ZANDVOORT, The Netherlands — After the season opener in Spielberg, Austria, the DTM heads to the Dutch North Sea coast for its second stop of the season over the Pentecost weekend (May 22-24).
Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol) travels to Zandvoort as the championship leader – and arrives at the Formula 1 circuit with momentum after his victory at the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring last weekend.
Fans are eagerly awaiting the performance of local hero Thierry Vermeulen (NL/Emil Frey Racing), who aims for strong results in his home race in the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.
The DTM season opener in Austria was a resounding success for Engel and his fellow Mercedes-AMG driver Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf): The Mercedes-AMG drivers impressed with podium finishes in both races, with Engel also taking the victory in Sunday’s race and aiming to continue this winning streak in the Netherlands.
“My victory in Zandvoort in 2023 was my first success in the GT3 era of the DTM. When you’re on top, those are very special moments that you look back on with pride and would love to repeat,” said the veteran driver.
Behind the Mercedes-AMG duo lurks Marco Wittmann (Fürth) of BMW Team Schubert Motorsport, a Zandvoort expert who has already won two DTM races there.
“Zandvoort is simply a cool track with the fantastic backdrop of the dunes and the special beach atmosphere,” explains the BMW driver. “I really enjoy driving there. BMW has always been strong in Zandvoort, the circuit suits us, and we want to build on the successful event in Spielberg.”
Nicki Thiim (DK/Comtoyou Racing) also impressed in his first DTM outing in the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with plenty of speed and fighting spirit. The self-proclaimed “Dune Dane” wants to carry this momentum to the North Sea coast.
Venlo-born local hero Vermeulen is looking forward to seeing many friends and fans at his home race. But the technically demanding track has its challenges, as the 23-year-old knows: “Zandvoort has a real old-school character. The track is very undulating, with many crests, significant elevation changes, and gravel traps instead of asphalt run-off areas. You have to drive very precisely, especially in qualifying, because mistakes are unforgiving. You can choose different lines in the banking corners, so I expect some spectacular battles. I can’t wait to get on the starting grid in Zandvoort and hope that lots of fans will visit me and my Ferrari in the pits.”
At the dune circuit, fans can enjoy not only the DTM but also other attractive support series. Zandvoort marks the second stop of the season for the ADAC GT Masters, while the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Germany is making its fourth appearance in the Netherlands. With the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux also competing on the 4.259-kilometer track, spectators will see double the power of one-make series.
The Formula Regional European Championship, a junior series, is making its second appearance on the DTM platform after Spielberg, delivering exciting formula racing with its standardized F3 cars.
