MUNICH — Brave, determined, and uncompromising – that’s how Ayhancan Güven of Manthey EMA fought his way to this year’s DTM title.
With a memorable overtaking maneuver just meters from the finish, the Porsche driver clinched victory at the Hockenheimring and thus the DTM crown.
“This title means everything to me; I’ve worked my entire life for such a success. As a young boy, I could never have imagined that one day I would be a DTM champion,” said Güven, who made motorsport history as the first overall DTM winner from Turkey, after the trophy presentation.
Right from the start at Oschersleben, he left no doubt about his ambitions. With his first ever DTM victory, Güven made a statement right at the start of the season.
“The victory felt incredible. After the race, I was still full of adrenaline and couldn’t sleep for a long time that night,” he recalls. It was to be the start of a season in which the 27-year-old cemented his reputation as an uncompromising fighter.
Only once did Güven start a race from the front row. Instead, he had to work hard for his success on the track. The Istanbul native overtook, took risks, and calculated – and always demonstrated a clear overview. In the end, he had an impressive five wins to his name. No one else achieved that in the GT3 era of the DTM.
At the finale in Hockenheim, Güven showcased all of his strengths.
“Before the race, it was clear to me that I was definitely not going to extrapolate any standings in the car. I absolutely wanted the win to clinch the championship,” he explained.
When Marco Wittmann overtook Güven on the final lap, his title dream threatened to be dramatically shattered. “My engineer radioed me, ‘You have to win!’ at the exact moment Wittmann overtook me. Shortly afterward, I saw a small gap and knew this was my last chance.” Güven countered with one of the most spectacular maneuvers in DTM history – followed by unbridled jubilation.
Immediately after crossing the finish line, Güven fell into his father Hakan’s arms.
“He has supported me with great dedication for over 20 years. My debut victory at Oschersleben was a very special moment for both of us, but this title surpasses everything.”
Güven’s career path was anything but ordinary. He first sat in a kart at the age of five, encouraged by his father, who was an amateur racing driver himself. At the age of 12, Güven switched to sim racing and competed in the world’s largest esports team alongside today’s Formula 1 stars Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
“I learned a lot from sim racing, but nothing can replace the experience of driving a real car,” he says. At 17, the youngster returned to real motorsport, winning national races in Turkey and making the leap into international GT racing. His rise to fame was rapid: in 2018, he won both the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux and the one in France.
Güven finished his debut season in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, which is part of the Formula 1 series, as runner-up and Rookie Champion. He was promoted to contract Porsche driver in 2021. He made the leap to the DTM via appearances in international GT3 racing, such as the ADAC GT Masters. With the title, he has now achieved the greatest success of his career to date.
Güven is a figurehead for Turkish racing.
“We are currently developing a new, fantastic motorsport culture in Turkey. I am proud to be the first to spark this enthusiasm,” says Güven, who has countless fans in his homeland. Among his fans is a prominent top athlete: Güven even has a close friendship with two-time Superbike World Champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu. The future MotoGP rider congratulated him via video call immediately after the title thriller.
“Ayhancan and I have known each other for over ten years. He has visited me at races several times and even trained with me,” said the BMW Motorrad factory rider as he supported his compatriot live on site at the DTM at the Nürburgring.
