DTM | 2026 Sachsenring | Qualifying 2 | Engel takes pole position as title rivals struggle in wet conditions

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Maro Engel claimed pole position for the second DTM race at the Sachsenring after mastering difficult wet conditions in Sunday morning’s Qualifying 2. The Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG driver produced his decisive lap early in the 20-minute session and remained out of reach as several championship contenders struggled further down the order.

A morning rain shower had left the Sachsenring soaked ahead of qualifying. Although no further rain fell during the session, the circuit never dried enough to make slick tyres a viable option, leaving the field to tackle the slippery track on wet-weather rubber.

Engel strikes early for pole

Engel quickly made the most of the conditions and set a 1:26.307, establishing a benchmark that nobody could match during the remainder of DTM Qualifying 2 at the Sachsenring.

As the track gradually improved, drivers continued searching for time, but the changing conditions failed to produce the usual late-session surge. Engel’s early effort therefore secured him his second pole position of the 2026 season and the fifth of his DTM career. His lap also earned him three championship points and reduced his deficit to championship leader Thomas Preining to just three points.

Ricardo Feller emerged as Engel’s closest challenger. The Manthey Porsche driver finished 0.448 seconds behind the pole-sitter to secure a place on the front row. Engel’s Winward Racing team-mate Jules Gounon continued his strong Sachsenring weekend by taking third, 0.755 seconds away from the leading time. Ben Dörr put his McLaren fourth, while Bastian Buus completed the top five for Porsche.

Feller leads three Porsches inside the top six

Championship leader Preining could only manage sixth after losing time during his quickest attempt. Despite missing out on the front rows, Manthey and Porsche still showed strong pace in the difficult conditions.

Feller, Buus and Preining placed three Porsche 911 GT3 Rs inside the top six, despite the cars receiving an additional 15 kilograms through the Balance of Performance adjustments ahead of Sunday’s running.

Kelvin van der Linde took seventh for Schubert Motorsport, ahead of Mirko Bortolotti in eighth. Lucas Auer qualified ninth in his Landgraf Mercedes-AMG, while Luca Engstler completed the top ten for Abt Sportsline.

Wittmann and Thiim suffer major setbacks

While Engel strengthened his championship challenge, Marco Wittmann endured a dramatically different qualifying session. The Schubert BMW driver had started Saturday from pole before going on to win the opening race of the weekend, but he failed to reproduce that form in the wet. Wittmann struggled to extract performance from his tyres and finished only 19th, 2.005 seconds slower than Engel.

The result leaves Wittmann with significant work to do from the back of the field as he attempts to remain firmly involved in the title fight. Nicki Thiim faced an even tougher morning. The Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin driver, another of the leading championship contenders, finished 20th with a deficit of 2.038 seconds to pole.

Matteo Cairoli also found himself well outside the leading positions. The Emil Frey Racing Ferrari driver qualified 17th, while the two Ford Mustang GT3 Evos of Arjun Maini and Finn Wiebelhaus filled the final row of the grid.

Engel closes in as title fight intensifies

Qualifying delivered another significant swing in an increasingly tight DTM championship battle. Engel’s three points for pole moved him to within three points of Preining ahead of Sunday’s race, while Wittmann and Thiim face a much more difficult task after qualifying near the rear of the field.

With Engel and Feller sharing the front row and several title contenders scattered throughout the grid, the second Sachsenring race is set to play another important role in shaping the championship before the season finale.