Even before the first laps had been completed at the Nurburgring, BMW was downbeat about its chances at the former German Grand Prix venue, with the boost pressure of the M4 GT3 having been significantly reduced compared to the previous rounds.
But the decision to go aggressive on strategy in both races made things worse for its most high-profile signing, with Rast failing to score points during an entire race weekend for only the second time in four seasons.
In the first race on Saturday, Rast was running in ninth place after completing his mandatory pitstop on lap 18 of 39. He hadn't been able to replicate the kind of pace that had seen his team-mate Sheldon van der Linde climb from 17th to seventh, primarily due to a set-up that worked over a single-lap but not in race trim, but he was still in for a solid haul of points.
However, Rast and his engineer Florian Rinkes then collectively decided to make an unscheduled second pitstop for wet tyres during a safety car phase, hoping that the rain will get heavier and will suddenly make the German a contender for the victory.
But contrary to their expectations, the rain stopped and the track dried out quickly, leaving Rast helpless on his grooved Pirelli tyres. The 36-year-old was left with no choice but to come in again for a third time and switch back to slicks, leaving him a distant 20th at the finish.
Source: Autosport