Mirko Bortolotti has been disqualified from victory in the second DTM race at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben after officials found a technical infringement on the No. 63 TGI Team by GRT Lamborghini Temerario GT3.
The German Motorsport Association (DMSB) announced the decision on 13 August, almost three weeks after Bortolotti won the 26 July race. A post-race inspection found that wheel bearings fitted to the Lamborghini did not comply with the relevant DTM homologation requirements.
TGI Team by GRT has challenged the disqualification and intends to appeal, leaving the result provisional until the case reaches a resolution.
Technical inspection leads to Bortolotti disqualification
Bortolotti crossed the line first at Oschersleben to claim what initially stood as the Lamborghini Temerario GT3’s maiden DTM victory.
However, technical scrutineers continued examining components after the race and subsequently identified an issue with the No. 63 Lamborghini’s wheel bearings. Officials ruled that the parts failed to comply with the applicable homologation requirements and disqualified Bortolotti.
The decision removes what would have been the Italian’s first DTM victory since the 2024 Red Bull Ring event, which played an important role in his championship-winning campaign that season.
It also strips the Temerario GT3 of its first DTM win, subject to the outcome of Grasser Racing’s appeal.
Engel promoted to DTM Oschersleben victory after Bortolotti disqualification
Bortolotti’s disqualification moves every classified finisher behind him up one position. Maro Engel therefore inherits victory for Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol, while Manthey driver Thomas Preining moves into second place. Schubert Motorsport’s Marco Wittmann completes the revised podium in his BMW M4 GT3.
The amended classification will remain subject to the appeals process.
Grasser disputes interpretation of DTM regulations
TGI Team by GRT Team Principal Gottfried Grasser has challenged the regulatory basis for the disqualification.
Grasser does not centre his argument on whether the inspected wheel bearings matched the homologated reference part. Instead, he maintains that DTM technical documentation specifically exempts wheel bearings from that requirement.
His case focuses on Article 5 of the technical regulations and Clarification 04.
“Article 5 of the DTM regulations, which led to the disqualification, stipulates that parts may be compared to the manufacturer’s original parts. That is the general wording regarding parts for technical inspection,” Team Principal Gottfried Grasser told Motorsport.com Germany in an initial statement.
However, Grasser believes a separate provision changes how officials should apply that rule to wheel bearings.
“However, we believe that this does not apply to wheel bearings. I am referring to Article 2, which states that the bulletins currently available for download in the Download Center are valid. There, Clarification 04 explicitly states that wheel bearings are exempt.”
That distinction now sits at the heart of the team’s appeal.
Clarification 04 at centre of appeal
DTM uses FIA GT3 homologation as its technical foundation but supplements it with championship-specific rules and clarifications, which take precedence.
Those provisions can permit deviations from the standard FIA specification in certain areas, and Grasser argues that Clarification 04 provides exactly such an exemption for wheel bearings.
“Since this Clarification has never been revoked or removed from the Download Center, we believe that wheel bearings are exempt in the DTM. And for that reason, we filed an appeal. The appeals court will have to decide what is correct.”
The case therefore turns on how the DMSB interprets the relationship between the general homologation requirement and the championship’s specific technical clarification.
The Lamborghini Temerario GT3 has already received DTM-specific technical allowances this season, including provisions concerning its rear-wing mounting.
Appeal leaves championship implications open
The DMSB Sports Court in Frankfurt will determine whether the disqualification stands should TGI Team by GRT proceed with its appeal.
The ruling could also affect the championship battle. If Bortolotti remains disqualified, Engel retains the DTM Oschersleben victory and gains four points relative to Nicki Thiim and Lucas Auer compared with the original result. Preining would also gain four points through his promotion to second. That would allow him to recover three points relative to Thiim and Auer, although Engel would extend his advantage over the Porsche driver by a further point.
A successful appeal, meanwhile, would restore Bortolotti to victory and return the race classification to its original order.
Until the DMSB reaches a final decision, both the Oschersleben result and its effect on the DTM title race remain provisional.
