OSCHERLABEN, Germany — Thomas Preining (Manthey) made a strong start to the second half of the DTM season.
The Austrian was the fastest driver in both practice sessions on Friday in Oschersleben. The 28-year-old set the fastest time of the day in the second session with a lap of 1:22.425 minutes.
“Oschersleben has always been one of my favorite tracks. The circuit is twisty, with many tight corners, and you’re often driving in low gears. It reminds me of a kart track and I really enjoy it. We were competitive right from the start, and the Porsche feels really strong. We can still work on a few details, but overall we’re performing at a good level,” said Preining.
Following in his slipstream, teammate Ricardo Feller (CH) also found his form in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, finishing second behind Preining in both races. Luca Engstler (Kempten/Red Bull Team Abt) set the third-fastest lap in his Lamborghini Temerario GT3.
“We tried a few things at the beginning and found a pretty good setup over the course of the day. Oschersleben is a special track for me, one that holds many emotions. I was here often as a child when my father was still racing. I also secured my first DTM victory in Oschersleben two years ago,” explained Engstler.
Fourth place went to Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf). Mirko Bortolotti (I/TGI Team by GRT) piloted another Lamborghini to fifth position.
In the first free practice session on Friday morning, the drivers, in temperatures of 17 degrees Celsius, focused on optimally setting up their cars for the track layout of the twisty, 3.667-kilometer circuit in the Magdeburger Börde region.
Preining was one of the most active and aggressive drivers, and shortly before the end, he knocked Feller out of first place with a top time of 1:22.493 minutes.
In the second session of the afternoon, all drivers switched to fresh Pirelli slicks a quarter of an hour before the end – the dress rehearsal for Saturday’s qualifying had begun.
Mercedes-AMG driver Auer initially took the lead, before Preining struck back with the fastest time of the day just under two minutes before the end of the session. Feller and Engstler then moved up to second and third positions, respectively.
