required. We know Nick has been waiting for his opportunity to race the Ferrari and more importantly assist Red Bull AlphaTauri AF Corse and Liam to try and win both the teams’ and drivers’ championships at the Norisring this weekend."
Alex Albon, AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Related video
Previous article
BMW team's mid-weekend BoP test request turned down
Next article
Norisring DTM: Start time, how to watch and more
Round 14: Hockenheimring - Race Highlights
Round 13: Hockenheimring - Race Highlights
DTM: Van der Linde wins at Hockenheim
Round 13: Feature Hockenheimring
How Audi's new DTM flagbearer is closing on his "childhood dream"
Having learned the ropes in GT3 alongside Rene Rast, Kelvin van der Linde is in line to take up the three-time champion's baton as Audi's new DTM king. From humble origins in South Africa, it's been a remarkable journey so far for the current series leader, but he knows that the 2021 title is a long way from settled just yet.
The number-crunching behind the new-look DTM's equalisation drive
Switching to GT3 regulations marked a fresh start for the DTM in 2021, but it has also drawn a line in the sand against other series using similar cars by engaging AVL Racing to develop a bespoke Balance of Performance system. Here’s how it works.
The initial verdict on DTM's move to GT3 cars
OPINION: Facing collapse last year, the DTM has shifted its philosophy from a championship for silhouette-based touring cars to GT machines not too dissimilar to those racing across multiple series worldwide. But despite some initial BoP-based teething troubles, there were some pleasant findings as the 'new DTM' got underway at Monza
Why Albon has his work cut out in the new-look DTM
The DTM moves into its bold new GT3 era with welcome support from Red Bull, which enters two AF Corse-run Ferraris. That includes one for ex-F1 driver Alex Albon, who’s determined to make a success of his GT switch
The slow-burner threatening to unseat Audi's DTM king
It's taken him a while to emerge as a consistent title challenger, but in the final year of DTM's Class One ruleset, Nico Muller has smoothed the rough edges and has double champion stablemate Rene Rast working harder than ever to keep up in the title race.
Does 2000 hold the answers to the DTM's current crisis?
It's 20 years since the DTM roared back into life at a packed Hockenheim with a back-to-basics approach as the antidote to its high-tech past. Now it's on its knees again, so is it time to recall the lessons learned in 2000?
Ranking the 10 best Audi DTM drivers
Audi last week announced it would be exiting the DTM at the end of 2020, bringing the curtain down on 20 years of continuous participation since the series' reboot in 2000.
Why the DTM must reinvent itself after Audi exit
Audi's announcement that it will withdraw from the DTM at the end of 2020 was the latest blow for a series that has lost three manufacturers in as many years. Some major soul-searching will now be required to assess how it can survive.
