Bastian Buus claimed his maiden DTM pole position in Qualifying 2, the final qualifying session of the 2026 season at the Hockenheimring, giving Land-Motorsport and the Porsche driver a significant boost ahead of Sunday’s championship-deciding race.
The Danish driver delivered a lap time of 1:36.923 in his Porsche 911 GT3 R, narrowly beating fellow Porsche driver Ricardo Feller by just 0.006 seconds. Mixed weather conditions added another challenge, with drivers having to adapt to the cold temperatures and a slightly damp circuit. While Buus secured pole position, the championship contenders experienced contrasting fortunes. Maro Engel qualified third, ahead of championship leader Thomas Preining in seventh. Marco Wittmann, meanwhile, could only manage 16th, leaving him with a difficult task in the final race of the season.
For Buus, the result marked a breakthrough after an inconsistent campaign, highlighting the progress he and Land-Motorsport have made throughout their first full DTM season together. Speaking to Pit Debrief after Qualifying 2 at the Hockenheimring, Buus reflected on the significance of his first DTM pole position, the team’s progress throughout the season and his determination to convert the result into a maiden victory.
Buus celebrates breakthrough DTM pole position
Securing pole position at DTM Qualifying 2 at the Hockenheimring represented a particularly rewarding moment for Buus and Land-Motorsport. Despite showing promising pace at different stages of the campaign, the team had struggled to consistently extract the maximum performance from its package. Buus described the result as a relief for everyone involved, particularly given the confidence he has maintained in the team’s capabilities. The result also placed Buus in the strongest possible position for the final race, offering him an opportunity to end the season with his first DTM victory.
“Really, really amazing. I think it’s a big relief both for me and for the entire team. We know what package we have, we know what guys we’re working with, and we know the level of the people we have in the team. And so far we haven’t put everything together. So, with the support from them, from Porsche, and making the package right for the last qualifying, it is also giving us the best possibility to go for the win in the afternoon.”
Finding the right balance in challenging conditions
The final qualifying session at the Hockenheimring presented drivers and teams with difficult conditions, as low temperatures and changing weather complicated car setup decisions. With the margins between competitors extremely tight, finding the right balance proved crucial. Buus credited Land-Motorsport for making the adjustments that allowed him to extract the maximum performance from his Porsche during DTM Qualifying 1 at the Hockenheimring.
“I think we just hit the balance perfectly, the conditions were a bit mixed with the weather and I think everyone struggled a bit with the cold temperatures. So, we made the right calls with the car for this and this I have to thank the team for.”
His narrow advantage over Feller demonstrated just how decisive those decisions were, with only six thousandths of a second separating the two drivers at the front of the grid.
A challenging season ends on a high note
Buus’s maiden pole position also provided an encouraging conclusion to a season that had presented several challenges for both the driver and Land-Motorsport. Although the team began the campaign positively, difficulties with outright pace prevented it from consistently competing at the front. However, the Porsche driver believes the experience and data gathered throughout the year have helped the team better understand its car and improve its performance.
“It has been a roller coaster, starting off very well, having a bit of issues during the season with the pace, and now being back again is also proof that it’s not a major issue anywhere in the team. It’s just that we are lacking a bit of experience with the car, and we’ve had a full season now to get to know everything and collect a bit of data and now it seems like we can start to get our stuff together and make the most of it.”
The pole position therefore represented more than an individual achievement. It also demonstrated the progress Land-Motorsport has made as the team continues to develop its understanding of the Porsche 911 GT3 R in DTM competition.
Buus ready to fight champion contenders
Starting from pole position for the season finale also puts Buus in an interesting position ahead of the championship-deciding race. With Engel starting third and Preining seventh, the title contenders face considerable pressure to maximise their results. Buus, meanwhile, can focus entirely on securing his maiden DTM victory without having to consider the championship implications. The Dane believes that freedom could work in his favour, particularly against drivers who have much more at stake.
“I know there are some people that will need to go for the win to have a better chance at the championship. For me, we have all to play for. We go for it, we fight as hard as we can, and in the end they have more to lose than I have. So, it’s all in.”
His approach could make him a particularly difficult opponent for the championship contenders, who must balance their ambitions of winning the race with the consequences of taking unnecessary risks.
“All or nothing” in the final race
Having secured his first DTM pole position, Buus now has the opportunity to take another major step forward by claiming his maiden victory in the championship. Despite the challenges that could arise during the race, the Land-Motorsport driver made clear that he has no intention of approaching the finale conservatively.
“For me, it’s all or nothing. We go for it with everything we have, and if it works, it works. We’re starting from the best position, so hopefully we can keep it to the end.”
With the championship battle unfolding behind him, Buus will aim to capitalise on his advantageous starting position and finish the 2026 campaign with his strongest result yet.
A confidence boost for the future
Regardless of the outcome of Sunday’s race, Buus believes his pole position has already provided an important demonstration of what Land-Motorsport can achieve against the established teams in the championship. Competing with a single-car operation, the team has faced the challenge of developing its performance while going up against larger and more experienced competitors. Buus praised the dedication of everyone involved and highlighted the significance of their progress over the closing months of the season.
“I think, anyhow, whatever happens today, we showed what we can do, and this is very valuable for the future. Taking that also for the team, that they show that they can be up there among the biggest competition with a one-car small team. It’s amazing what they’ve done to get to this point and how much they’ve pushed in the last few months to be here. It’s incredible.”
While the immediate focus remains on converting pole position into victory, the result offers Buus and Land-Motorsport renewed confidence in their ability to compete at the front of the DTM field. After a season of learning and overcoming setbacks, the team’s breakthrough at Hockenheim provides an encouraging foundation for the future, regardless of how the final race unfolds.
