Matteo Cairoli claimed his second victory of the 2026 DTM season after resisting sustained pressure from Nicki Thiim throughout the closing stages of Race 2 at the Lausitzring.
The Emil Frey Racing driver started alongside pole-sitter Arjun Maini and initially settled into second place. However, a rapid out-lap after the first mandatory pit stop moved Cairoli into the effective lead and placed him in control of the race.
Thiim later extended his final stint and emerged on fresher tyres, which set up a tense fight to the chequered flag. Cairoli managed worn tyres, rising brake temperatures and intense physical pressure to finish just 0.413 seconds ahead of the Aston Martin driver. The result also moved him to the top of the DTM standings.
“One of the hardest wins” of Cairoli’s career
Cairoli entered the final laps with Thiim closing rapidly behind him. The Ferrari driver had already used much of the performance in his final tyre set, while the heat inside the car and the rising brake temperatures made every braking zone increasingly difficult.
As a result, Cairoli concentrated on positioning the car carefully, avoiding tyre debris and covering every possible route past. Although Thiim appeared quicker, Cairoli refused to give him a clear opportunity to attack.
“I mean, first of all, I’m speechless for today because I didn’t expect to come up at the front having this guy [Nicki Thiim] behind me. So, he gave me such a hard time [on] the last lap that I was not sure that I was able to finish in front.
“I was on a very used high mileage set [of tyres] in the last one. So brakes were really warm, and I was starting to have some trouble to stop the car. So, I was just trying to not do any mistake, try to close every door possible, don’t collect any pickup.
“And in the end, I think that was the key of today’s win. Because I believe Nicki was quicker towards the end, and he also would have deserved to win. But I managed to stay in front, to close every door, and it feels amazing. It was one of the probably the hardest races or the hardest wins I’ve had so far in my career. Physical, with the pressures and the temperature in the car.”
Cairoli recognised that Thiim possessed the stronger pace during the final phase. Nevertheless, he relied on accurate placement and disciplined defence to keep the Aston Martin behind.
The conditions made that task even harder. The high cockpit temperature increased the physical strain, while the worn tyres and hot brakes reduced Cairoli’s margin for error with every passing lap.
Opening-lap ambitions give way to patience for Cairoli in Race 2 at the Lausitzring
Cairoli began the race with the intention of challenging Maini into the first corner. However, the Ford driver covered the available space and prevented him from committing to the move. At the same time, Thiim applied pressure from behind. Cairoli, therefore, abandoned the early attack, defended second place and focused on remaining close to Maini through the opening phase.
“For sure, I wanted to try at least the move in the first corner at the start. But Maini [pulled over] so I couldn’t commit. Eventually, I needed also to defend from Nicki.
A Safety Car later interrupted the race after Maximilian Paul’s Lamborghini lost rear bodywork across the start-finish straight. Once racing resumed, Cairoli continued to follow Maini while preparing to use the mandatory pit-stop sequence as his next opportunity. Instead of forcing a risky move on the circuit, he remained patient and gave Emil Frey Racing the chance to change the order through strategy.
“I pushed like an animal” after the first stop
Emil Frey Racing called Cairoli into the pits one lap before Maini during the first mandatory tyre-change window. The early stop placed the Ferrari on fresh tyres while Maini completed another lap on his older set. Cairoli immediately attacked. He pushed through the out-lap and used the grip from the new tyres to build the advantage he needed.
Maini then lost further time after overshooting his marks in the HRT pit box. When the pit cycle concluded, Cairoli had moved into the effective lead.
“And then I think the difference was done after the first pit stop, where I pushed like an animal, I would say, with a new set of tyres just to try to end up in the front. We managed to do that. We got some gap initially, but then towards the end of the stint, I started to be chased again. So pressure was rising. But I tried to keep it cool, not make any mistakes, and that was the key of today’s win.
The aggressive out-lap gave Cairoli track position, but it did not remove the threat from behind. Maini initially stayed within range, while Thiim also remained close enough to challenge as the race developed. Cairoli, therefore, had to change his approach again. After using maximum pace to take the lead, he shifted his focus towards preserving the tyres, controlling the gap and avoiding mistakes.
Thiim’s strategy creates a late showdown in DTM Race 2 at the Lausitzring
Thiim extended both of his tyre stints and used the strategy to move ahead of Maini during the second pit-stop sequence. The longer run also allowed him to start the final phase on fresher tyres than Cairoli. Once Thiim brought those tyres into their working window, he quickly began reducing the Ferrari driver’s advantage. The gap continued to fall as Cairoli’s tyres lost performance and his braking problems became more pronounced.
The two drivers already knew each other well from previous races, which gave Cairoli a clear understanding of the pressure Thiim could apply. Despite the intensity of the battle, he welcomed the opportunity to fight a familiar and respected rival.
“First of all, when I have, for any reason, Nicki behind me, it’s always high pressure. We’ve known each other since quite some time now. We race each other quite often. So it’s a pleasure, of course, to fight against [him]. It was amazing.
Thiim remained close through the final technical sections and repeatedly placed himself within striking distance. However, Cairoli continued to cover the available lines and prevented him from completing a move. That defensive precision ultimately decided the race. Cairoli crossed the line with less than half a second in hand and converted Emil Frey Racing’s strategic call into victory.
Cairoli takes control of the 2026 DTM Championship after Lausitzring victory
The Lausitzring victory made Cairoli the first driver to claim two wins during the opening three weekends of the 2026 DTM season. It also moved him into the championship lead after six races. His route to victory required several different qualities. He showed restraint when the opening-lap move disappeared, attacked decisively after the first pit stop and then remained composed as Thiim closed during the final stint. The race demanded aggression, tyre management and determined defence in equal measure. Cairoli delivered each of them when the situation required it.
After completing one of the hardest victories of his career, he turned his attention towards celebrating with the Emil Frey Racing team.
“I need to wait [for] tomorrow because the flight is tomorrow. But I hope we are going to have a good beer all together with the team because I think we deserve it.
Cairoli left the Lausitzring with his second victory of the 2026 DTM campaign and the championship lead. More importantly, he demonstrated that he could remain composed under intense pressure and defend a result even when the driver behind carried the stronger late-race pace.
