MUNICH, Germany — At the sixth of eight tour stops, the battle for the DTM championship enters its decisive phase at the Nürburgring August 14-16.
Championship leader Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol) travels to the Eifel region with a 21-point lead. However, this is no comfortable cushion, as the top spot in the standings has already changed hands eight times.
Nicki Thiim (DK/Comtoyou Racing), Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf), and the resurgent Thomas Preining (A/Manthey) are three other title contenders lurking within striking distance.
Just how evenly matched the fight for the crown is can be seen in the standings: Seven different manufacturers are represented among the top eight – perfect conditions for an exciting weekend at the Nürburgring.
Engel is on the fast track this year and has been among the leading group in the DTM since the first race. The veteran driver impresses with remarkable consistency: the Mercedes-AMG driver has averaged 29 points per race weekend so far.
In the Eifel region, Engel also celebrated victory at the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring this year and heads into his sixth DTM stop with fond memories.
“It’s no secret that the Nürburgring is one of my favorite tracks. I’ve celebrated some great successes there. The huge number of fans makes every race a spectacle. Leading the standings is just a snapshot in time. We’re taking it one race at a time and want to keep improving. Because the competition never sleeps,” says Engel.
Things didn’t go as planned for Thiim, who is currently second in the standings, at the Oschersleben race weekend. The Dane lost his lead in the championship but intends to fight for victory again at the Nürburgring with his Aston Martin Vantage GT3.
“The fact that we’re traveling to the Nürburgring as second in the standings and can even talk about the title is something we dreamed of before the season,” Thiim said. “For us drivers, the sprint track is a good mix of tight corners and fast sections. That’s exactly what I love about the DTM: We often drive track variations that you don’t find in other racing series.”
Auer, after a strong start with three podium finishes in the first three races, is still waiting for another success. The Austrian needs another top result in the Eifel region to stay in contention at the front. Mirko Bortolotti (TGI Team by GRT), on the other hand, arrives at the Nürburgring with momentum. The Italian made DTM history when he celebrated the world’s first race win for the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 at Oschersleben.
“If we get a chance to win, we’ll take it,” Bortolotti declared. “I won my first DTM race at the Nürburgring in 2023. We’re still in the development phase with the Temerario. For us, it will be about finding the right setup for the car in practice. It’s important for me to get into a position where I can fight for a good result.”
The TGI Team by GRT will be racing at the Nürburgring with a new driver: DTM race winner Christian Engelhart (Starnberg) is making his comeback and replacing the injured Maximilian Paul in the Lamborghini team.
Manthey and HRT Ford Performance are based at the Nürburgring. The headquarters of both racing teams are just a few minutes from the iconic circuit. For Ford driver Arjun Maini (IND), the Eifel race is also a home race. The Indian driver lives in Troisdorf, just over an hour’s drive away. Porsche driver Preining, in Manthey’s “Grello,” aims to follow up his impressive performance at Oschersleben with another strong showing. However, the 28-year-old is still waiting for his first DTM victory at the Nürburgring.
“We’re highly motivated for our home race and want to build on the performance of last weekend in front of our fans. Mercedes is having a strong season. But so are we, and it’s about time we secured Porsche’s first DTM victory at the Nürburgring,” explained Preining.
