MUNICH, Germany — The DTM is heading toward a spectacular final weekend with two decisive championship races at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg Oct. 3-5.
Nine drivers from five brands still have a chance of winning the 2025 title – something never before in the series’ more than 40-year history.
Leader Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) and Jules Gounon (F/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) in ninth place are separated by just 29 points. With 56 points still up for grabs, the title is within reach even for the Frenchman.
Leader Auer has impressed so far with his consistency and nerves of steel. The Austrian is the only driver to have scored points in every race. Last race weekend at the Red Bull Ring, the Tyrolean stood on the podium for the first time at his home race and, with his mental strength, is a hot championship contender.
“It’s no secret that the title would mean an incredible amount to me. I’ve been driving in the DTM since 2015; the series is my sporting home,” says Auer.
Second-place Jordan Pepper (ZA/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT), however, is well within striking distance, seven points behind. In his first full DTM season, the South African has always remained in the front group, even after setbacks, and is aiming for a surprise coup in the finale: “On the track, I’m a real fighter and always ready to give that little bit more to achieve my goals. I know what I have to do and will stay true to myself in the finale as well,” announces Pepper.
Third-place René Rast (Bregenz/Schubert Motorsport), a three-time champion, knows how to win a DTM title. The 38-year-old has already led the field once after a strong comeback in the second half of the season and has already won five times at Hockenheim.
If the BMW driver can extend this record, he could achieve the feat of becoming DTM champion with two different brands. Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing) will start the fight for the DTM crown from fourth place thanks to a clever strategy and quick pit stops. The veteran driver is aiming for his first win of the season to close the 16-point deficit.
Just behind Engel is Ayhancan Güven (TR/Manthey EMA), who already has four wins to his name in his Porsche 911 GT3 R. Ferrari driver Jack Aitken (GB/Emil Frey Racing) and Marco Wittmann (Fürth/Schubert Motorsport) in the BMW M4 GT3 Evo follow in sixth and seventh place, respectively. Porsche works driver Thomas Preining (A/Manthey EMA), the 2023 champion, and Gounon round out the group of nine title contenders.
Before the final weekend of the 2025 DTM, Manthey EMA leads the team standings with 316 points, ahead of Schubert Motorsport (300 points). Two other racing teams, Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing (290 points) and Emil Frey Racing (282 points), are in strong positions in the title race.
This also applies to the manufacturers’ standings, with Mercedes-AMG arriving at the Hockenheimring as the leader. Porsche follows in second place, 41 points behind, but BMW and Ferrari, in third and fourth place, also have the potential to win the manufacturers’ standings.
A maximum of 90 points are still up for grabs in both classes. The best rookie before the finale is Ben Dörr (Germany) of the McLaren team Dörr Motorsport. In the “Rookie of the Year” ranking, Porsche youngster Morris Schuring (NL/Manthey Junior Team), Gilles Magnus (B/Comtoyou Racing) in the Aston Martin and Tom Kalender (Hamm/Sieg/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) also still have a chance of winning the title.
