HOCKENHEIM, Germany — The DTM is ready for the showdown in Hockenheim.
Mirko Bortolotti in a Lamborghini, Audi driver Kelvin van der Linde from South Africa and Maro Engel from Mercedes-AMG are battling for the 2024 DTM crown this weekend at Hockenheimring.
The trio of drivers posed for a championship photo on Thursday. Watch all the action LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1.
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.Â
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.”