Luca Engstler believes another top-10 finish would represent a successful Norisring weekend as Red Bull Team ABT continues to develop Lamborghini’s new Temerario during the 2026 DTM season.
Speaking at the pre-event press conference attended by Pit Debrief, the German driver discussed the challenges of racing between the Norisring’s concrete walls, Lamborghini’s ongoing learning curve and his expectations for the weekend.
Engstler joined the ABT-run Lamborghini programme over the winter and has faced a challenging start while the team learns about its new machinery. However, an improved performance at Zandvoort, which included third place in qualifying and two points finishes, provided encouragement ahead of the championship’s visit to Germany’s only remaining street circuit.
The compact Norisring presents a completely different test from the other venues on the DTM calendar. Its concrete walls, heavy braking zones and limited number of corners leave drivers with little room for error, while teams cannot conduct private testing at the circuit before the event.
Engstler describes the Norisring as ‘spectacular’
Asked during the press conference ahead of the DTM race weekend to describe the Norisring in one sentence, Engstler offered a simple assessment.
“Spectacular, yes.”
Drivers run extremely close to the barriers throughout a lap, particularly when accelerating out of the circuit’s tight corners. The proximity of the walls means the right-hand wing mirror often becomes one of the most vulnerable parts of the car. Engstler explained that drivers gradually move closer to the wall as they search for the final fractions of a second.
“You keep driving closer until it falls off. Of course, you always try to test the limit further, get on the throttle earlier and open the steering a little earlier, until the mirror eventually falls off.”
Lamborghini faces a steep learning curve with the Temerario
Red Bull Team ABT entered the season with the new Lamborghini Temerario, leaving the team and its drivers with limited previous data to rely upon. Engstler acknowledged that the new-car programme had produced a difficult opening to the campaign, but he stressed that Lamborghini always expected its first season to focus heavily on development.
“We started with a new car. The chapter from last year is a blank sheet of paper. That naturally means a steep learning curve when we look at where we are now. We had a difficult start. But in the end, it is very clear to all of us that this is a learning year. We have to arrive in the DTM with the new car. In GT World, but also in America.”
The team has therefore concentrated on collecting as much information as possible during each race weekend, with the aim of building a stronger package for the future.
“We are trying to use every weekend to collect data, collect information and then prepare ourselves early for next year. Zandvoort was, of course, a good step. With third place in qualifying and two good points finishes.“
Although Engstler wants to fight regularly at the front, he accepts that Lamborghini faces a significant challenge during the Temerario’s first season of competition.
“Of course, the goal is to consistently compete at the front. But it was very clear that it would naturally be extremely difficult in the first year.“
Engineering work shapes Norisring preparation for Engstler in DTM
The absence of testing at the Norisring limits the amount of circuit-specific running drivers can complete before the weekend. However, Engstler said DTM competitors spend so much time racing elsewhere that preparation focuses less on learning the layout and more on working through the programme with their engineers.
“All the DTM drivers sit in a car somewhere every week. The preparation specifically for one circuit is not particularly extensive. Because you are simply sitting in a car somewhere else in the world every week. It is more about the preparation with your engineer.“
Tyre allocation, run plans and information gathered during previous visits form an important part of the team’s preparations.
“How you approach the weekend, how many tyres you have available, your run plan. Then it is about trying to shut yourself away during the week and focus on what was important, what you have learned over the past few years. Going through all the notes again.“
Despite the circuit’s simple appearance, changing track conditions ensure that drivers cannot rely entirely on previous experience. Engstler believes the decisive challenge comes from combining every element during qualifying, when drivers must deliver immediately on a single lap.
“It is the case that every year is still a little more special and a little different. There are conditions that are different. In the end, that is what matters in the DTM.“
“It is not as though you say that you have to learn the circuit again. It is really about putting everything together in qualifying, on that one lap, and adapting perfectly. That is why the decisions you make there are still made live.“
Contact with the wall can provide reassurance
Drivers must gradually build confidence between the barriers throughout practice, but touching a mirror against the wall does not necessarily cause concern. Engstler said light contact at the exit of the opening corner at the Norisring during DTM races can even confirm that a driver has used all the available track.
“I think it is the case that when you touch the mirror at the exit of Turn 1, it gives you a little push rather than a moment of fear, because then you know that you have hit it well.“
However, the driver rarely has time to consider any damage while completing the lap. The team normally discovers the full extent of the contact when it reviews the car and analyses the session.
“But in the end, you do not think that much about whether the mirror is missing or not. You try to maximise the lap. Most of the time, you only see afterwards, during the analysis, how much of the car is damaged.“
A top-10 finish would represent progress
When asked to name his favourite for the weekend, Engstler backed himself despite the challenges Lamborghini has faced during the opening rounds.
“Yes, then I will also say me.“
Nevertheless, his realistic target remains another points-scoring result as the team continues to develop the Temerario.
“I think that, in our situation, if we manage once again to finish in the top ten, then it would be a successful appearance for our new car at the Norisring“
