Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf driver Tom Kalender has secured the 2026 DTM Rookie of the Year award, adding another achievement to his rapidly developing motorsport career. At just 18 years old, the German completed his second season in the championship with improved performances, a maiden podium finish and almost double his previous points tally.
Kalender topped the rookie classification ahead of HRT Ford Racing’s Finn Wiebelhaus and Comtoyou Racing’s Nicolas Baert. His strongest performance came at the Nürburgring, where he recovered nine positions to finish second and became the youngest driver to stand on a DTM podium.
Although the season presented several challenges, Kalender demonstrated his development throughout the campaign, establishing himself as a promising young talent within Mercedes-AMG’s GT racing programme.
Kalender reflects on challenging but positive 2026 DTM campaign
Kalender concluded his second DTM season with 49 championship points, a considerable improvement on the 25 he collected during his debut campaign in 2025.
Driving the No. 84 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf, the German regularly demonstrated competitive pace against more experienced drivers. Furthermore, he secured nine top-ten qualifying positions throughout the season, highlighting his progress over a single lap.
Nevertheless, Kalender encountered several setbacks that prevented him from converting his speed into stronger results on a consistent basis.
Reflecting on the campaign, the Mercedes-AMG Junior driver acknowledged both the difficulties and improvements he experienced throughout the year.
“Having gone through all the highs and lows of the season in my mind, I came to the conclusion that it had been a good, yet challenging, season,”
“We worked very well together as a team this season. Basically, we took a step forward in every single area.”
His assessment highlighted the progress he made alongside Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf, particularly as he continued developing his qualifying performances and racecraft.
Despite finishing 18th in the overall Drivers’ Championship, Kalender ultimately emerged ahead of his rookie rivals in the separate Rookie of the Year classification.
From ADAC GT Masters champion to DTM rookie success
Kalender entered the DTM with an impressive junior racing record, having already established himself as one of Germany’s emerging GT talents.
In 2024, he claimed the ADAC GT Masters championship at just 16 years old, becoming the youngest champion in the series’ history. That achievement provided a significant milestone in his career and helped pave the way for his promotion to the DTM the following season.
Kalender subsequently joined Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf in 2025, making his championship debut at 17. Although his first campaign produced mixed results, the experience allowed him to develop his understanding of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the demands of competing against established professional drivers.
The young German returned to the same team for 2026, maintaining continuity as he aimed to build on the lessons from his debut season.
Interestingly, DTM regulations also allowed Kalender to compete for the Rookie of the Year award for a second consecutive season. Under the championship’s exemption provisions, drivers can retain their eligibility for the rookie classification during a second campaign if they submit a written request.
Consequently, Kalender remained eligible to challenge newcomers Wiebelhaus and Baert despite already completing a full DTM season.
Ahead of the campaign, Mercedes-AMG confirmed Kalender’s return alongside Lucas Auer, providing the youngster with another opportunity to gain experience alongside an established championship contender.
Strong Spielberg performance sets early benchmark
Kalender began his second DTM season with a competitive performance at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, immediately demonstrating his progress during the opening weekend.
The Mercedes-AMG driver showed promising speed throughout practice, including the final session, where he topped the timesheets ahead of teammate Jules Gounon.
He subsequently qualified tenth for Saturday’s opening race before delivering an impressive recovery through the field.
Kalender finished fourth, narrowly missing out on his maiden DTM podium while securing 13 championship points. His performance placed him among the strongest Mercedes-AMG competitors during the opening race.
However, his weekend ended with disappointment after he retired from Sunday’s second race.
Nevertheless, the opening round demonstrated Kalender’s improved competitiveness and provided an encouraging foundation for the remainder of his campaign.
While the youngster continued to face challenges during the following rounds, his strongest performance would arrive at the Nürburgring in August.
Nürburgring: Kalender makes history with maiden DTM podium
The sixth round of the championship at the Nürburgring provided Kalender with the defining moment of his 2026 campaign.
Competing at his home circuit, the 18-year-old faced another challenging weekend after an early retirement during Saturday’s opening race. However, he responded with an impressive performance in Sunday’s contest.
Kalender qualified 11th for Race 2, narrowly missing a place inside the top ten. Despite his starting position, the Mercedes-AMG driver steadily progressed through the field as incidents and varying tyre strategies changed the running order.
Furthermore, Kalender capitalised on his fresher tyres during the closing stages, overtaking several competitors as he moved towards the front.
He eventually climbed to second place, gaining nine positions and securing his maiden DTM podium behind Schubert Motorsport’s Marco Wittmann.
The Nürburgring Race 2 result also saw Thomas Preining complete the podium in third, while Wittmann celebrated the 20th victory of his DTM career.
Kalender crossed the finish line just 0.517 seconds behind Wittmann, making him the youngest driver to secure a podium finish in the championship’s history.
The achievement carried additional significance for the German, who celebrated in front of friends and family attending his home race.
Beyond the personal milestone, the result demonstrated Kalender’s ability to recover from difficult starting positions and compete against some of the championship’s most experienced drivers.
His Nürburgring performance therefore provided a major highlight in a season that had otherwise produced inconsistent results.
Rookie of the Year title confirmed at Hockenheim finale
Kalender entered the final round at the Hockenheimring leading the Rookie of the Year standings ahead of Wiebelhaus and Baert.
Although the overall Drivers’ Championship featured a closely contested battle between Thomas Preining, Maro Engel and Marco Wittmann, the rookie classification presented another important title fight.
Kalender ultimately completed the final race in 15th position, collecting the points needed to secure the award.
Meanwhile, Wiebelhaus finished 11th in the season finale, while Baert crossed the line in 19th.
The final Hockenheim results confirmed Kalender’s Rookie of the Year triumph, providing Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf with another achievement during the final weekend.
In the overall standings, Kalender finished 18th with 49 points, while Wiebelhaus claimed 15th with 78 and Baert finished 21st with eight.
However, the separate rookie classification rewarded Kalender’s performances across the season, allowing him to claim the award despite his lower position in the overall championship.
The success also added to Mercedes-AMG’s achievements in 2026, with the manufacturer securing another DTM Manufacturers’ Championship.
Kalender targets further progress after successful second season
With two DTM seasons now behind him, Kalender will look to build on the experience he gained throughout 2026.
His maiden podium at the Nürburgring demonstrated his potential, while the Rookie of the Year award recognised his progress across a demanding championship campaign.
Furthermore, his continued partnership with Mercedes-AMG has provided opportunities beyond the DTM, including appearances in GT World Challenge Europe. These additional programmes have allowed the youngster to gain experience in endurance racing alongside established GT3 competitors.
Kalender has also expressed his ambition to continue competing in the DTM and eventually challenge for championship titles. In addition, he hopes to participate in major endurance events, including the 24 Hours of Nürburgring and Rolex 24 at Daytona.
For now, his immediate priority remains building on the progress he achieved during his second season.
Although Kalender still faces challenges as he develops his consistency and racecraft, his 2026 campaign provided several encouraging signs.
With a DTM podium record, 49 championship points and the Rookie of the Year title to his name, the 18-year-old has strengthened his position among Mercedes-AMG’s emerging racing talents as he looks towards the next stage of his career.
