SPIELBERG, Austria — This coming weekend, the DTM will enter a thrilling final stretch of the season in the Austrian mountains.
At the Red Bull Ring presented by VKB-Bank, amidst the impressive Alpine scenery of Styria, it will be decided who will take the lead in the DTM title fight before the finale and travel to Hockenheim with the best starting position.
The standings promise a real thriller: only 28 points separate the top nine, with a maximum of 112 points still up for grabs. With overall leader Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) and Porsche driver Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA) in fifth place, two local favorites are also among the leading group.
The top of the standings has been a back-and-forth affair over the past few race weekends. The lead has changed four times between Auer and Ferrari driver Jack Aitken (GB) of Emil Frey Racing. Fans can look forward to the next chapter in this duel at the Red Bull Ring. Auer arrives at his home race as the points’ leader and brings with him the experience of ten DTM seasons: The Tyrolean is the only driver to have finished in the points in every race this year.
With only two points behind, Aitken is aiming for another attack on the lead. “Consistency is key in the title fight, even if that’s pretty difficult in the DTM.
The Red Bull Ring hasn’t really been our track in the past, but this year we want to improve so that we can fully compete at the front in the finale at Hockenheim,” announced the second-placed driver.
Auer’s other pursuers are also in attack mode. Ayhancan Güven (Manthey EMA) has furiously shaken up the DTM title race: The Turkish Porsche driver celebrated two victories at the Sachsenring, jumped from eighth to third, and is looking to build on that at the Red Bull Ring – only six points separate him from the lead.
Jordan Pepper (ZA/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT), who is tied on points, has also shown in his first DTM season that he has the speed to compete at the front with three pole positions and his debut victory at the Norisring.
Preining, who is fifth in the standings, has recently impressed with his many overtaking maneuvers. However, two collisions with rivals cost the 2023 DTM champion valuable points at the Sachsenring. At his home race, it will be important for Preining to find the right balance in battles.
“I may only be 15 points behind, but there are only four races left. So we have to deliver. The Red Bull Ring is one of my favorite tracks. So far, I’ve been on the podium there every DTM weekend,” says the local hero from Linz, who already won in front of his home fans three years ago.
René Rast (Schubert Motorsport) is also among the favorites in Spielberg. The BMW driver, who lives in Bregenz, Austria, is the most successful DTM driver at the Red Bull Ring with five race wins.
If Rast puts in another stellar performance, the current seventh-place finisher will go into the finale with good chances of securing his fourth title. Even Rast’s teammate Marco Wittmann (Fürth) is in ninth place, just 28 points behind the leader.
