Marco Mapelli crossed the line first in DTM Race 1 at the Lausitzring after producing a remarkable drive from 16th on the grid, but a post-race penalty ultimately denied him and the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 victory.
The ABT Sportsline driver gambled on slick tyres in wet conditions before benefiting from a perfectly timed mandatory pit stop moments before a Full Course Yellow. The sequence promoted him into the lead with a significant advantage over the drivers who had already stopped.
Mapelli remained composed after taking control, managing the gap to Ben Dörr and crossing the line first on the road. However, the Italian was later handed a 15-second penalty for exceeding the 80km/h speed limit under Full Course Yellow, having briefly reached 83km/h.
The penalty dropped Mapelli to second in the final classification and promoted Dörr to his maiden DTM victory. Ricardo Feller completed the podium in third.
Mapelli credits ABT Sportsline after crossing the line first at the DTM Race at the Lausitzring
Speaking to selected media, including Pit Debrief, before the stewards’ final decision, Mapelli said the result had come as a surprise after starting further down the grid and struggling to break into the top ten throughout the weekend. He explained that ABT Sportsline had continued working to develop the Lamborghini Temerario and that the decision to begin the race on slick tyres had been a calculated gamble.
Mapelli felt the team had executed the race well, highlighting the tyre pressures, pit stop and mistake-free opening phase as key factors. He also admitted that the timing of the Full Course Yellow had worked in his favour by helping him move ahead of the Aston Martin.
From there, he credited the team for guiding him perfectly through the remaining laps and said they deserved the on-track result. He also thanked everyone who had supported the team and stressed that the performance would motivate them to work even harder to become competitive at every circuit and in all conditions.
“Finally, a win. I didn’t expect this because we were starting a little bit backwards. You know, we are always trying to develop the car, and on this track we were struggling to get into the top ten, but all in all, we did a great race. We gambled at the beginning with the slick tyre. We stayed on track, we didn’t make any mistakes. We were good with the tyre pressure, good with the pitstop. We had some luck with the Full Course Yellow because we were able to jump in front of Aston Martin. And then the team guided me all the laps perfectly. So, they deserve this win. I think, thank you to everyone who supported the team. We will work even more now to perform every track and every way.”
Mapelli reflects on decisive tyre gamble and Full Course Yellow timing
During the post-race press conference, which also took place before the penalty was confirmed, Mapelli reflected on the challenges presented by the mixed conditions. He explained that making the correct tyre gamble without committing any mistakes had put him in position to fight at the front. He felt ABT Sportsline had executed the race well, particularly during the pit-stop phase, and praised the team for its performance.
Mapelli again acknowledged that the timing of the Full Course Yellow had brought an element of luck by allowing him to move ahead of Nicki Thiim. Once in front, he was able to control the race and maintain a comfortable margin to Dörr before crossing the line first.
“Well, it feels great. You know, in this situation when you have this mixed condition, if you gamble right and you don’t make any mistakes, most of the time you are in for a good position. I think we executed the race well with the pitstop and so on. The team did a great job. And all in all we were lucky with the Full Course Yellow because we were able to jump Nicki [Thiim], but then I think we stayed in front with some margin. So, happy days.”
Perfect pit-stop timing rewards Mapelli’s trust in slick-tyre gamble at DTM Race at the Lausitzring
Asked about the decisive pit-stop call, Mapelli explained that he had already been instructed to come in before the Full Course Yellow was announced. He managed to cross the safety car line before the countdown reached zero, allowing the stop to count and giving ABT Sportsline a crucial advantage. He described it as a strong call from the team, combined with fortunate timing and a well-executed pit stop.
“Well, I had already had the call to pit in this lap, and when the Full Course Yellow call came out, we were able to cross the safety car line before the countdown was zero. So, I think it was a good call for the team. Lucky time, and the pit stop was great.”
Mapelli also highlighted how difficult it had been simply to keep the car on the circuit after starting on slick tyres in wet conditions. He praised the drivers who had made the same choice for remaining patient rather than attempting overly ambitious moves. Although he initially questioned the decision during the opening lap, Mapelli trusted the team’s judgement. The slick-tyre gamble ultimately proved central to the result, allowing him to climb from 16th and finish second despite the subsequent penalty.
“Big chaos, yes. Especially with the slicks on wet, managing to stay on track was already a big success. I think all the guys with the slicks were clever enough to not try to make the move of the year. So, it was good.”
“Definitely. I wouldn’t believe on this. I just followed what my team said, and then I trust them. Even at the first lap I said maybe we did the wrong choice, but they were right.”
Mapelli calls on-track result a reward for continued Lamborghini Temerario development
Mapelli described crossing the line first as a welcome reward for the work carried out on the Lamborghini Temerario, even though the final penalty prevented it from becoming the car’s first official DTM victory. As one of the drivers involved in its development, he acknowledged that the Temerario had entered competition earlier than ideal and was still lacking performance in certain areas. However, he stressed that factory drivers had a responsibility to accept those challenges, continue developing the car and focus on improving it rather than complaining.
“It’s a nice reward. I have to say, even if it’s in this situation, it’s always nice to win the races because in the end you need to stay in front. We know that we are missing some performance with the car. We know that we put the car kind of too early on in the competition, but this is a competition, and I think us as factory drivers need to respect this and work on it without complaining too much. This is what we are paid for.”
Full Course Yellow infringement costs Mapelli victory
Mapelli had been placed under investigation after the race for potentially travelling too quickly in a yellow-flag sector. At the time of the press conference, he said he was not fully aware of the circumstances and avoided speculating on the possible outcome.
“No, I don’t know. I heard it’s a yellow flag sector too quick or something like this, so I’m not sure.”
The stewards subsequently determined that Mapelli had exceeded the prescribed 80km/h Full Course Yellow speed limit, briefly reaching 83km/h. He was handed a 15-second substitute time penalty, dropping him behind Dörr in the final classification. The decision gave Dörr his first DTM victory, while Mapelli was classified second after his recovery from 16th.
Mapelli also defended race control’s decision to deploy the Full Course Yellow, despite questions over whether the stopped car had created a sufficiently dangerous situation. He pointed out that officials had taken a similarly cautious approach at Zandvoort when debris and dirt were present on the circuit. In his view, race control was applying the same standard consistently, meaning drivers needed to remain prepared for such interventions.
“Well, I think it’s the marshal’s decision at the end. They did the same in Zandvoort for the board and dirt on track, and they did this time with a car stopped out of the corner. So I think they’re doing the same decision every time, so we need to keep in mind this.”
