DTM | 2026 Lausitzring | Race 1 | Mapelli delivers maiden DTM victory for himself and the Lamborghini Temerario GT3

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Marco Mapelli claimed a remarkable victory in DTM 2026 Race 1 at the Lausitzring, as a perfectly timed pit stop helped the ABT Sportsline driver secure the first DTM win for the Lamborghini Temerario GT3.

The Italian started from 16th on the grid but emerged at the front after making his mandatory pit stop just before a Full Course Yellow period began. That timing handed him a significant advantage over several of the leading drivers, who had already stopped under normal racing conditions.

Ben Dörr also benefited from the decisive sequence and finished second for Dörr Motorsport, while Ricardo Feller completed the podium for Manthey EMA. Pole-sitter Nicki Thiim recovered to fourth after dropping down the order during the opening laps, although the timing of the Full Course Yellow denied him the chance to convert his tyre gamble into victory.

Marco Wittmann finished fifth for Schubert Motorsport, ahead of Maximilian Paul and Thierry Vermeulen. Lucas Auer crossed the line in eighth and moved into the championship lead, while Jules Gounon and Matteo Cairoli completed the top ten.

Late rain shower triggered an early tyre gamble

The uncertainty began before the race had even started, when a heavy shower arrived around 15 minutes before the scheduled start and quickly left the Lausitzring covered in water. Race control delayed proceedings by five minutes, giving the teams additional time to decide between wet-weather tyres and slicks.

Although the circuit was soaked, the high track temperature and strong wind suggested that the surface could dry quickly. Several drivers therefore took the risk of starting on slick tyres, including Thiim, Mapelli, Dörr and Feller, while others chose the safer option and fitted wets.

After two formation laps, the race began with the traditional rolling start. Auer immediately used the extra grip from his wet tyres to move into the lead, with fellow Mercedes-AMG drivers Gounon and Maro Engel following closely behind.

The drivers on slicks struggled badly during the opening laps, as the surface remained too wet for them to generate enough grip. Thiim, who had started from pole position, dropped as far as 13th while the wet-tyre runners quickly moved to the front.

Further back, Tom Kalender was turned around in the midfield, while Bastian Buus lost control of his Land Motorsport Porsche at Turn 7 and became stranded in the gravel. Race control deployed the Safety Car, which limited the damage for those who had started on slicks and allowed the track to continue drying while the field circulated at reduced speed.

Auer retained the lead when racing resumed, with Gounon close behind, while Engel came under pressure from Cairoli and Arjun Maini. At first, the slick-shod drivers remained at a disadvantage, but the balance of the race changed rapidly as a dry line began to appear.

Thiim charged back as slick tyres became faster

Within two laps of the restart, the slick tyres had become the quicker option. Thiim was the best-placed driver on the dry-weather compound and immediately began setting lap times around two seconds faster than the leaders.

The Comtoyou Racing driver made steady progress through the field, passing several cars that were still running on wet tyres. By the time the mandatory pit window opened, he had already caught and overtaken Auer to reclaim the lead.

Thiim’s decision to start on slicks had initially cost him several positions, but it now looked as though the gamble could deliver victory. The drivers who had started on wet tyres reacted by heading into the pits at the first opportunity, as their tyres had become significantly slower on the drying surface.

Thiim stopped one lap later, along with Vermeulen and Paul. Their timing appeared sensible, but the race changed moments later when Timo Glock stopped his Dörr Motorsport McLaren on the circuit with a technical problem.

Race control responded by deploying a Full Course Yellow, which became the defining moment of DTM 2026 Race 1 at the Lausitzring.

Drivers were not permitted to complete their mandatory stop during the neutralisation. However, Mapelli, Dörr and Feller had already crossed the pit-entry line before the Full Course Yellow officially began, meaning their stops remained valid.

That small difference in timing completely reshaped the order. Once the pit-stop sequence had ended, Mapelli held the lead ahead of Dörr and Feller, while the trio had gained more than 20 seconds over Thiim. His early tyre gamble and impressive recovery had ultimately been undone by the timing of the caution.Mapelli controlled the race from the front

Mapelli converted pit fortune into a historic victory

After inheriting the lead, Mapelli settled into a consistent rhythm and gradually extended his advantage over Dörr. The Italian remained in control throughout the closing stages before crossing the line to secure his first DTM victory.

The result also marked a significant milestone for Lamborghini, as Mapelli delivered the first championship win for the new Temerario. The car had replaced the Huracán, and the victory provided an early reward for Abt Sportsline and everyone involved in the project.

Mapelli admitted after the race that starting on slick tyres had been a major gamble, particularly during the difficult opening lap. However, he trusted the team’s judgement and remained patient as the circuit dried.

He also acknowledged that the Full Course Yellow had transformed his race. Without the perfectly timed pit stop, victory would likely have remained out of reach, although he still had to manage the gap and avoid mistakes once he moved into the lead.

Dörr and Feller completed the podium

Dörr followed Mapelli home in second place and secured his second podium of the season after also finishing inside the top three at Zandvoort. The McLaren driver had not expected to challenge for such a strong result at the Lausitzring, but the team’s tyre call and pit timing placed him in an ideal position.

Feller completed the podium in third for Manthey EMA. Like Mapelli and Dörr, the Porsche driver benefited from entering the pits moments before the Full Course Yellow began.

Thiim had to settle for fourth despite producing one of the strongest drives of the afternoon. His pace on slick tyres allowed him to recover from 13th and return to the lead, but the neutralisation prevented him from turning that performance into victory.

Wittmann finished fifth after a solid race for Schubert Motorsport, while Paul placed a second Lamborghini inside the top six. Vermeulen took seventh for Emil Frey Racing, ahead of Auer, Gounon and Cairoli.

Engel lost the championship lead after difficult afternoon

Maro Engel endured a frustrating race after arriving at the Lausitzring as the championship leader. The Winward Racing driver ran near the front during the opening stages on wet tyres, but the changing conditions and the Full Course Yellow worked against him. His afternoon became even more difficult when he ran off the circuit and travelled through the gravel, dropping him further down the order.

Engel later became involved in a fierce battle with Thomas Preining, during which the pair exchanged positions, made contact and voiced their frustration over the radio. Preining eventually came out on top, while Engel could only recover to 15th place. That result earned Engel a single point and allowed Auer to move into the championship lead after finishing eighth.

For Mapelli, however, the afternoon ended with a landmark victory. He had started near the back, struggled for grip during the opening laps and relied on a perfectly timed pit stop, but he made no mistakes once the opportunity arrived.

Changing weather, contrasting tyre choices and a decisive Full Course Yellow shaped DTM 2026 Race 1 at the Lausitzring, but Mapelli took full advantage to deliver the Lamborghini Temerario its first victory in the championship.