Robin Frijns scored his best finish of the 2019 season by securing second place in Saturday’s DTM race at the Lausitzring. The Dutchman followed home Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline teammate Nico Müller to take to the second step of the podium for the first time in 14 races.
Frijns was able to hold on to his second position, and keep the charging Audi Sport Team Phoenix driver Mike Rockenfeller at bay in the closing laps.
In what has been a difficult season, Frijns battled hard to make the podium and cites his strategy and studying his performance on the outlap as crucial to his victory.
Frijns felt confident that he had strong pace from the opening lap, despite not looking to overtake Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s Jamie Green and BMW Team RMG’s Marco Wittmann.
“At the beginninng of the race I was behind Jamie and Marco, and I felt I had good pace,” explained the Audi driver, “I was really happy with the car.
“Obviously I wasn’t trying to overtake, I was trying to save my tyres and then they boxed me early which wasn’t really planned.”
The Audi driver was one of the first front-runners to pit, but instead of struggling on his outlap, Frijns studied his performance on cold Hankook tyres, a decision that proved vital in his overtake on Wittmann a lap later.
“The lap before I knew what was happening because I was the first stopper from the leading pack,” revealed Frijns, “So I knew people in front of me would react.
“I was really looking at how late I could brake with the tyres on the outlap compared to when the tyres were one lap hotter.”
Frijns then utilised the knowledge to make a decisive pass on Wittmann, who was on cold tyres after his stop.
“I knew what to expect, Marco was just in front of me I knew it was pretty much one-shot, and by T9 your tyres are hot enough to defend your position,” reported Frijns.
“That was definitely the move to give us the P2 finish today.”
Frijns now lies sixth in the championship standings with a total of 93 points, and 15 points behind Rockenfeller.