DTM | 2026 Norisring | FP1 | Engel beats Paul and Dörr to lead opening practice

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The DTM returned for one of its most anticipated events of the year at the 2026 Norisring. The championship’s only street circuit also marked the halfway point of the season, with the drivers eager to reacquaint themselves with the narrow confines of the “Franconian Monaco”.

FP1 gets underway

The opening Free Practice session began with the drivers heading onto the circuit to build confidence ahead of the second session later in the day.

FP1 was the longer of Friday’s two practice sessions, giving the teams additional time to understand a street circuit whose grip levels and surface conditions can change significantly from year to year.

Each driver had three new sets of tyres available for the session.

Emil Frey Racing drivers Thierry Vermeulen and Matteo Cairoli initially looked strongest, briefly trading first place before Mirko Bortolotti put his #63 Lamborghini Temerario at the top with a 49.605s.

Ben Dörr soon emerged as another contender and moved ahead of the Lamborghini drivers. The Dörr Motorsport driver arrived at the Norisring with growing confidence after claiming his maiden DTM victory at the Lausitzring.

Bortolotti responded by returning to first place before improving further with a 49.385s. After a difficult opening half of the season, the reigning champion appeared increasingly comfortable around the Nuremberg street circuit.

Nothing holds Dörr back

At the 30-minute mark, Dörr reclaimed the lead of the 2026 DTM Norisring FP1, by beating Bortolotti’s time with a 49.305s.

Lucas Auer, who entered the weekend third in the championship standings, sat just 0.045s behind the McLaren driver. Maximilian Paul also showed strong pace and occupied fifth place as the session reached its halfway stage.

Further down the order, Kelvin van der Linde found himself in 18th. The Schubert Motorsport driver has endured an inconsistent campaign so far, although his victory in Zandvoort’s second race demonstrated the pace available in the BMW M4 GT3 Evo.

Marco Wittmann sat directly behind his teammate. The hometown favourite hoped to begin a successful weekend at the Norisring, where local support traditionally follows him closely.

The 2026 24 Hours of Spa winners Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining and Bastian Buus also occupied positions in the lower half of the timesheets during the early stages.

Qualifying simulations begin

Most of the field returned to the circuit for qualifying simulations as FP1 entered its final 15 minutes.

Dörr continued to lead, while teammate Timo Glock held a consistent eighth place. The former Formula 1 driver has endured two difficult seasons since returning to the DTM and arrived in Nuremberg searching for a change of fortune.

Nicki Thiim then surged into second place. The 2024 Norisring race winner matched Dörr’s 49.305s exactly, but the McLaren driver retained the position after setting his lap first.

Maro Engel moved into third as the final two minutes approached. The Mercedes-AMG driver has emerged as one of the strongest performers of the season and once again placed himself near the front.

Paul then produced a 49.225s to take over at the top. Engel responded immediately, setting the fastest middle sector before completing a lap quick enough to beat the Lamborghini driver.

Engel ended FP1 fastest, with Paul settling for second and Dörr completing the top three.