The sensation was within reach at Monza: After finishing second at the flag he was only denied the incredible feat by a mere two points.
Abt had possibly his best race of the season to thank for him being in contention for the title again in the finale of the year: after having started Saturday’s race from only seventh on the grid, he scythed through the field to take the lead and his second victory of the season – at exactly the right time. After his debut year the only German on the grid celebrates the ‘Rookie of the Year’ and runner-up championship titles.
“If I look at the entire season I am satisfied with second place overall,” explained Daniel Abt after the year’s final podium ceremony. “After my poor start to the season I was the best man in the second half of the season, which included two wins and fighting my way back into contention for the title. This was great fun.”
The upshot of 2012 for Daniel Abt is positive. From the 16 races he finished 13 in the top ten. He mounted the podium seven times – and of these the top step twice: after the first race at Spa-Francorchamps and the first race at Monza. Furthermore he took pole position at his home race at Hockenheim. A record that also did not go unnoticed in the national and international motorsport scene: congratulations from many Formula 1 team bosses as well as numerous partners and sponsors helped Daniel Abt to quickly forget the narrowly-missed championship title.
“That was certainly the most exciting year so far in my career,” says Daniel Abt. “My heartfelt thanks go to my family, my manager and friend Harry Unflath, my fitness trainer Thomas Slepitschka, my partners that have supported me for many years and quite obviously my team.” The Lotus GP team returned the compliments: if nothing else, thanks to Daniel Abt’s success Lotus GO celebrated winning the teams’ championship at Monza.
The final act of the 2012 GP3 Series season was a thrilling finale: Daniel Abt held second place in the overall standings, 14 points behind championship leader Mitch Evans (New Zealand). This meant: a win that brings 15 points must be the target. At the same time, Evans must not score any points. Not an unrealistic scenario since Abt started from eighth on the grid in his Lotus, while Evans was back in 25th place on the grid.
The early stages of the race unfolded for Abt. He was already up to fourth place after the first lap; on lap four he took the lead. Evans initially fought his way towards the front, then suffered a puncture and slipped way down the order. Abt now had everything in his own hands; however the second placed Cypriot Tio Ellinas increased the pressure towards the end of the race. In the final four laps the lead changed repeatedly between the two, but at the end Abt was unable to make another counter attack.
“I knew from my team that Evans had dropped back and what I then had to do,” said Abt after the race. “But I also knew that Ellinas was the fastest man around Monza. He had already shown this on the previous day. My car had understeer. I couldn’t hold him off and on the last lap I had no more opportunities to overtake him again. Shame. The title was within reach.”
