Oliver’s qualifying had brought with it some disappointments as the young British Audi works driver had been hoping to qualify higher than 11^th on the grid.  “I found the car incredibly difficult to drive and was oversteering heavily,” says Oliver about his Qualifying performance.

That said, the competitive 24 year old from Cambridgeshire was in determined mood on Sunday’s race day.   Driving the 2007 Audi A4 DTM for Best Buddies Team Phoenix, Oliver made a good start off the grid.

“The first turn was chaotic,” explained Oliver “In the second turn Spengler pushed me out on the exit.  That cost me two places.  I then had an intensive fight with Gary Paffett.”Still challenging, Oliver was showing good pace but after his second pit stop he was unable to shift into first gear, preventing the speed limiter from working.  He subsequently received a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pit lane which proved costly to the end result in a race that ultimately finished with Oliver in ninth place.

“After sitting the penalty, I had to fight to make up ground again.  That’s why the end result is disappointing.  But on a positive note, the race pace was good,” says Oliver.