Cassidy and Fraga in Ferraris
Red Bull has put the final piece of the jigsaw in place for a sensational DTM season by confirming the line-up for its two AF Corse-prepared Ferrari 488 GT3S, which will be piloted by Nick Cassidy and Felipe Fraga. It brings the grid to
29 cars representing six manufacturers.
Formula E racer Cassidy takes the place vacated by new Williams Formula 1 recruit Alex Albon in the Alphatauri-liveried car, while 2021 World Endurance GTE Am runner-up and one-time Brazilian Stock Car champion Fraga replaces last year’s runner-up Liam Lawson in the Ferrari carrying Red Bull’s familiar colours.
A spate of clashes between the DTM and Formula 1 support series F2 and F3 proved to be the main hurdle in Red Bull finalising its drivers for 2022, forcing it to look outside its stable of junior drivers. Cassidy briefly ran in Red Bull colours in European F3 in 2013, and he and Fraga have personal sponsorship deals with the company.
Cassidy, who has won titles in Super GT and Super Formula in Japan, will race in up to six of the eight rounds after making a promising DTM debut in place of Albon at the Norisring last year. His DTM prospects were boosted by signing a WEC deal with AF, where he has replaced Giancarlo Fisichella in the team’s #54 488 GTE Am car. There is only one clash between DTM and the WEC this year, while there are two between the German series and FE.
The Red Bull announcement came hard on the heels of Aston Martin GT star Nicki Thiim being confirmed as part of the T3 Motorsport Lamborghini team. The Dane will aim to follow in the footsteps of his father Kurt, who won the 1986 DTM title. “DTM! What shall I say?” said Thiim. “The biggest dream of my career is coming true. I grew up with DTM. During breakfast, lunch and dinner, there always was DTM on TV and my dad was my hero, of course.”