DTM | 2026 Hockenheimring | Race 1 | Auer claims dramatic victory as championship battle goes down to the wire

Spread the love

Lucas Auer secured his first victory of the 2026 DTM season in a chaotic opening race of the season finale at the Hockenheimring. The Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf driver emerged victorious after a race featuring an early red flag, a heavy crash for polesitter Luca Engstler and a costly pit stop for Maro Engel. Mirko Bortolotti finished second for Lamborghini, while Marco Wittmann completed the podium for BMW.

Championship leader Thomas Preining recovered from a difficult opening lap to finish fifth, keeping his title hopes firmly on track. However, with Wittmann and Engel still mathematically in contention, the championship fight will continue into Sunday’s final race.

Chaotic opening lap sees Preining lose ground

Following a wet qualifying session, the drivers faced dry conditions for Saturday’s race. Engstler maintained his lead from pole position, with Auer following closely behind.

Further back, the opening lap brought immediate trouble for championship leader Preining. The Manthey Porsche driver became involved in an incident with Thierry Vermeulen, which sent him wide and cost him several positions. Ricardo Feller also made contact with Vermeulen during the opening exchanges, spinning the Ferrari driver and adding to the chaos. While Preining dropped down the order, Engel made an impressive start from seventh on the grid and climbed to third, putting himself in a promising position to gain valuable championship points.

Heavy crash for Engstler brings out the red flag

The battle for the lead intensified on the second lap as Auer challenged Engstler at the hairpin. The pair continued fighting side by side before making contact on the approach to the stadium section. Engstler lost control of his ABT Lamborghini and crashed heavily into the barriers, bringing his race to an early end.

Race control initially deployed the safety car before stopping the race with a red flag to allow marshals to repair the damaged barriers. The interruption lasted approximately 14 minutes. Engstler underwent medical checks following the accident and later confirmed that he was doing well under the circumstances. Race control investigated the collision between the two leaders but took no further action. Meanwhile, Feller received a penalty for his earlier collision with Vermeulen.

Engel takes the lead before pit stop drama changes the race

Auer led the field when racing resumed, ahead of fellow Mercedes-AMG driver Engel. However, with Engel still fighting for the championship, Auer soon allowed his fellow Mercedes driver to take the lead. Engel controlled the race from the front as the field approached the mandatory pit stop window. The German appeared well placed to secure a crucial victory, but a problem during his tyre change dramatically altered the running order.

His crew struggled with the right-rear tyre, costing him valuable time and allowing Auer and Bortolotti to move ahead. Wittmann also gained a position, leaving Engel fourth and facing a difficult task to recover the lost ground. Auer subsequently maintained his advantage at the front, while Bortolotti established himself as his closest challenger.

Preining fights back as Engel and Wittmann battle for the podium

Despite his difficult start, Preining gradually worked his way through the field. The Austrian overtook several rivals, including Bastian Buus and Jules Gounon, before continuing his recovery during the pit stop phase. He later passed Kelvin van der Linde and gained another position to move into fifth, limiting the damage to his championship lead.

Meanwhile, Engel refused to give up on a podium finish. The Mercedes driver closed the gap to Wittmann and launched an attack in the closing stages, briefly moving ahead of the BMW driver into third. However, race control deemed that Engel had forced Wittmann off the circuit during the manoeuvre and instructed him to return the position. Engel complied but could not find another way past before the chequered flag.

At the front, Auer remained unchallenged in the final stages and crossed the line to claim his 12th DTM career victory, finishing 4.777 seconds ahead of Bortolotti. Wittmann secured third, with Engel fourth and Preining fifth.

DTM championship to be decided on Sunday

Although Preining missed the opportunity to secure the championship on Saturday, his recovery to fifth ensured that he retained a significant advantage heading into the final race. Wittmann’s podium finish moved him into second place in the drivers’ standings, 20 points behind the Manthey Porsche driver. Engel remains third and also retains a mathematical chance of claiming the title.

Despite taking victory, Auer can no longer win the championship, leaving Preining, Wittmann and Engel to fight for the crown in Sunday’s season finale. With 28 points still available, the championship remains undecided ahead of the final qualifying session and race at the Hockenheimring. Saturday’s action demonstrated how quickly the championship picture can change, setting the stage for a dramatic conclusion to the 2026 DTM season.