DTM | 2026 Sachsenring | Race 1 | Wittmann claims first BMW win at the Sachsenring

Spread the love

Marco Wittmann continued his late-season charge with victory in Race 1 at the Sachsenring, converting pole position into his second consecutive DTM win, BMWs first DTM victory at the Sachsenring and bringing himself firmly back into championship contention.

The Schubert Motorsport driver held off Jules Gounon in a tense battle at the front, with the Mercedes-AMG driver finishing less than half a second behind. Thomas Preining recovered from a difficult opening lap to complete the podium and strengthen his position at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.

Wittmann leads as chaos unfolds behind

Wittmann retained the lead when the field launched away from the grid for DTM Race 1 at the Sachsenring, while Preining lost ground from second. Gounon immediately moved into second place and Kelvin van der Linde also found a way past the Manthey Porsche, dropping Preining to fourth.

Further back, contact caused trouble for several drivers during a busy opening sequence. Bastian Buus ended up stranded in the gravel following an incident which also involved Marco Mapelli, Luca Engstler and Timo Glock, prompting the Safety Car to make an early appearance.

Race Control allowed Buus to continue after receiving outside assistance because the stewards determined that he had not caused the incident. However, a slow puncture soon forced the Porsche driver into the pits. Engstler and Mapelli were unable to continue. Wittmann controlled the restart and kept Gounon behind, with van der Linde and Preining following in third and fourth.

Gounon applies pressure at the front

Wittmann and Gounon quickly established themselves as the leading pair after racing resumed. Van der Linde could not match their pace and a gap of more than five seconds developed between the front two and the rest of the field before the mandatory pit-stop window opened.

There was also action in the midfield as Nicki Thiim made contact with Tom Kalender while the pair fought for position. The incident sent Kalender backwards through the order, and Race Control instructed Thiim to return the positions he had gained as a result. The Aston Martin driver dropped several places before beginning another recovery.

Van der Linde became one of the first leading contenders to make his mandatory stop, with Schubert Motorsport completing a rapid tyre change. Preining remained out longer and stopped from fourth before Wittmann brought his BMW in one lap later. Gounon extended his opening stint by another lap and used the overcut to emerge ahead of Wittmann after his own stop.

Wittmann fights back after the pit stops

Gounon briefly held the advantage once the pit-stop sequence played out, but Wittmann immediately put the Mercedes-AMG driver under pressure. A small mistake from Gounon gave Wittmann the opportunity he needed. The BMW driver reclaimed the effective race lead on the following lap and moved back ahead of his main rival.

Preining also benefited from his strategy. His later stop allowed him to move ahead of van der Linde and recover third place after his difficult start. He then closed towards Wittmann and Gounon, bringing the top three closer together as the race entered its second half.

Behind them, van der Linde held fourth while championship contender Maro Engel worked his way into fifth. Matteo Cairoli followed in sixth, ahead of Mirko Bortolotti, Thiim, Thierry Vermeulen and Ben Dörr.

Wittmann holds off Gounon to take victory

Gounon remained close to Wittmann throughout the closing stages, but the Mercedes-AMG driver could not find a way past on a circuit where overtaking opportunities remained limited.

Wittmann kept his composure despite the pressure and crossed the line just 0.45 seconds ahead of Gounon to secure his 21st DTM victory. The result also gave him a second consecutive win after his triumph at the Nürburgring. Preining finished third, with van der Linde securing fourth for Schubert Motorsport. Engel took fifth ahead of Cairoli and Bortolotti, while Thiim recovered to eighth. Vermeulen and Dörr completed the top ten.

Lucas Auer produced one of the strongest recoveries of the afternoon. The Mercedes-AMG driver had to start from the pit lane after his qualifying accident but fought his way through the field to finish 11th. His comeback limited the damage, although he lost significant ground to his championship rivals. DTM debutant Simon Connor Primm brought the Seyffarth Motorsport Audi home in 15th, while Maximilian Paul retired during his return to the championship.

Preining leads as Wittmann closes in

Race 1 produced another significant change in the championship picture. Preining, who had already moved to the top of the standings following qualifying, extended his advantage with his third-place finish.

The Manthey driver ends Saturday on 177 points, six ahead of Engel on 171. Wittmann’s victory lifts him to third with 163 points, leaving the two-time champion just 14 points away from the championship lead. Thiim sits fourth, 30 points behind Preining, while Auer has dropped to fifth and faces a 36-point deficit.

With the title contenders separated by increasingly fine margins, Sunday’s second race at the Sachsenring offers another opportunity for the championship battle to shift before the season finale at Hockenheim.