Finn Wiebelhaus continued his strong 2026 DTM progress at the Norisring, taking second place in Race 2 behind Nicki Thiim. The HRT Ford driver started from the front row, stayed close to Thiim across the race and secured another podium after also finishing on the rostrum earlier in the season at the Lausitzring.
The result came during a difficult race affected by rain, changing grip, Safety Car periods and a red flag. Thiim eventually completed a perfect Norisring weekend with two poles and two wins, while Wiebelhaus finished second ahead of Lucas Auer.
Wiebelhaus happy with 2026 DTM podium despite missing out on victory at the Norisring
Wiebelhaus admitted that victory would have meant more, but he still took satisfaction from another strong DTM result. He also credited Thiim’s defensive work and explained why the Norisring gave him few clear passing chances.
“Yeah, for sure I’m happy. Obviously P1 would have been a bit better, but yeah, Nicki did a fantastic job defending [against] me in the second stint, and as he said, at some point the brakes were not in their working window anymore, and so I had to back off a bit. So yeah, nothing really I could have done different. I mean, Nürburgring, it’s tough to overtake, and I didn’t want to take any big risks when running on the podium.”
That approach reflected the balance Wiebelhaus had to strike. He pushed Thiim hard, but he also protected a valuable podium on a circuit where contact and mistakes can quickly end a race.
Wiebelhaus explains learning the Norisring
The Norisring presented a fresh challenge for Wiebelhaus. He had to learn the street circuit while managing its bumps, walls and narrow margins.
“Yeah, I mean, first of all, it was a new track for me, so learning every lap by more. I mean, the track is quite bumpy, and you have to really be close [to] the barriers to be fast. So yeah, yesterday, I struggled a bit still to find the limit, but today in Quali and in the race, I was just flat out.
After a harder opening day, Wiebelhaus found more confidence on Sunday. He then converted that progress into front-row pace and a strong race drive.
“And then obviously, I think I am now more or less known to the track. So yeah, definitely a really nice track. Like Nicki said, probably one of the best tracks in the calendar, as well as the atmosphere with the fans here. So yeah, it’s been a nice experience.”
Wiebelhaus describes chasing Thiim in difficult conditions
Wiebelhaus stayed close to Thiim through key phases of the race. However, the opening stint focused more on survival than attack as rain made the Norisring increasingly difficult.
“Yeah, I mean, in the first stint, I think it was more surviving than actually pushing. We were just drifting. I saw Nicki a couple of times really sideways in front of me. So yeah, it was quite fun, but also quite risky in some places.
The HRT Ford driver then gained a tyre-temperature advantage after stopping earlier than Thiim. Even so, he could not find a clean opportunity to pass.
“So then in the second stint, I was closing in. I had hotter tyres because we boxed, I think, two laps earlier or one lap earlier. So I was close to him, but I had never the opportunity to overtake.
Wiebelhaus strengthens his 2026 DTM credentials at the Norisring
Wiebelhaus’ Norisring performance added another important result to his first half of the DTM season. After taking his first podium at the Lausitzring, he backed that up with second place on one of the calendar’s most demanding tracks.
Although Thiim dominated the weekend and left as the championship leader, Wiebelhaus showed that he can challenge at the front in Qualifying and race conditions. His ability to pressure Thiim without overreaching also underlined his growing maturity in the series.
With more confidence, another podium and clear pace in the HRT Ford package, Wiebelhaus now has a platform to turn strong weekends into a victory challenge later in the season.
