2026 DTM testing | Preining leads Manthey one-two as Paul makes remarkable Sachsenring return

Spread the love

Thomas Preining topped the timesheets as Manthey Porsche secured a one-two during the official DTM test at the Sachsenring, strengthening the team’s position ahead of a crucial stage of the 2026 title fight.

Preining, who trails championship leader Maro Engel by just one point with two race weekends remaining, set a 1:17.827 to become the only driver to break the 1:18 barrier. Team-mate Ricardo Feller followed 0.258s behind, while Ben Dörr completed the top three for McLaren.

However, Maximilian Paul provided one of the biggest stories of the test. The GRT Lamborghini driver returned to a DTM cockpit only 50 days after his heavy Norisring accident and completed an impressive 98 laps despite still recovering from fractures to his tibia, fibula and a lumbar vertebra.

The largely dry test gave teams an opportunity to prepare for the DTM’s return to the Sachsenring from 11–13 September, although differences in Balance of Performance, fuel and testing programmes mean the final order does not necessarily reflect the competitive picture for the race weekend.

Preining sets the benchmark for Manthey

Preining immediately underlined Porsche’s potential during the 2026 DTM testing at the Sachsenring as he recorded the fastest lap of the day in the Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R. His 1:17.827 put him 0.258s clear of Feller and almost half a second ahead of third-placed Dörr.

Most drivers set their fastest laps during the morning as temperatures remained between 12 and 17 degrees Celsius. Preining’s time remained almost exactly one second slower than Jordan Pepper’s 1:16.826 GT3 qualifying record from 2025. However, outright pace did not represent Manthey’s only priority. The team combined long-run work with qualifying simulations as it gathered information ahead of the penultimate weekend of the season.

“We completed our test programme and did long runs as well as qualifying simulations,” Preining said, as quoted by Motorsport-Magazin.com. “The fastest time isn’t actually that important at a test. But it’s never a bad thing to be quick, because that’s when you learn the most in the car and on the track. The Sachsenring suits us and we’re heading into the upcoming races very well prepared.”

The Austrian’s pace carries added significance because of his championship position. Preining sits second in the standings, only one point behind Engel, as the title battle approaches its final four races. The Sachsenring has previously offered Preining both opportunity and frustration. He had chances to win both races at the circuit in 2025 but made mistakes while leading on each occasion. His then Manthey teammate Ayhancan Güven capitalised on those errors, winning twice before eventually securing the championship.

Dörr takes third as Engel leads Mercedes-AMG

Dörr emerged as the closest challenger to the Manthey pair, setting a 1:18.293 in the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo to finish 0.466s behind Preining. The German has already shown strong pace at the Sachsenring. He crossed the line on the podium there in 2025, only to lose the result following a post-race disqualification relating to illegal tyre use.

Championship leader Engel followed in fourth with a 1:18.390, making him the highest-placed Mercedes-AMG driver at the 2026 DTM testing at the Sachsenring. Engel arrived at the Sachsenring after attending the Formula 1 weekend at Zandvoort, where he presented Lando Norris with the pole position award.

Speaking to Motorsport-Magazin.com at Zandvoort before travelling to the test, Engel acknowledged Porsche’s previous strength at the circuit but insisted Mercedes-AMG needed to focus on its own performance.

“They were very, very strong there last year,” Engel said. “But we’re better off focusing on our own strengths. I have a very strong car in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and an incredibly strong team behind me. That’s where our focus lies: getting the maximum out of our package. If we do that, I’m confident that we can still achieve a lot over the final four races.”

Engel ultimately ended the test 0.563s behind Preining, with the championship rivals separated by three positions on the combined timesheets.

Thiim remains among the frontrunners

Nicki Thiim completed the top five for Comtoyou Racing with a 1:18.491, leaving the Aston Martin driver 0.664s away from Preining at the 2026 DTM testing at the Sachsenring. Jules Gounon followed only 0.014s behind Thiim in sixth for Mercedes-AMG, while Nürburgring race winner Marco Wittmann took seventh for Schubert BMW.

Lucas Auer finished eighth, ahead of GRT Lamborghini’s Mirko Bortolotti and Land Motorsport Porsche driver Bastian Buus. Kelvin van der Linde took 11th for Schubert BMW, with Matteo Cairoli, Tom Kalender, the shared Abt Lamborghini of Luca Engstler and Marco Mapelli, Thierry Vermeulen and Arjun Maini completing the positions ahead of Paul and Nicolas Baert. Three Mercedes-AMG GT3s and all three Porsche 911 GT3 Rs therefore finished inside the top ten.

Paul completes 98 laps just 50 days after Norisring crash

While Preining’s performance attracted attention at the top of the classification, Paul’s return represented one of the most significant developments of the test. The 26-year-old returned to GRT’s Lamborghini Temerario GT3 just 50 days after the heavy Norisring accident which left him with fractures to his tibia, fibula and a lumbar vertebra. Even his team had not expected him to complete anything close to a full day of running during the 2026 DTM testing at the Sachsenring.

“Internally, we hadn’t expected him to be able to complete more than ten or 15 laps,” GRT team principal Gottfried Grasser told Motorsport-Total.com. Instead, Paul completed 70 laps during the morning before adding another 28 in the afternoon, taking his total to 98. He also improved his pace as the day progressed. Paul recorded a 1:19.645 during the morning before finding another 0.210s in the afternoon to set a 1:19.435.

That placed him 17th overall, 1.608s away from Preining’s benchmark and 0.691s behind team-mate Bortolotti in the combined classification. However, Bortolotti set his quickest lap during the faster morning conditions. When comparing their afternoon performances, Paul finished only around four tenths away from the Italian. Grasser therefore came away impressed by both Paul’s pace and his physical condition.

“In terms of the lap times, Max wasn’t far away from Mirko,” Grasser told Motorsport-Total.com. “He was also in really good physical condition – his test was absolutely spot on. I’m really satisfied.”

Photo Credit: ADAC Motorsport | Gruppe C Photography

Paul adapts braking technique during recovery

Paul’s injured left leg remains one of the biggest challenges as he works towards a competitive return. Braking the Lamborghini can require more than 100 kilograms of force, placing significant strain on the driver. Paul has therefore adapted his technique while his recovery continues, using both feet for different braking demands around the lap.

Asked by Motorsport-Total.com whether Paul currently uses his right foot to brake, Grasser explained, “He alternates between them. I think he brakes with his right foot in the big braking zones and with his left in the smaller ones. It’s still a process at the moment.”

Despite that limitation, Paul successfully completed close to 100 laps without major issues, providing GRT with an encouraging indication of his readiness to return to competition.

Grasser says Sachsenring comeback is “99.9 per cent” certain

Paul could make his competitive DTM return at the same circuit when the championship returns to the Sachsenring from 11–13 September. Grasser believes that outcome is now almost certain following the successful test.

“In my opinion, that is 99.9 per cent certain,” Grasser told Motorsport-Total.com. “In two and a half weeks, it will have been eight and a half weeks since the accident – and it has healed well.”

GRT will nevertheless continue to approach Paul’s recovery cautiously. Lamborghini factory driver Sandy Mitchell is expected to replace him during the upcoming GT World Challenge Europe weekend at the Nürburgring rather than putting Paul through another race meeting so soon after his return to the cockpit.

“There is also the consideration: what happens if another similar accident occurs?” Grasser explained to Motorsport-Total.com. The team has therefore opted against taking unnecessary risks before his likely DTM comeback.

Thiim samples Baert’s Aston Martin

Comtoyou Racing also used the test to complete a direct comparison between its two Aston Martin Vantage GT3s. Thiim received special permission to complete five laps in team-mate Baert’s car, allowing the squad to assess whether any differences existed between its two cars.

“For us, it was purely about getting a direct comparison of how similar the two cars actually are, or where there might be differences,” Comtoyou DTM team manager Mario Schuhbauer told Motorsport-Total.com.

The comparison came amid a sizeable performance difference between Thiim and Baert during the season, with Thiim firmly involved in the championship fight while Baert has struggled further down the order. GRT had also requested permission for a similar exercise but ultimately decided not to use it.

Glock and Wiebelhaus absent as Abt shares one Lamborghini

Only 18 of the 21 DTM cars participated in the test, although 19 championship drivers completed laps. Timo Glock missed the Sachsenring running because of his television commitments with Sky Germany during the Formula 1 weekend at Zandvoort, leaving Dörr Motorsport to run only one McLaren.

Finn Wiebelhaus also missed the test because he was competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge in the United States, meaning HRT Ford ran only Maini. Abt Sportsline elected to bring just one Lamborghini Temerario GT3, which Engstler and Mapelli shared throughout the day.

Despite the reduced field, the session ran without any significant incidents as temperatures ranged from around 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.

Test conditions leave questions ahead of race weekend

The Sachsenring test gave teams useful preparation time, particularly because overtaking can prove difficult at the circuit and qualifying performance is therefore likely to play an important role during the September weekend.

However, the conditions prevent a straightforward comparison with a competitive DTM session. The ADAC introduced a specific test Balance of Performance which had not yet been fully developed for the race event. Teams also used conventional filling-station fuel for cost reasons rather than the fully synthetic fuel mandated during DTM race weekends.

Different fuel loads, tyre strategies and individual testing programmes further obscure the outright competitive order. Preining’s 1:17.827 nevertheless offered Manthey an encouraging conclusion to the day, particularly as the championship battle intensifies. The Austrian trails Engel by only a single point with four races remaining, while Thiim also remains involved in the title fight.

Manthey therefore leaves the Sachsenring test with a one-two and further evidence of the Porsche’s strength around the circuit. Engel and Mercedes-AMG remain firmly in contention, however, while the final Balance of Performance and race-weekend conditions could still reshape the order.

For Paul, the test carried a very different significance. Completing 98 laps only 50 days after suffering three fractures marked a major milestone in his recovery and, according to Grasser, has made his DTM comeback at the Sachsenring almost certain.