Katherꦉine Legge was left both frustrated and disappointed as another promising qualifying performance resulted in retirement for the Audi driver at Zandvoort.

After posting a career-best eighth-place start in the previous round at the Norisring, the Briton was confident of putting her year-old A4 DTM at least into the middle of the grid at the Dutch circuit, and achieved her aim, even though progressing to the final phase of the knock-out qualify🎀ing system proved a step to far on this occasion.

"First qualifying was okay, as I took it easy and things went as expected on the first set of tyres," Legge ෴said after putting the #21 Audi Collection car into 14th spot, "In second qualifying, my speed was right, but there were a few unfortunate incidents. There's nothing we can do about that now, but I'm optimistic for tomorrow."

That optimism evaporated almost as soon as Sunday's race began, however, with a series of clashes off the start-line putting paid to any hope of rising through the field. Along with Audi stable-mate Mike Rockenfeller, who damaged a tie-rod in one collision and was forced to retire nine laps from home, Legge eventu๊ally gav♔e up the unequal struggle with her maimed machine, parking it after 17 of the 41 laps.

"A weekend to forget for 🌱me," the Briton insisted, having also been fined overnight for a qualifying incident, "In the race, Susie [Stoddart] hit my car in the first turn, and then R🔯alf Schumacher did. The car was heavily damaged at the left front and right rear, and was getting worse and worse [as the race went on]. That's why, unfortunately, I had to return to the pit-lane."

Legge's penalty, Audi argued, was a harsh one. While returning to her pit during second qualifying, she collided with team-mate Timo Scheider, who was exiting following a tyre change. The stewards considered the incident to have been an 'avoidable collision' and an 'unsafe𝐆 approach of the pits', and gave the team a fine of EUR5000 despite its protestations that bad luck had played a part in the collision.