DTM | 2026 Red Bull Ring | Qualifying 2 | Van der Linde delivers when it matters to take first pole since 2024

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After yesterday’s spectacular opening race at the Red Bull Ring, the 2026 DTM field returned for a new day and fresh opportunities for Qualifying 2. Thomas Preining secured a home victory in Race 1 ahead of Lucas Auer, while Maro Engel converted pole into a podium after a costly pit stop setback. Further down the order, Lamborghini struggled to extract performance from its new car, adding another layer of uncertainty to the competitive picture.

Now, the field turned its focus to Qualifying 2. With conditions reset and margins expected to remain tight at the Red Bull Ring, the drivers prepared for another decisive session. The question was clear: who would deliver when it mattered most and secure pole position for Race 2?

Green lights for Qualifying 2

The sun was out, and the drivers enjoyed another beautiful day as they pushed for a top grid position for Race 2 at the Red Bull Ring. The field headed down the pit lane and began their installation laps.

The drivers completed their installation laps, warming up their tyres and building heat in the brakes. Most 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 relied on this process to bring the tyres into the optimal working window. They held the cars stationary briefly to allow the heat to transfer before heading back out for their push laps. Drivers focused on managing both tyres and car carefully to extract maximum performance.

Overnight BoP changes shake up the field

Overnight Balance of Performance (BoP) changes significantly altered the competitive order. Ford, Aston Martin and Ferrari all ran lighter than the day before. Ford dropped from 30 to 10 kilograms of ballast, making the cars 20 kilograms lighter. Aston Martin reduced from 45 to 35 kilograms, while Ferrari dropped from 50 to 40 kilograms.

BMW went the other way, increasing from 15 to 25 kilograms, although it gained more boost in the lower rev range, offset by a slight reduction at higher revs.

Porsche also carried additional weight after its Race 1 success. The cars gained 20 kilograms of ballast, while Thomas Preining carried an additional 20 kilograms of success ballast as the race winner. His car therefore ran 40 kilograms heavier than the previous day.

Ford also received a significant power boost. Officials increased the air restrictors from 35 millimetres to 37 millimetres, allowing more airflow and therefore more power. Lamborghini and BMW both gained additional boost at lower revs, while Aston Martin received an increase across the rev range. These changes set up a very different qualifying session.

Early laps and track limits drama

Once the heat soak phase ended, the drivers returned to the track and began their push laps.

Luca Engstler set the first representative time with a 1:33.273, but Tom Kalender quickly improved on it. Ben Dörr then went fastest as he looked to bounce back from his Race 1 retirement following contact with Bastian Buus.

Kelvin van der Linde soon took control of the session with a 1:27.582, while Ricardo Feller moved into second.

Track limits quickly became a factor again. Officials deleted lap times for several drivers, including Thierry Vermeulen, Marco Mapelli and Nicolas Baert, after they exceeded track limits at multiple corners.

Van der Linde leads as field tightens

Buus, who had initially finished fourth in Race 1 before dropping back due to a post-race penalty, showed strong pace once again and moved into third.

Further down the order, Lamborghini appeared to be hosting their own qualifying session, with Abt and Grasser Racing Team fighting among themselves, Bortolotti leading in 18th.

In the closing minutes, van der Linde improved again, setting a 1:27.575 to secure pole position.

Late improvements decide the grid

Finn Wiebelhaus delivered an impressive lap to take second for Ford, highlighting the impact of the Balance of Performance changes. Lucas Auer moved up to third, continuing his strong form from Race 1.

Marco Wittmann finished ninth, while the rest of the field struggled to match the front-running pace.

As the chequered flag fell for Qualifying 2 at the DTM Red Bull Ring, van der Linde secured pole position ahead of Wiebelhaus and Auer. It marked his first pole since the 2024 Hockenheim finale, the same season in which Bortolotti claimed the championship.