DTM | 2026 Nürburgring | Qualifying 1 | Cairoli snatches last-gasp pole

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Matteo Cairoli secured pole position for the opening DTM race at the Nürburgring after producing a last-gasp lap to deny Thomas Preining in an exceptionally close Qualifying 1 session.

The Emil Frey Racing driver completed the 3.629-kilometre circuit in 1:25.345, beating Preining by just 0.036 seconds. Lucas Auer completed the top three, while only 0.105 seconds separated the first four drivers.

Drivers wait before the fight for pole begins

The 20-minute session started in dry and warm conditions, with the air temperature at 28.3°C and the track at 34.3°C. As has become typical in DTM qualifying, most of the field initially completed installation laps before returning to the pits and waiting for the decisive final minutes. HRT Ford Racing took a different approach. Finn Wiebelhaus and Arjun Maini remained on track slightly longer at the beginning of the session, but the team ended their qualifying efforts early.

Both drivers already faced drive-through penalties for Saturday’s race following a breach of DTM testing regulations. With little benefit in chasing a strong grid position, HRT instead limited its running and conserved tyres. Wiebelhaus eventually classified 20th, with Maini 21st. With around seven minutes remaining, the rest of the field returned to the circuit and the battle for pole finally began.

Lead changes rapidly in final minutes

Christian Engelhart briefly set the benchmark before the lap times began to tumble. The German returned to DTM duty at the Nürburgring as Maximilian Paul’s replacement at Grasser Racing and eventually secured 15th on his first race weekend with the Lamborghini Temerario GT3. Kelvin van der Linde then moved to the top with a 1:25.656 as the session entered its final three minutes, but the order changed almost immediately as the leading contenders completed their final attempts.

Auer moved into provisional pole for Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf before Preining responded and edged ahead in the Manthey Porsche. Marco Wittmann also joined the fight at the front and moved into third at that stage. Preining appeared set to secure pole as the chequered flag fell, but Cairoli still had one final lap to complete.

Cairoli delivers at the final opportunity

Cairoli put together his best lap when it mattered most, crossing the line in 1:25.345 to beat Preining by 0.036 seconds and claim his second DTM pole position during Qualifying 1 at the Nürburgring. The result marked a return to the front for Cairoli after two more difficult rounds at the Norisring and Oschersleben. It also earned him three championship points ahead of Saturday’s race.

Preining had to settle for second with his 1:25.381, while Auer’s 1:25.423 secured third and the final qualifying point. Wittmann missed the front row by just over a tenth and finished fourth, only 0.105 seconds away from Cairoli’s benchmark. Ben Dörr produced another strong qualifying performance for Dörr Motorsport to take fifth in the McLaren, ahead of championship leader Maro Engel in sixth.

Jules Gounon followed his Winward Racing team-mate in seventh, while Ricardo Feller placed the second Manthey Porsche eighth. Tom Kalender and van der Linde completed the top ten.

Thiim misses the top ten as Lamborghini struggles

While several championship contenders placed themselves near the front, Nicki Thiim endured a more difficult morning. The Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin driver finished 11th, 0.318 seconds away from pole. Auer’s third place and qualifying point consequently allowed him to draw level with Thiim in the championship standings, although Thiim remained ahead on countback due to his two race victories.

Lamborghini also struggled to challenge at the front. Luca Engstler emerged as the manufacturer’s highest-placed driver in 12th, just 0.010 seconds ahead of Mirko Bortolotti in 13th. Thierry Vermeulen followed in 14th for Emil Frey Racing, with Engelhart and Marco Mapelli occupying 15th and 16th respectively.

The final classification underlined how competitive the session had been. Just 0.105 seconds covered the top four, while the fastest 18 drivers sat within 0.614 seconds of Cairoli’s pole time. Cairoli therefore headed into the opening Nürburgring race from the best possible position, with Preining, Auer and Wittmann all close behind after an intense final fight for pole.