Red Bull Team ABT left the 2026 Zandvoort DTM weekend with a clear step forward with the Lamborghini Temerario GT3. Following a difficult opening round at the Red Bull Ring, the team moved into regular points contention and established itself as the stronger Lamborghini outfit across the Dutch weekend.
Luca Engstler led the charge with points finishes in both races, including sixth place on Sunday after qualifying third. Marco Mapelli also showed improved race pace and recovered to seventh in Race 2 despite setbacks. Together, the results gave ABT points with both cars across the weekend and renewed confidence before the next round at the Lausitzring.
Biermaier praises ABT’s strong DTM weekend at Zandvoort
ABT made visible progress throughout the Zandvoort weekend. The team improved across Practice, Qualifying and race conditions, while Engstler’s third place in Qualifying 2 marked the first top-three Qualifying result of the season for the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3.
The team then converted that pace into its best race result of the campaign so far. Engstler finished eighth in Race 1 before taking sixth in Race 2, while Mapelli followed him home in seventh on Sunday. ABT also completed four strong pit stops during Race 2, strengthening its view that race execution and overall competitiveness had improved.
Thomas Biermaier, CEO of ABT Sportsline, felt the weekend confirmed the team’s recovery after the Red Bull Ring. Via a media release, he said, “Overall, it was a very good weekend for us. We are back fighting for points, for strong points and fighting for podiums again. Today, we were a bit unlucky with the safety car situation because Luca was running in P2 with already a good gap to P3, so it looked very promising.
It was also difficult for us to fully understand the penalty decision for Marco. But in the end, finishing P6 and P7 with four strong pit stops makes us happy. It was a positive day for the entire team, and now we look forward to a short break before heading to Lausitzring.”
His comments reflected ABT’s wider mood after Zandvoort. Although the team still saw missed opportunities, especially with Engstler running strongly before the Safety Car, it also gained proof that the Lamborghini package had moved closer to the front.
Engstler converts Qualifying pace into strong Sunday result
Engstler produced one of ABT’s most important performances of the season so far. After scoring the team’s first top-10 result of the year in Race 1, he followed it with an even stronger Sunday drive.
The German qualified third for Race 2, placing the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 directly inside the fight at the front. He then made a strong start and ran as high as second before the race developed around strategy, Safety Car timing and tyre management.
Although the Safety Car limited his chance to convert that position into a podium, Engstler still finished sixth and added another valuable points finish. After the struggles of the Red Bull Ring, he viewed Zandvoort as a clear sign of progress.
“It was a good day overall with a strong qualifying and a massive start. The first two stints were really good, and then we got a bit unlucky with the safety car. But looking at where we came from after the Red Bull Ring weekend, I think everyone in the team can be proud and happy. Now we need to take this momentum into the next race.”
Engstler’s weekend also strengthened Lamborghini’s position in the early development phase of the Temerario GT3. While ABT still needs to find more consistency, his qualifying pace and race performance showed that the car can now fight for stronger points.
Mapelli recovers from setbacks to secure points
Mapelli endured a more complicated weekend, but his Sunday recovery gave ABT another important boost. After finishing 15th in Race 1, the Italian produced a stronger Race 2 and fought back to seventh.
His race included frustration over a penalty situation, yet he and the team kept the focus on recovery. Mapelli credited calm execution and radio support from Franco Chiocchetti as key parts of his fightback.
“It was a real rollercoaster of emotions today. At the beginning, I was not happy with the penalty situation, but we stayed calm and focused on our race. Franco Chiocchetti supported me a lot over the radio, and in the end we managed to fight our way back.
The safety car helped close the gap again, but strategy-wise and tire-wise, we were also in a very good position. These points are important for the whole team and for all the hard work everyone is putting in behind the scenes. This is only the beginning, and we know we can still improve further in terms of execution and performance.”
Mapelli’s recovery gave ABT two cars inside the top seven on Sunday. More importantly, it confirmed that the team could respond under pressure and still score well when a race became unpredictable.
ABT heads to Lausitzring with renewed confidence after strong 2026 DTM Zandvoort round
Zandvoort gave ABT its clearest sign yet that the team has turned a corner with the Lamborghini Temerario GT3. The squad scored points with both cars, delivered strong pit stops, and matched improved qualifying pace with stronger race execution.
The weekend also came at the end of an intense run that included the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the DTM round at Zandvoort. ABT will now return to Kempten for a short reset before preparations begin for Lausitzring.
Although the team still sees room to improve, Zandvoort changed the tone of its season. Engstler and Mapelli both showed that ABT can fight inside the points, while the team’s Sunday performance suggested that podium contention no longer feels out of reach.
