HOCKENHEIM, Germany — Thomas Preining (A/Manthey) is setting the pace in his Porsche 911 GT3 R ahead of the final two DTM races of the season at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg.
The championship leader was the fastest driver in both free practice sessions on Friday. In the first session at midday, he clocked the fastest time of the day with 1:36.974 minutes. The 28-year-old was the only driver to break the 1:37-minute barrier.
“A good result, but you never really know where the competition stands. I’ve always felt at home at the Hockenheimring. Even the journey here brought back a lot of great memories – my title win in 2023 or my victory in the rain a year ago. We’re superbly prepared for both races,” said the Porsche factory driver from Team Manthey.
Jules Gounon (FRA/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) was the second-fastest driver overall in his Mercedes-AMG GT3, just 0.050 seconds behind the leader. Third-placed Marco Wittmann (Fürth, Germany) qualified the Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Evo in third place, demonstrating his continued strength in the title fight.
Finn Wiebelhaus (Obertshausen, Germany/HRT Ford Performance) finished fourth in his Ford Mustang GT3, while Italian Mirko Bortolotti (TGI Team by GRT) took fifth in his Lamborghini Temerario GT3. Second-placed Maro Engel (Monaco, Germany) of Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol posted the sixth-fastest qualifying time on the 4.574-kilometer circuit. The experienced driver is also well-prepared for the title showdown this weekend.
At the start of practice on Friday at noon, Preining was one of the most active riders in dry conditions with temperatures around 12 degrees Celsius. The Linz native set the first fastest time, which was subsequently beaten several times.
Wittmann and Engel also briefly took the lead. With 15 minutes remaining, Gounon set the fastest lap so far. But Preining struck back with the final best time just over three minutes before the end.
The second free practice session in the afternoon took place on a wet track following persistent rain. As a result, no top times could be set. The teams focused on optimizing their cars’ wet-weather setups. Preining was once again the fastest driver with a lap time of 1:47.823 minutes.
