Emil Frey Racing secured points in both races during a challenging fifth round of the 2026 DTM season at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben.
Thierry Vermeulen climbed seven positions to finish ninth in Race 1, while Matteo Cairoli took 11th on Saturday and 10th on Sunday. However, the team struggled to match the outright pace of its leading rivals throughout the weekend. Nevertheless, Emil Frey Racing again set the standard in the pit lane. Its mechanics completed Vermeulen’s Saturday stop in 5.9 seconds, recording the fastest pit stop of the field for the fourth time this season.
Pit stops provide a clear DTM Oschersleben highlight for Emil Frey
Emil Frey Racing expected Oschersleben to present a difficult challenge for its two Ferrari 296 GT3 Evos, particularly under the weekend’s Balance of Performance conditions. The team encountered limited pace in Qualifying and fought throughout both races to protect its positions. However, its pit crew continued to excel and delivered another field-leading performance.
Team Principal Lorenz Frey-Hilti identified the pit stops as the principal positive from an otherwise demanding round.
“It was a difficult weekend for us. Already in qualifying we were lacking pace, and in the races, we had to fight very hard to hold our positions. The clear highlight were once again our pitstops, which were outstanding – that was great to see. We hope to be back on the attack in the coming races.”
Technical Director Jürg Flach also praised the crew after it delivered rapid stops across both races.
“As expected beforehand, it was not an easy weekend for us – the competition from Porsche, Mercedes, Lamborghini and McLaren was clearly noticeable. Even more pleasing was Matteo’s strong eighth place on the grid on Saturday, which we had not anticipated. With a solid team performance, we were able to convert that into a ninth place for Thierry in the first race. For Sunday, we had hoped for better grid positions following the BoP adjustment but were unfortunately unable to deliver on that as expected. The pit stops were once again at the highest level – 5.9 seconds on Saturday speaks for itself.”
Consequently, Emil Frey Racing maintained one of its strongest operational assets despite facing a performance deficit on the circuit.
Vermeulen gains three places at the 2026 DTM Oschersleben Race 1 start after disappointing qualifying for Emil Frey
Vermeulen qualified the #69 Ferrari in sixth for Saturday’s opening race, while Cairoli secured eighth in the #14 car. The opening lap immediately created contrasting outcomes for the two drivers. Vermeulen capitalised on the early disorder and gained three places, placing himself among the leading runners. Cairoli, meanwhile, encountered trouble when Jules Gounon ran off the circuit ahead of him. The Italian avoided the #48 Mercedes-AMG but lost several positions and fell to 14th.
As the race settled, Cairoli began fighting Ben Dörr’s #25 McLaren. Emil Frey Racing then brought the Italian into the pits before many of the cars around him and completed his tyre change in six seconds. Vermeulen followed shortly afterwards. The crew serviced his Ferrari in 5.9 seconds, which secured the fastest pit-stop time of the race and marked the team’s fourth benchmark result of the season.
However, the stops left Vermeulen in 11th and Cairoli in 13th as the pair returned to the track.
Late pass earns Vermeulen ninth
Vermeulen regained ground during the closing stages and challenged Ricardo Feller’s #90 Porsche. The Dutchman completed the move and crossed the line in ninth, securing two additional positions after the mandatory stop. His result represented a seven-place gain from his lowest position during the contest.
Meanwhile, Cairoli recovered from his first-lap setback to finish 11th and collect further championship points. However, the Italian remained frustrated after the opening incident prevented him from converting eighth on the grid into a stronger result.
“On Saturday I was in the wrong place at the wrong time at the start and lost a lot of positions – that was of course frustrating. On Sunday I got through the first lap better, but we had to defend for the entire race. Overall, the weekend fell well short of my expectations – especially since Oschersleben is a track I really like. But I’m already looking forward to the Nürburgring, where I definitely want to be back on the top step of the podium.”
Cairoli had not raced at Oschersleben for eight years before the weekend. Nevertheless, his return produced fewer points than he had expected after securing two DTM victories earlier in the season.
Emil Frey pair face used-tyre challenge in 2026 DTM Oschersleben Race 2
Cairoli started Sunday’s race from eighth, while Vermeulen lined up 11th. As DTM regulations required, both drivers began the one-hour contest on used tyres. Warm conditions, with temperatures reaching 28 degrees, added another challenge for the two Ferraris. Cairoli retained eighth at the start. However, Feller soon applied pressure and moved the Porsche ahead of him.
Vermeulen lost two positions during the opening exchanges before Finn Wiebelhaus passed him in the #64 Ford. Consequently, the Dutchman dropped into a tightly contested group around 15th.
Shortly before the first pit window, Dörr attempted to pass Vermeulen and forced the Ferrari through the chicane. The drivers then continued their battle when the surrounding group entered the pits together. Emil Frey Racing completed Vermeulen’s stop in 6.3 seconds. Dörr remained alongside him in the pit lane, but Vermeulen settled the contest in his favour on the outlap.
Cairoli battles Gounon before brief rain shower
Cairoli stopped in 6.5 seconds and returned to the track alongside Gounon. The pair then fought closely for ninth as Cairoli tried to retain his place inside the points. Meanwhile, traffic prevented the Italian from exploiting his pace before the second pit-stop window.
A brief rain shower arrived with 22 minutes remaining. However, the limited rainfall failed to justify a move onto wet tyres, and the field continued on slicks. Emil Frey Racing brought Cairoli into the pits early during the second window to release him from traffic. The team completed the stop in 6.2 seconds before sending him back into the fight. Vermeulen later completed his second stop in 6.1 seconds, maintaining the pit crew’s consistent performance across the weekend.
Cairoli overtakes Thiim but finishes 10th
Cairoli attacked during the closing stages and passed Nicki Thiim’s #7 Aston Martin to move into seventh temporarily. However, the Ferrari driver ultimately took the chequered flag in 10th. The result gave him his second points finish of the weekend, although it failed to match the front-running performances he had targeted.
Vermeulen finished 15th after spending much of the race defending on used tyres and fighting within the midfield. The Dutchman acknowledged the team’s strong Saturday recovery but identified outright pace as the principal limitation at Oschersleben.
“We had hoped for more from this weekend, and unfortunately the pace just wasn’t where we wanted it to be. On Saturday, however, we gained seven positions – that was a strong effort from the whole team. On Sunday the used tyres made life difficult, and we simply couldn’t keep up with the competition. At least we’re taking some points home. I’ll now analyse where I could have done better in the wheel-to-wheel battles – but it’s also clear that we were lacking in outright speed, and that’s something we need to address for the coming races.”
Therefore, Vermeulen plans to review his own battles while the team works to improve the Ferrari’s competitiveness before the next round.
Emil Frey Racing turns DTM focus attention to Nürburgring after challenging Oschersleben round
Emil Frey Racing left Oschersleben with points from both drivers and another fastest pit stop. However, the team could not challenge for the podium positions after struggling for pace in Qualifying and race conditions.
Vermeulen’s seven-place recovery on Saturday demonstrated the team’s ability to capitalise on opportunities. Meanwhile, Cairoli limited the damage by scoring in both races despite losing ground during the Race 1 start.
Nevertheless, the Ferrari drivers expect more after their earlier success during the 2026 campaign. Cairoli has already claimed two victories and now wants to return to the top step at the Nürburgring.
The team must therefore combine its benchmark pit-stop performance with stronger pace at the next event. After a difficult Oschersleben round, Emil Frey Racing will aim to move back towards the front when the championship continues at the Nürburgring.
