DTM | Norisring 2026 | Race 2 | Thiim makes history as the Dane takes back to back wins

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Nicki Thiim started Race 2 at the 2026 DTM Norisring round from pole after continuing his dominant weekend in Sunday qualifying.

Despite an overnight BoP change that added ballast to the Aston Martin, Thiim set a 48.583s in Group B and secured his second pole of the weekend. The Dane also had to complete his run earlier than Group A, meaning he faced a less evolved track than some of his rivals.

Ford once again looked strong around the short street circuit, with Finn Wiebelhaus taking second and Arjun Maini securing third for HRT Ford. Ben Dörr qualified fourth for McLaren, while Lucas Auer and Jules Gounon completed the top six.

The session also delivered disappointment for BMW and Porsche, despite the latest BoP adjustment. Thomas Preining could only manage 11th as the best Porsche driver, while local favourite Marco Wittmann placed 18th as the sole remaining BMW entry.

With Thiim chasing a perfect Norisring sweep and Ford lining up directly behind him, Race 2 promised another tight fight for track position on a circuit where overtaking rarely comes easily.

Green lights for Race 2 at the 2026 DTM Norisring

The lights went out for Race 2 at the 2026 DTM Norisring, and Nicki Thiim made a strong start from pole. The Aston Martin driver immediately broke away from the pack as the field charged towards Turn 1.

All drivers made it through the opening corner, although Matteo Cairoli peeled to the right just before the lights went green. Officials noted the Italian for a possible false start and later handed him a penalty lap.

Cairoli then came close to the wall after Maro Engel brushed him during the opening phase. Race control soon deployed the Safety Car because of debris on track, just as rain began to fall around the Norisring.

When racing resumed, Finn Wiebelhaus stayed close to Thiim, but the Dane reacted well and pulled clear again.

The rain then intensified before the pit window had opened. With visibility and grip beginning to fade, the drivers had to judge the changing conditions carefully while staying on slick tyres.

Contact between Mapelli, Cairoli and Engstler

Just before the pit window opened, Marco Mapelli lost the car under braking and hit the rear of Cairoli’s Ferrari.

The impact pushed the Emil Frey Racing driver into contact with Luca Engstler, leaving Cairoli with damage and forcing him to stop. Race control initially brought out the Safety Car before quickly upgrading the neutralisation to a red flag so marshals could recover the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.

Racing resumes at the Norisring

Race 2 at the 2026 DTM Norisring round resumed with the field completing two laps behind the Safety Car.

When the green flag finally waved, Nicki Thiim reacted well and quickly opened a gap at the front. Behind him, Lucas Auer and Arjun Maini resumed their battle from Race 1. The pair ran side by side past the pit lane before Auer won the drag race into Turn 1 and took third as the pit window opened.

Jules Gounon also closed in on Maini as the HRT Ford driver came under increasing pressure.

Further back, Porsche’s difficult Norisring pace placed Bastian Buus, Thomas Preining and Ricardo Feller in close company. Buus attacked Tom Kalender and came out ahead, giving himself breathing room in the lower half of the order.

Gounon then made his move and passed Maini, while Mirko Bortolotti had to defend from Ben Dörr. At the front, Finn Wiebelhaus challenged Thiim for the lead, but the Dane held him off. The HRT Ford driver stayed close, though, and began putting pressure on the Aston Martin.

Bortolotti eventually completed his move for sixth, although he made slight contact with Thierry Vermeulen in the process.

Several drivers continued to struggle through the final corner as the rain made the circuit increasingly unpredictable. Multiple cars brushed the wall, while Timo Glock made heavier contact and damaged his McLaren, leaving him on course for another pointless weekend.

Drivers who pit together, stick together

Thiim came in from the lead for his first stop, with Auer, Bortolotti, Gounon and Preining all following him into the pit lane.

Comtoyou Racing delivered a strong 6.2-second stop, allowing Thiim to rejoin in the net lead. Auer emerged close to Wiebelhaus, who continued his pursuit of the race leader.

For a moment, Thiim looked as though he had created enough of a gap to control the race comfortably. However, despite carrying 35kg more after the latest BoP adjustment, Wiebelhaus closed back in and turned the fight into nose-to-tail racing.

The HRT Ford looked dangerous behind the Aston Martin, but Wiebelhaus also had to remain alert with Auer still close enough to threaten. Thiim needed to protect the inside line and stay mindful of a possible switchback into the heavy braking zones.

Wiebelhaus kept pushing and gave the Dane a serious challenge as the second pit window approached.

Rain creates more trouble

Mapelli became the next driver to retire after sustaining damage from the earlier collision involving Cairoli and Engstler.

Dörr also dropped to 14th as the rain complicated his race. The McLaren driver struggled as the conditions changed, losing the momentum he had shown earlier in the weekend.

At the front, Thiim set the fastest lap with a 49.364s. If the order stayed unchanged, the Comtoyou Racing driver would move into the championship lead ahead of Engel and Auer.

Final pit stop window opens

Drivers in the lower half of the pack began making their final mandatory stops as the last pit window opened.

Buus endured a slow stop, while Engel also lost time when he had to wait before leaving his pit box. Kalender was passing through the pit lane, and Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol instructed Engel to stop to avoid a possible collision.

Wiebelhaus then pitted from second, but a slow 9.2-second stop cost him valuable time. Thiim followed from the lead for his final stop and rejoined with a 5.6s advantage over the HRT Ford driver.

Former champions fight in the closing stages

Preining and Marco Wittmann battled hard in the final phase, with Bortolotti close behind. The three former champions fought down the order but still gave the crowd a show in the closing minutes.

Wiebelhaus found pace again and tried to reduce the gap to Thiim’s #007 Aston Martin. Behind them, Gounon closed back in on Maini as he looked for a way past the Indian driver for fourth.

When the clock reached zero, race control added two extra laps following the earlier red flag stoppage. The podium positions looked settled, but the Norisring rarely allows drivers to relax.

Thiim completes perfect Norisring weekend

Thiim began the final lap with Wiebelhaus close enough to punish any mistake. However, the Dane stayed composed and brought the car home to win Race 2 at the 2026 DTM Norisring round.

The victory completed a dominant weekend for the Comtoyou Racing driver, who won both races from pole and scored maximum points. He joined a small group of drivers to complete a perfect DTM weekend, following the likes of Preining, who achieved the feat at Hockenheim in 2023 on his way to the championship.

Thiim arrived at the Norisring sixth in the standings. After two poles, two wins and a maximum-points haul, he left the street circuit as the new championship leader.