Luca Engstler believes Red Bull Team ABT made an important step forward with the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3 after he finished second in Race 1 of the 2026 DTM weekend at Oschersleben.
Engstler started alongside pole-sitter Thomas Preining on the front row and lost second place to Maro Engel during the opening lap. However, a strong pit stop and outlap allowed him to regain the position before he secured his first podium with ABT. The result also continued Engstler’s strong record at Oschersleben, where he claimed his maiden DTM victory in 2024.
Engstler encouraged by Lamborghini’s progress
ABT and Lamborghini have faced the challenge of developing the new Temerario while competing throughout its first DTM season. Engstler acknowledged that this process contributed to the team’s difficult start to the campaign, but he felt the performance at Oschersleben demonstrated the car’s potential.
“Yeah, happy obviously. Had a difficult start, like I said. And I think it’s quite normal if you develop a new car. We said that we have the first year where we develop while racing, which is normally not ideal. But at the end of the day, I think we’re doing good steps. Feeling more and more comfortable. And I think a track like this shows that the car can’t be that bad in terms of cornering. So, I think it’s a huge shout-out to the team and also to Lamborghini to have the second podium of the year.“
Engstler showed strong pace throughout the weekend and started from the front row in both races. His Race 1 result represented another encouraging step as ABT continued to learn about the new Lamborghini.
Oschersleben memories make podium particularly special
Oschersleben has played an important role throughout Engstler’s life and racing career. He visited the circuit as a child while watching his father, Franz Engstler, compete. Those early memories, combined with his first DTM victory at the track, made Engstler’s Race 1 podium at Oschersleben with ABT particularly meaningful.
“Well, I don’t know. I’m here since I’m a kid, watching my dad racing. I remember coming with the motorhome, standing in the last corner, watching the World Touring Cars. Being here for Easter, going to kindergarten on the first floor of the pit building. So, great memories and always great to come back. Obviously, the win last time out was great, but that one is almost feeling as sweet as the win.“
Engstler’s previous success at Oschersleben came with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3. His second-place finish showed that the new Temerario could also perform strongly around the technical circuit.
ABT works through long development list
Engstler explained that ABT identified several areas to improve following the previous DTM round at the Red Bull Ring. Rather than attempting to solve every issue at once, the team focused on its highest-priority areas and worked through them gradually.
“Yeah, well, after the Red Bull Ring, I think we had a few to-do points. Some topics that we had to touch on, but then, I don’t know, you have 200 points and you start with the highest priority ones and just work them down and try and not freak out, get too emotional and just do one step after the other. I think everybody wants to win and everybody has invested his whole life to be here. So, for sure, it’s not great seeing that you don’t have a chance or you can’t fight for podiums. “
“But in the end, you need to stay cool. In this championship, you have the best drivers, the best teams, the best brands. So, it’s not that you can’t pitch up in year one and should expect to be the Porsche or Mercedes that is, I don’t know, racing with the same car since many years. So, I think it’s kind of normal. It’s a progress and I just hope that we can build on that.“
The DTM’s competitive field leaves little room for error, particularly for a manufacturer introducing a new car. Engstler therefore viewed the development process as a gradual progression rather than expecting Lamborghini to challenge established machinery immediately.
Pit stop helps Engstler reclaim second place in DTM Race 1 at Oschersleben
Engstler believed he made a strong start from second on the grid, but Engel moved ahead of him during the opening lap. Although Engstler had an opportunity to attack Preining at Turn 2, he decided against risking contact with the championship contender.
“Yeah, I thought I had a good getaway, but obviously, Maro [Engel] knows what to do. Starting from P2, I was close to Thomas [Preining]. You can send it into turn two, but take the risk of colliding. I know that he’s fighting for the championship and I’m not. So, you also don’t want to go too harsh and take too much risk. But I just tried to stay as close as possible for the pit stop.“
Engstler remained close to Engel before the mandatory pit stop. ABT completed a strong tyre change, while Engstler produced a competitive outlap to move back ahead. After reclaiming second, Engstler kept the position until the chequered flag and completed a breakthrough race for ABT and the Temerario.
“Normally, when one is having good stops, I was not expecting that we would jump him in the pit window. We just tried to settle down for P3. I think they had a bit of trouble, but our boys did a good pit stop and good outlap. And then, obviously, once you have the clean air and you have the position normally, you’re kind of safe.“
Strong weekend underlines ABT’s progress
Engstler followed his Race 1 podium with another front-row start on Sunday. Although the second race did not produce another top-three result, he felt ABT could take several positives from the weekend. The German highlighted the team’s points haul, its two strong qualifying performances and the progress it had made with the Temerario.
“Overall, it was a good weekend and we scored a lot of points. Yesterday I took my first podium with the team, which was also the team’s second podium of the season. On top of that, we had two good qualifying sessions and started from the front row twice, so there is a lot to be happy about. Today, of course, it is disappointing when you start at the front and don’t come away with a podium. Nevertheless, we can see that we are taking the right steps and getting closer and closer to the front.”
The Oschersleben weekend showed that Engstler and ABT could compete near the front with the new Lamborghini. The team will now aim to build on that progress and establish itself as a consistent podium contender.
