LAUSITZ, Germany — The DTM is delivering a motorsport spectacle with a festival atmosphere at its first German stop of the season at the Dekra Lausitzring (June 19-21).
Mercedes-AMG is heading to Lausitz with a clear goal. Championship leader Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol) and second-placed Lucas Auer (Austria/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) aim to maintain their top positions.
BMW driver Marco Wittmann (Fürth/Schubert Motorsport) is lurking behind in third place overall.
Each of the four championship races held so far has had a different winner. Will this trend continue this coming weekend? Auer certainly hopes so: The Austrian is a true Lausitzring specialist, having won his first DTM race there in 2016 and celebrated his fourth victory at the Lausitzring last year.
If Auer extends his winning streak, he could take over the championship lead. Current leader Engel impresses with a clever strategy and quick pit stops. This has allowed the Monaco resident to move far up the field even from the back of the grid – Engel has finished all four races so far in the top six.
Ben Dörr (Butzbach/Dörr Motorsport) arrives in Lausitz with momentum. Thanks to a strong performance in Zandvoort, the McLaren driver has worked his way up to sixth place in the standings.
“Last season we had the pace, but made too many unnecessary mistakes. Either I was fast, but then the pit stops weren’t optimal, or vice versa. This year we’re getting everything right,” explains the McLaren driver. Kelvin van der Linde (Schubert Motorsport) is also in strong form. The South African celebrated his first DTM victory for BMW in Zandvoort and has good memories of the Brandenburg circuit.
“I won at the Lausitzring in 2014 and also finished second. The track is a lot of fun; good racing is possible there. We’re going there with good momentum and are highly motivated,” says the BMW factory driver. The same applies to newcomer Finn Wiebelhaus (Obertshausen/HRT Ford Racing). The 20-year-old was the fastest in the Ford Mustang GT3 during the DTM test at the Lausitzring almost two weeks ago.
With its 12 corners, some of them very slow, and few straights, the Lausitzring is one of the most technically challenging DTM circuits. The 3.478-kilometer track is also characterized by its many bumps. Lamborghini driver Maximilian Paul (TGI Team by GRT) from Dresden is looking forward to his home race and is counting on the support of the local fans.
“It’s always something very special to race in front of your own fans. That gives you extra motivation. You have to hit every corner perfectly on this demanding track, otherwise the next one becomes even more difficult and you lose a lot of time. Furthermore, car handling is particularly important with all the bumps,” says the local hero.
