HOCKENHEIM, Germany — The final showdown for the DTM championship trophy will take place at the Hockenheimring on Oct. 18-20.
Mirko Bortolotti goes into the decisive final race weekend in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 from SSR Performance as leader of the table and thus slight favorite. With only 15 points behind, Audi driver Kelvin van der Linde from Abt Sportsline is the closest pursuer.
Maro Engel can also win the title in third place overall with a strong performance in the finale – the driver from the Mercedes-AMG Team Winward is 20 points behind Bortolotti.
The starting position promises to be very exciting, with a maximum of 56 points still up for grabs in Hockenheim.
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Bortolotti is the only one of the three title contenders who has the decision in his own hands, with 204 points. The Italian fought his way through a difficult start to the season and is in top form just in time for the decisive final phase.
At the Red Bull Ring, Bortolotti had his most successful DTM race weekend of the year – thanks to his first win of the season, he regained the top spot in the table. Bortolotti is ice-cold, especially in qualifying.
The 34-year-old regularly delivers top performances under time pressure. He started a DTM race from the front row seven times this year. The Viennese resident also knows exactly what to expect in Hockenheim. Bortolotti has already travelled to the finale as a title contender in the past two seasons.
“I’m looking forward to the fight in Hockenheim. Whether you’re the hunted or the pursuer makes no big difference in the approach. You can’t make mistakes either way,” says Bortolotti, who is optimistic: “We’re performing consistently well as a team. That is not a given in the DTM and makes me confident.”
As a two-time winner of the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring, Kelvin van der Linde is one of the best GT3 drivers in the world – but the South African is still missing a DTM title in his trophy collection. Van der Linde has been the leader of the table for longer than any other driver this season. Bortolotti pushed him out of the lead three times, and twice he stayed cool and fought back.
The 28-year-old will have to do it a third time in Hockenheim if he wants to be crowned champion. The title would be the perfect end to an anniversary year for his team Abt Sportsline. The team from Kempten is driving its 25th DTM season. In Spielberg, van der Linde recently showed his fighting spirit and improved by a total of 15 positions compared to the starting positions in the two races. “I like driving in Hockenheim. I’ve actually always been successful there. Everything is still possible and I am highly motivated,” promises an aggressive van der Linde, who won his first of two ADAC GT Masters titles ten years ago in Hockenheim.
This year, Engel is the name of the game for maximum consistency. The Monegasque by choice is still waiting for his first win of the season, but he has already achieved seven podium places – more than any other driver. In the last seven championship races alone, Engel has placed his Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the top three five times.
The veteran is therefore in good form ahead of the finale in Hockenheim. On the track, Engel is making full use of his experience from 106 DTM starts in eight seasons: in Oschersleben, he drove from tenth place on the grid to second place, and at the Dekra Lausitzring he even moved up eleven positions to second place.
The Mercedes-AMG driver is an experienced tactician and can also rely on his strong pit crew. In three races, the Winward team managed the fastest tire change on Engel’s car. “If you travel to the finale with a chance of winning the title, you’ve had a strong season. We’re more of an outsider, but we believe in our chances and will give it our all,” says Engel.