Concerns for Rene Rast after he had to undergo a CT scan following an unfortunate mishap after his victory at Zandvoort: Now there is positive news!
Rene Rast and his fans can breathe a sigh of relief! The winner of Sunday’s DTM race in Zandvoort has now spoken out himself after the unfortunate incident before the start, in which he hit his head hard and complained of headaches and a “tingling sensation in his fingers.”
“I was discharged from the hospital in the evening,” the BMW works driver wrote on Instagram on Sunday night. “No injuries were found. That means I’m ready to travel to Le Mans tomorrow.”
A BMW spokesperson had already announced that “everything is okay.” Rast had previously undergone a CT scan at a hospital in Haarlem to rule out injuries to his cervical spine.
Rast on his hospital visit: “Better safe than sorry.”
“Shortly before the start of today’s DTM race, I banged my head quite badly, which led to pain and dizziness,” writes Rast. “The medical team took precautions and sent me to the hospital for a check-up. Better safe than sorry!”
Rast also expressed his gratitude for the many messages he received. What exactly happened? A few minutes before the start in Zandvoort, Rast climbed over the pit wall during his traditional trip to the restroom and hit his head hard on the fence.
Although he reportedly complained of feeling unwell immediately afterwards, the pole-setter still competed in the race and prevailed against his Schubert teammate Marco Wittmann. The Oschersleben-based team celebrated a double victory, with Rast securing the 29th DTM win of his career.
Rast ahead of a grueling week at Le Mans
After the award ceremony, Rast was unable to attend the press conference for the top three. The 38-year-old was first treated in an ambulance, then taken to the medical center and finally to a clinic in Haarlem, about ten kilometers away.
The fact that he has now been given the green light for Le Mans is good news for BMW, as the Le Mans week begins for the BMW works driver on Wednesday with the first practice runs.
And unlike his DTM colleagues Jack Aitken and Jules Gounon, who traveled to France by air on Saturday evening and returned on Sunday, Rast was given time off by BMW for the Le Mans test on Sunday and remained in Zandvoort.
His teammates Robin Frijns and Sheldon van der Linde completed the test work for the 24-hour classic, which marks the highlight of the endurance racing year, in the BMW M Hybrid V8 with start number 20. The car suffered a technical defect in the afternoon. The race will start on Saturday at 4 p.m.
