DTM | 2026 Red Bull Ring | Qualifying 1 | Engel takes first pole of the season

Spread the love

After a disrupted and at times chaotic build-up to the DTM 2026 opener at the Red Bull Ring, teams entered Qualifying 1 with limited preparation and plenty of uncertainty. Schedule issues and interruptions disrupted Friday’s running, while a delayed qualifying simulation left teams scrambling to gather meaningful data on the new tyre. Mercedes-AMG set the early benchmark, delivering strong and consistent pace throughout practice, even as traffic prevented several drivers from completing clean laps.

Behind them, the picture remained far less clear. Incidents and compromised runs made it difficult to judge the true order, while several manufacturers continued to search for answers after an inconsistent start to the weekend. Lamborghini endured a difficult day, with the new Temerario GT3 running near the back and still lacking performance, while Aston Martin also struggled before receiving late BoP adjustments to boost its chances. BMW and Ferrari showed flashes of potential but lacked consistency, leaving the competitive order wide open. With conditions still evolving and margins expected to remain tight, Qualifying 1 offered the first real opportunity to establish the pecking order.

The question remained: who could finally put everything together and come out on top when it mattered most?

Time for Qualifying 1

It was finally time for the first DTM Qualifying 1 session of the 2026 season, and as the lights went green, the cars made their way out on track, led by Maximilian Paul of Grasser Racing Team.

The qualifying format remained unchanged, with 20 minutes for the drivers to maximise their packages. The pole-sitter received three championship points, while the driver starting third earned one point.

The drivers completed their installation laps, warming up their tyres and building heat in the brakes. Most of them returned to the pit lane afterwards to carry out a heat soak, allowing heat from the brakes to transfer into the rims and then into the tyres. With tyre warmers not permitted in the DTM, teams had to execute this process precisely. Drivers focused on managing their tyres and cars carefully to extract the best possible performance.

They also closely monitored the behaviour of the new tyre. Early feedback suggested that it took around four laps to bring the tyres fully into their optimal operating window, making timing crucial for a competitive lap.

Will Lamborghini pull through?

By the halfway point of Qualifying 1, the field began preparing for its first proper flying laps around the Red Bull Ring. Thomas Preining set the initial benchmark with a 1:31.138, followed by Lucas Auer and Maro Engel in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo machines. Auer continued to demonstrate strong pace.

With five minutes remaining, attention turned to Lamborghini. The drivers of the new Temerario GT3, including Mirko Bortolotti and Maximilian Paul for Grasser Racing Team, as well as Luca Engstler and Marco Mapelli for Abt, pushed to maximise performance despite limited expectations for the brand-new car. All four will need to work closely with their teams to continue developing the package for the rest of the 2026 season.

Ben Dörr briefly moved to the top of the timesheets, but Manthey drivers Preining and Ricardo Feller soon secured the top two positions. Bastian Buus placed the Land Motorsport entry in third.

Dörr maintained strong form in the closing minutes, splitting Preining and Feller to move into second. Jules Gounon climbed to fourth with a 1:27.713.

Battle between Mercedes and Porsche

The session appeared to favour Porsche, but Maro Engel remained determined to challenge. In the final seconds, he delivered a 1:27.403 to take provisional pole.

BMW struggled to match the pace, with DTM returnee Kelvin van der Linde sitting in eleventh with a 1:27.950. His team-mate, two-time champion Marco Wittmann, also found it difficult to break into the leading group.

Dörr continued to impress, establishing himself as a strong contender by splitting Engel and Preining in the final order. Mercedes and Porsche emerged as the teams to beat at the Red Bull Ring.

Newcomer Matteo Cairoli delivered a solid performance to qualify eighth, just behind Feller, while his Emil Frey Racing team-mate Thierry Vermeulen finished fourteenth.