MUNICH, Germany — Next weekend, (Oct. 18-20) the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg will be the stage for the showdown of DTM’s anniversary season.
Two races will determine the new DTM champion, with a maximum of 56 points still up for grabs. Before the finale, Lamborghini works driver Mirko Bortolotti has the best chance of winning the DTM crown. He travels to the Baden Motodrom as the leader and with a 15-point lead over Audi driver Kelvin van der Linde.
Maro Engel also still has a chance of winning the title in his Mercedes-AMG GT3, third in the table, just 20 points behind. A five-way battle for overall victory awaits fans in the team rankings, which are led by Schubert Motorsport. The best manufacturer before the last two championship races is Mercedes-AMG.
Three-Way Battle For The Crown
With 204 points to his name, Bortolotti has the best cards in the title game. The Italian made a real statement at the last stop at the Red Bull Ring — Thanks to his first win of the season, he regained the top spot in the table and, with 41 points, recorded his most successful weekend of the year.
“The way we work and perform consistently makes me confident,” Bortolotti said. “We have to do the same in Hockenheim if we want to be at the top at the end.”
Bortolotti has already traveled to the final with ambitions of winning the championship cup in the past two years, and the 34-year-old’s dream of winning the title should come true for the third time. Kelvin van der Linde is also pursuing the same goal. The South African must go into attack mode right from the first race in Hockenheim in order to significantly reduce the gap to Bortolotti.
Van der Linde proved that he can handle pressure with two comebacks in Spielberg.
“We will try to get the most out of our package and not make any mistakes,” van der Linde said. “After 10 years together, it will be my last race for Audi and therefore, regardless of the outcome, it will be a very emotional weekend for me.”
Engel completes the trio of title candidates, who will have to put in a top performance in Hockenheim and at the same time hope that his two drivers in front of him slip up. Despite the difficult starting position, the composed Mercedes-AMG driver can be expected to put in a strong performance – with 106 DTM starts, Engel is one of the most experienced drivers in the field.
“Anything is possible in the DTM,” Engel said, who made his DTM debut in Hockenheim in 2008. “We believe in our chance to turn things around in our favor. It will be a motorsport festival, and I’m looking forward to it.”
In addition to the top trio, a number of drivers want to end the season with a top sporting result. First and foremost, this includes René Rast in the BMW M4 GT3 from Schubert Motorsport. The three-time champion has already scored five victories on the traditional circuit in the Schwetzinger Hardt. Defending champion Thomas Preining also wants to shine at the end. Last season, the Austrian secured Porsche’s first DTM title with two victories in Hockenheim.
Five Teams, Four Manufacturers Fight For Class Victories
The team ranking also promises to be exciting. The BMW team from Schubert Motorsport (320 points) leads the rankings — the pursuers are Abt Sportsline (281 points), Mercedes-AMG Team Winward (268 points), SSR Performance (264 points) and Mercedes-AMG Team HRT (250 points).
A maximum of 90 points are still up for grabs, just like in the manufacturers’ rankings. The best brand before the finale is Mercedes-AMG (384 points), followed by Lamborghini (360 points) and BMW (337 points). Audi also has a mathematical chance of winning the title with 301 points.