DTM | 2026 Hockenheimring | Qualifying 2 | Buus claims maiden pole as Engel closes gap to Preining

Spread the love

Bastian Buus secured his maiden DTM pole position in Qualifying 2 at the Hockenheimring on Sunday morning, narrowly beating Ricardo Feller as Porsche locked out the front row for the final race of the 2026 season. The Land Motorsport driver delivered a lap of 1:36.923, edging Feller by just 0.006 seconds in another closely contested session affected by changing weather conditions.

Meanwhile, Maro Engel strengthened his championship challenge by qualifying third, ahead of his Mercedes-AMG teammate Jules Gounon. Championship leader Thomas Preining could only manage seventh, while fellow title contender Marco Wittmann struggled in 16th, setting up an unpredictable conclusion to the season.

Buus secures maiden DTM pole in closely contested 2026 Hockenheim Qualifying session

Buus delivered an impressive qualifying performance to claim his first DTM pole position, giving Land Motorsport a memorable result in the final qualifying session of the season.

The Danish driver set a benchmark of 1:36.923 in his Porsche 911 GT3 R, narrowly overcoming Feller, who secured second with a 1:36.929. Just six thousandths of a second separated the two Porsche drivers, demonstrating the exceptionally fine margins at the front of the field.

The result represented a significant turnaround for Buus, who had endured a difficult Saturday after officials disqualified him from the opening race. However, the Porsche rookie recovered emphatically on Sunday morning, securing the best possible starting position for the season finale.

Feller also delivered a strong performance for Manthey, finishing ahead of teammate and championship leader Preining. His second-place result completed a Porsche front-row lockout, although the team’s main title contender faced a more challenging session.

Changing weather conditions create another qualifying challenge

Unpredictable weather again influenced proceedings at the Hockenheimring, with changing conditions creating additional pressure during the 20-minute session.

Unlike Saturday’s rain-affected Qualifying 1, which saw Luca Engstler secure his maiden pole in wet conditions, Sunday’s session began on a dry circuit. However, rain subsequently returned, complicating the teams’ attempts to extract maximum performance.

With air temperatures around 11°C and track temperatures barely exceeding 12°C, drivers also faced the challenge of bringing their tyres into the optimal operating window. The changing conditions increased the importance of timing, particularly as competitors attempted to improve their laps before the rain further affected grip.

Buus successfully managed those challenges, producing the fastest lap despite the uncertain conditions. Feller came exceptionally close to denying him pole, while the remaining front-runners also secured competitive times as the field battled for track position.

Engel increases pressure on Preining in 2026 DTM championship fight after 2026 Hockenheim Qualifying 2

While Buus celebrated his breakthrough pole position, Engel emerged as one of the main beneficiaries of the session in the championship battle.

The Winward Racing driver secured third place with a 1:37.051, finishing 0.128 seconds behind Buus. His performance earned him an additional championship point and reduced his deficit to Preining to 21 points ahead of the final race.

Engel also secured a significant advantage in track position. He qualified four places ahead of Preining, giving himself an opportunity to challenge for victory while the championship leader faced the prospect of fighting through the field.

Gounon strengthened Winward Racing’s position by qualifying fourth, just 0.011 seconds behind his teammate. The Frenchman’s lap of 1:37.062 placed both Mercedes-AMG drivers on the second row, immediately behind the Porsche pairing of Buus and Feller.

However, Preining endured a more difficult qualifying session. The Manthey driver struggled to extract the maximum performance from his Porsche, with tyre preparation problems limiting his pace. He eventually recorded a 1:37.229, leaving him seventh and 0.306 seconds behind the pole-sitter.

Although Preining retained a substantial championship advantage, his starting position introduced another challenge ahead of the decisive race. With Engel beginning four places further forward, the Austrian faced increased pressure to maintain his lead and secure his second DTM title.

Wittmann struggles as title hopes suffer further setback

Marco Wittmann faced an even more difficult qualifying session, finishing 16th in his Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 Evo.

The German recorded a best lap of 1:37.749, leaving him 0.826 seconds behind Buus and considerably further down the order than his championship rivals.

Wittmann entered the session 20 points behind Preining, but his disappointing qualifying performance left him with significant work to do in the final race. Unlike Engel, who secured a position near the front and gained an additional championship point, Wittmann failed to capitalise on the opportunity to improve his title prospects.

His teammate Kelvin van der Linde also struggled, qualifying 14th with a 1:37.632. Neither BMW driver managed to break into the top ten, highlighting Schubert Motorsport’s difficulties throughout the session.

Meanwhile, Saturday’s Race 1 winner Lucas Auer could only qualify 12th in his Mercedes-AMG GT3. His 1:37.569 left him 0.646 seconds off the fastest time, denying him a strong starting position as he prepared to conclude the season.

Ferrari and McLaren secure competitive 2026 DTM qualifying results at Hockenheim

Behind the leading Porsche and Mercedes-AMG drivers, Emil Frey Racing enjoyed a competitive session with both Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo entries qualifying inside the top six.

Matteo Cairoli secured fifth with a 1:37.077, finishing just 0.154 seconds behind Buus. Teammate Thierry Vermeulen followed in sixth, recording a 1:37.196 to complete an all-Ferrari third row.

Further back, Marco Mapelli led Lamborghini’s challenge in eighth, finishing just 0.004 seconds behind Preining. The ABT Sportsline driver recorded a 1:37.233, giving him a fourth-row starting position for the final race.

However, teammate Engstler could not participate after his heavy accident during Saturday’s race. The damage to his Lamborghini prevented him from returning to the track, reducing the qualifying field to 20 drivers.

Dörr Motorsport also enjoyed a promising session, with Timo Glock and Ben Dörr securing ninth and tenth respectively in their McLaren 720S GT3 Evo cars. Glock recorded a 1:37.250, while Dörr completed the top ten with a 1:37.425.

Arjun Maini narrowly missed the top ten in 11th, followed by Auer and Tom Kalender. Van der Linde and Nicki Thiim completed the top fifteen, ahead of Wittmann, Mirko Bortolotti, Finn Wiebelhaus, Maximilian Paul and Nicolas Baert.

Buus leads the field into the 2026 DTM season finale

Buus’ maiden pole position provided a remarkable conclusion to his qualifying campaign and placed him in a strong position to challenge for his first DTM victory.

However, the championship battle remained the central focus heading into Sunday’s final race. Engel’s third-place result increased the pressure on Preining, although the Manthey driver retained a 21-point advantage over the Mercedes-AMG contender and a 20-point lead over Wittmann.

With two mandatory pit stops and unpredictable conditions continuing to influence the weekend, the final race promised another challenging contest at the Hockenheimring.

Buus and Feller would lead the field from the front row, while Engel aimed to capitalise on his stronger starting position. Preining, meanwhile, faced the task of protecting his championship advantage from seventh as he pursued his second DTM title.