Juncadella says "worst season of my career" led to losing DTM seat
Dani Juncadella admits "the worst season of his career" in 2016 influenced Mercedes' decision to drop him from its DTM drive line-up this year.
Jan Brucke/VLN
The German manufacturer announced on Thursday that Juncadella, as well Christian Vietoris and Maxi Gotz, had been dropped from its six car line-up for the upcoming season.
The decision means Juncadella, who made his DTM debut in 2013, will not be on the grid this year after four seasons in the German series.
Juncadella had his worst season in 2016, finishing down in 24th position with just six points.
When asked if his poor 2016 had influenced the decision to drop him from the DTM line-up, he told Motorsport.com: "Yeah, it influenced it. Last year was probably the worst of my career, but a big part of that was down something I don't understand.
"After changing the chassis and starting from scratch, things started to work out. I didn't really understand it very well, but I was really baffled by it."
Mercedes has retained Robert Wickens, Gary Paffett, Paul di Resta and Lucas Auer, while Maro Engel and Edoardo Mortara have joined its roster this year.
Juncadella, who tested a Campos GP2 car late last year, admitted he had known about Mercedes' decision "for a couple of weeks".
The 25-year-old said he was now considering "several projects" with Mercedes when deciding on his future.
"There are a few options open right now," he added. "I need a few weeks to figure out what I want to do. In the end I have to find something that excites me. I'm going to think for a few days."
Interview by Sergio Lillo
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