HOCKENHEIM, Germany — Porsche driver Ayhancan Güven (TR/Manthey EMA) and teammate Thomas Preining (A) are going on the offensive in the DTM finale at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg.
Güven, who is fifth in the standings, set the fastest time of 1:37.015 minutes in free practice on Friday and showed that he is a force to be reckoned with in the historic nine-race battle for the title.
“That was a good start to the weekend; we successfully completed our qualifying program. I had a clear run on my fast lap and set a great time. If it rains on Saturday, however, the cards will be reshuffled. I’m looking forward to an exciting finale,” said the 27-year-old Turk, who is aiming to close a 17-point deficit in the title thriller.
Preining made a similarly strong statement in his Porsche 911 GT3 R. The Austrian won the first session in the morning and set the second-fastest time of the day in the second practice session in the afternoon with a time of 1:37.211 minutes.
“I’m ready for the finale! There are still a few details on the car that need to be optimized, but we already have ideas for that. The weather could be a factor this weekend; I’m definitely open to rain,” explained the eighth-placed driver.
Third and fourth places went to the Dörr Motorsport team. Former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock (Kreuzlingen) finished third, while teammate Ben Dörr (Butzbach) finished fourth in the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. Gilles Magnus (B/Comtoyou Racing) drove his Aston Martin Vantage GT3 to fifth place.
While Preining set the fastest time in the first free practice session at the Hockenheimring with a 1:37.413 minutes, the second session in the afternoon was considerably faster.
The race was decided only shortly before the final whistle. Last year’s champion Mirko Bortolotti (I/Abt Sportsline) set the fastest time in his Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2. Shortly thereafter, Glock and Dörr took the lead together, before Güven and Preining secured the first two places.
Championship leader Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) is well-prepared for the title showdown with the seventh-fastest qualifying time.
Second-placed Jordan Pepper (ZA/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) and third-placed René Rast (Bregenz/Schubert Motorsport) finished in the lower midfield.
