Thomas Preining continued to build momentum in the 2026 DTM championship with a second-place finish in Race 1 at the Nürburgring, converting a front-row start into another significant haul of points.
Preining started alongside pole sitter Matteo Cairoli after missing out on pole by just 0.036 seconds. He retained second at the start despite pressure from Lucas Auer and remained Cairoli’s closest challenger as the Ferrari driver controlled the race from the front. Preining eventually crossed the line in P2, ahead of Marco Wittmann, as Cairoli claimed his third victory of the season.
The result came during an eventful race that saw nine cars retire, but Preining and Manthey stayed clear of the incidents and executed their strategy cleanly. The Porsche driver became the first of the leading trio to make his mandatory stop before securing another valuable podium.
Speaking in the post-race press conference, with Pit Debrief in attendance, Preining reflected on Manthey’s performance, the changing track conditions and his improving championship position.
Preining praises Manthey after another strong result
Preining described the race as another positive step after a difficult opening practice session forced Manthey to make changes to the car. Although he attempted to stay with Cairoli, he conceded that the Emil Frey Racing driver simply had more pace on the day.
The Austrian also praised his team’s pit stops and strategy, which helped him maintain second place and continue closing the championship gap.
“Very good race, generally we had a good weekend so far, I think the track is very different than at the test a few weeks ago, so we had to make some adaptations yesterday, I think we were very quick to find back the rhythm, after a difficult FP1, so luckily we made the right steps and we keep making the right decisions I think on the car setup at the moment. We had a good qualifying today, were we maximised absolutely, and then in the race at the end, luckily I managed to keep my position at the start, which I was not 100% sure would be possible.”
“And then from then on I was always trying to follow Matteo [Cairoli], but obviously he was too fast, he did really well. The team did a really good job with pit stops. We were really fast, also strategy played out nicely with the cars we had to cover. So all in all a very good day at the office, and obviously a really good point swing again. We are still on the way back into the fight, but we are step by step trying to come closer.”
Adapting to a completely different Nürburgring
Preining’s strong result during DTM Race 1 came despite Manthey finding substantially different track characteristics compared with its previous test at the Nürburgring.
Rather than temperature or overall lap time causing the difference, Preining pointed towards a significant change in the car’s balance. That forced teams and drivers to react quickly with their set-ups across the weekend.
“It’s not like it was cold in the test, so it’s really strange in terms of temperature, it’s somewhat similar in terms of lap time, it’s more or less the same, it’s just a completely upside down car balance, which again today is the same for everybody I guess, I saw on the replays of FP more people are struggling. In the end it was about adapting quickly, making the right calls on which steps you need on the setup, and I think we did well, I think they [Cairoli and Wittmann] also did well, otherwise they wouldn’t be here, and I think this was crucial this weekend so far.”
Nürburgring atmosphere adds to Manthey’s home event
The Nürburgring carries additional significance for Manthey, whose headquarters sit close to the circuit, and Preining has developed his own connection to the team and its supporters during his time with the German outfit.
Rather than viewing the added attention as a source of pressure, Preining explained that he enjoys the atmosphere surrounding the event. He pointed to the Nürburgring 24 Hours as the circuit’s biggest occasion while placing the DTM weekend close behind because of the support Manthey receives.
“No, I really enjoy it, obviously over the years I like to believe I’ve become a small part of that family myself, I think at Manthey, and it also feels like a bit of a home race for me, obviously the highlight at Nürburgring is the 24 hours, but this one comes really close in terms of attention that we get, and the love from the fans, we really appreciate that, it’s a big privilege, and it’s something I really enjoy, luckily it’s not only at Nürburgring, we have fans following us everywhere, but here obviously it’s definitely the most. “
Preining remains cautious over championship prospects
Another podium strengthened Preining’s position as he continues his attempt to move back towards the centre of the championship battle. However, the former DTM champion refused to declare himself fully back in contention.
Although he believes his championship position now puts him among the contenders, Preining highlighted the remaining points deficit and warned that Manthey cannot expect to consistently outscore its rivals at the same rate. Instead, he believes the team must maintain its recent progress and regularly fight towards the front before it can consider itself firmly part of the title battle.
“I think in terms of championship position, yes, in terms of points, no, we are 17 points or 18, something like this [behind], which of course in theory you could catch more or less, but realistically it’s not going to happen, so we still have a long way to go, also I think it’s foolish to think every race is going to be like this, that we finish ahead, and we just keep catching and catching, so in the end we need to continue the work, we need to continue the upward trend also, and try to stay consistently towards the front, then everything is possible, but generally I think it’s a bit early to say we are fully in the fight, we are aiming to be, we are on the way there, but we still have a quite big gap to close.”
Preining reacts to smoke around the Nürburgring
Smoke from a forest fire in the wider Nürburgring region became increasingly visible around the circuit during Saturday’s action. While Preining remained focused behind the wheel and said he did not suffer any physical effects inside the car during DTM Race 1 at the Nürburgring, his thoughts remained with those living near the affected area.
“In the end, of course it’s not good what’s happening, us and the team obviously we have a lot of people living close by, so we hope everything is going well, and everybody’s families and houses are safe, generally while driving you are pretty focused, I have to say, I saw it a few times, but the focus is there, I don’t have any dizziness or anything in the car, so I cannot complain about anything like this, but of course we are aware of the situation.“
