The Danish driver was visibly moved as he crossed the finish line at the top of lap 69 and burst into tears when he arrived for post-race interviews.
The DTM has all the time held a special place in Thiim’s heart as a consequence of his father’s long and successful spell within the series within the late Eighties and early Nineties. As well as winning the title in his first attempt in 1986 in a Rover Vitesse, the elder Thiim won a complete of 20 races in three different makes, including BMW and Mercedes.
Asked in regards to the significance of his victory on the legendary Norisring street circuit, where his father won two DTM races, the 35-year-old said: “My father was an important hero [for me]and now [winning] here on the Norisring means quite a bit to me.
“I don't even know where to start. It's unbelievable. This has been my dream for over 20 years.
“I saw my father racing on the racetrack in the 90s. Ever since I was a big boy, I dreamed of being like these guys here. I've traveled all over the world and mainly competed in endurance races, I won last week in Spa [at the 24-hour race] and now here. I don't know what to say.”
Nicki Thiim, SSR Performance Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3
Photo: Alexander Trienitz
Thiim was given the prospect to race within the DTM for the primary time in 2022 when he signed with T3 Motorsport, but parted ways with the team just three rounds into the yr, with the privateer Lamborghini squad withdrawing from the championship with no single point to their name.
However, as was the case with the shortened 2022 season, the beginning of the season was a nightmare, as he withdrew from the primary three races at Oschersleben and Lausitzring – mainly as a consequence of mechanical issues.
“Honestly, these have been the hardest six months of my entire career,” he admitted.
“Nothing worked, regardless of what, but with labor and dedication you’ll be able to really achieve something. I all the time believed in myself and naturally the team didn’t let me down either.
“So it's about winning and losing together, and of course I'm very proud to be standing here now and celebrating a DTM victory. It shows me once again that I'm not too old for something like this.”
