MUNICH, Germany — The DTM shifts into high gear at the Motorsport Arena, kicking off the second half of the season with rounds nine and 10 from July 24-26.
A Viking is the man to beat on Germany’s northernmost racetrack. Dane Nicki Thiim (Comtoyou Racing) has taken over the championship lead after his triumphant weekend at the Norisring. However, a strong Mercedes-AMG duo, Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol) and Lucas Auer (Austria/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf), are within striking distance.
While every tenth of a second is being fought for on the Börde circuit, spectators will enjoy excellent track views thanks to the unique arena setting.
Thiim heads into the Oschersleben weekend as the driver of the moment. After scoring the maximum 56 points at the Norisring, the Aston Martin driver leads the DTM standings for the first time.
“I’m still a bit stunned to be leading the DTM championship. My father raced in this series for a long time, and it was always a childhood dream of mine to follow in his footsteps. The Motorsport Arena is like my home track. It’s only about four hours from Denmark, so my family will be there to support me,” says Thiim.
Just nine and eleven points behind Thiim, respectively, lurk two Mercedes-AMG drivers, Engel and Auer. Engel, currently in second place, has been scoring points reliably this season and finished on the podium at Oschersleben in both 2024 and 2025. Auer has also impressed with his consistency, already securing four podium finishes – more than any other driver in the field. His recipe for success: “I only ever think about one race at a time. In the DTM, everything is very close; only top drivers compete here. Anything can change at any moment, so my focus is always on the next task, whether it’s free practice, qualifying, or the race. The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben suits us, and especially the Mercedes-AMG GT3, as a very good all-rounder,” reveals the Austrian, who celebrated a victory in the Magdeburger Börde region last year.
The battle is also heating up in the chasing pack behind the top three: Fourth-placed Matteo Cairoli (Italy/Emil Frey Racing) and Ford youngster Finn Wiebelhaus (Obertshausen/HRT Ford Racing) in 10th are separated by just 20 points.
Cairoli, driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, is the only driver besides Thiim to have two wins this season and could rejoin the leading group with a strong performance at Oschersleben. Wiebelhaus’s form has been on a steep upward trajectory recently.
At the Norisring, the “Road to DTM” winner engaged in a thrilling duel with Thiim and finished Sunday’s race in second place.
“Oschersleben is a real old-school track for me,” says Wiebelhaus. “There’s hardly any discussion about track limits because there’s grass or gravel right next to the track. You drive right up to the limit and immediately notice when you’ve exceeded it. I like that. The track is narrow, technical, and has a great rhythm.”
The Motorsport Arena Oschersleben is one of the most technically demanding tracks on the DTM calendar. Characteristic of the 3.667-kilometer circuit near Magdeburg are its numerous corners with varying radii. The highest speed, nearly 250 km/h, is reached at the end of the approximately 700-meter-long start/finish straight. The best overtaking opportunities arise before the subsequent tight left-hand corner. A special feature is the arena-like character of the track – spectators can perfectly follow the high-speed spectacle from a bird’s-eye view.
The two BMW M4 GT3 Evo cars from Schubert Motorsport are the focus of the fans. The team is based just a few minutes from the racetrack. With two-time champion Marco Wittmann (Fürth) and Kelvin van der Linde from South Africa, Schubert Motorsport aims to capitalize on their home advantage.
