DTM | 2026 Sachsenring | Qualifying 1 | Wittmann takes pole as Preining claims championship lead

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Marco Wittmann secured his first pole position of the 2026 DTM season in a dramatic Qualifying 1 at the Sachsenring, while Thomas Preining’s second place moved the Manthey Porsche driver into the championship lead.

The closing stages became a short and intense battle for pole after Lucas Auer suffered a heavy crash with less than three minutes remaining. Once the session resumed, the field had little time to complete its final flying laps, but Wittmann made the most of the opportunity to claim the 18th pole position of his DTM career.

Tight battle before the final runs

Following a strong Friday for Manthey, which saw Preining and Ricardo Feller top the two practice sessions, Porsche entered Saturday morning as one of the favourites. Preining had already set the fastest time of the weekend during FP1 with a 1:18.148, while Wittmann had also shown promising pace by placing third in FP2.

With track position and tyre preparation playing an important role, the drivers waited before committing to their decisive laps. As the session moved towards its final minutes, the times began to tumble, and the championship contenders placed themselves firmly in the fight at the front. However, the session changed dramatically with 2 minutes and 42 seconds remaining.

Auer crash brings out the red flag

Lucas Auer lost his right-rear wheel while approaching Turn 7, sending the Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf driver into a spin before he hit the tyre barrier with the front-left of the car. Mercedes-AMG later identified a broken wheel hub as the cause of the incident. Auer escaped the crash without injury, but the damage brought his DTM Qualifying 1 at the Sachsenring to an immediate end. The red flags also left the rest of the field facing a frantic conclusion once race control restarted the session.

With fewer than three minutes available, drivers had time for only one or two attempts to improve. The shortened window created a final sprint for pole as the field rushed to complete a competitive lap before the chequered flag. Auer’s accident also delivered another setback to his championship campaign. He will have to start towards the back of the field if Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf can repair the car in time for the opening race.

Wittmann delivers when it matters

Wittmann handled the pressure of the final shootout perfectly and put his Schubert Motorsport BMW at the top of the order. The result gave the two-time DTM champion his first pole of the season and his 18th overall in the series. It also continued his strong run of form after he claimed victory in the second race at the Nürburgring during the previous round.

Preining came closest to denying Wittmann but ultimately had to settle for second in the Manthey Porsche. Nevertheless, his result carried major significance in the championship battle. Jules Gounon placed his Mercedes-AMG third, securing the final qualifying championship point, while Wittmann’s Schubert team-mate Kelvin van der Linde completed the second row in fourth.

Maro Engel finished fifth on the timesheets. However, the Mercedes-AMG driver carries a three-place grid penalty into Saturday’s race following his collision with Auer at the Nürburgring, meaning he will drop back on the starting grid.

Preining takes championship lead

Preining entered the Sachsenring weekend just one point behind Engel, with the Mercedes-AMG driver holding 160 points to Preining’s 159. His second place in qualifying earned him two additional championship points and therefore moved him ahead of Engel before the first race of the weekend. Wittmann also strengthened his position in the title fight by collecting the three points awarded for pole position, while Auer’s accident prevented him from adding to his championship total.

Behind the leading five, Matteo Cairoli took sixth for Emil Frey Racing Ferrari, followed by Tom Kalender in seventh. Thierry Vermeulen put the second Ferrari in eighth, while Mirko Bortolotti and Nicki Thiim completed the top ten. For DTM debutant Simon Connor Primm, the session provided an encouraging first qualifying appearance. The Audi driver briefly sat as high as second after completing an early push lap before the faster times arrived in the closing stages. He eventually finished 17th, ahead of five more experienced rivals.

Wittmann will therefore lead the field away for Saturday’s opening race at the Sachsenring, while Preining starts alongside him with the added advantage of having taken over the championship lead. Behind them, Gounon and van der Linde will look to challenge from the second row, while Engel faces a fight forward after his grid penalty.