Maximilian Paul will make his DTM return at his home round at the Sachsenring just two months after suffering serious injuries in his Norisring accident.
Paul sustained injuries to his vertebra and left leg in the crash, requiring surgery immediately afterwards. What followed was an intensive rehabilitation programme as the German worked towards returning to competitive action far sooner than initially might have appeared possible.
After completing the Sachsenring test and subsequently racing in Italian GT last weekend, Paul now feels ready to return to the DTM without significant restrictions. Speaking during the pre-event press conference, he detailed the demanding recovery process that made his comeback possible.
Paul credits successful surgery and intensive rehabilitation
Paul first pointed towards the success of his surgery as one of the most important foundations of his rapid recovery. The procedure restored both his vertebra and injured leg to their correct positions, giving him the best possible starting point for the rehabilitation process.
He also believes his age, physical condition and lifestyle before the accident helped his body heal more quickly than expected.
“Yeah, it’s a long story. First of all, it was obviously extremely important that my operation after the race went very well. My vertebra and my leg are basically back in exactly the position they should be, the way they were before. And then I was simply a bit lucky with my body because my healing process has been extremely quick. I think the basic conditions were already right beforehand. I’m still quite young, I’ve always eaten well, I’m athletic, and that simply helped to speed the whole thing up.”
However, his recovery also involved an intensive rehabilitation programme. Paul estimated that he spent around 80 per cent of the following two months with his physiotherapist, undergoing treatment three times a day alongside water-based training and a strong focus on nutrition.
“And of course, I had good people around me. Over the last two months, I would say I spent 80 per cent of my time with my physio at home. He treated me three times every day. We went training in the water, I probably ate 30 kilos of meat during that time. So we put absolutely everything into the healing process. And yes, I also see a bit of luck in the fact that we have managed to get this far.”
Sachsenring test marks major step in comeback
While his recovery away from the circuit had progressed quickly, getting back behind the wheel provided the first real indication of whether his body could cope with the demands of racing.
Paul and his team therefore decided to use the DTM Sachsenring test on the 23rd of August as an opportunity to assess his condition. His back was initially the biggest concern, given the severity of the injuries he had suffered, but those worries eased once he returned to the car.
“And then we simply said, ‘Hey, let’s try it on the 23rd when we have the Sachsenring test and take the risk.’ At first, the biggest concern was whether my back would cope. But it worked extremely well. And in the end, the leg was almost secondary during the test. It hurt, but I could still drive. Then over the last two weeks, we really stepped things up again.”
The successful test allowed Paul to increase the intensity of his rehabilitation over the following fortnight. Although his injured leg continued to cause some pain, being able to complete the running without his back becoming a major limitation represented a crucial milestone.
It also gave him and those around him greater confidence that a competitive return to the DTM was realistic rather than simply a case of getting back into the car.
Italian GT outing gives Paul final confidence boost
Another important step followed last weekend when Paul competed in Italian GT. During the event, he was able to brake with his left foot again, something that provided both a physical and psychological boost ahead of Paul’s DTM comeback at the Sachsenring.
For Paul, the ability to return to his usual driving technique strengthened his belief that he could perform at a level he was satisfied with rather than simply completing the weekend.
“I raced in Italian GT last weekend and I was already able to brake with my left foot again. That gave me another big boost of motivation and confidence for this week that it can be a good race. At least for me personally, that I can make a comeback that meets my own expectations.”
After two months dominated by surgery and rehabilitation, Paul is now focused on being able to compete properly again.
“And now I’m simply happy that I can sit in the car again and, above all, properly attack again in the DTM without feeling restricted in any way. And yeah, let’s go!”
His return therefore represents more than simply getting back behind the wheel. Following the successful Sachsenring test and his Italian GT appearance, Paul heads into the weekend believing he can once again push without being significantly limited by his injuries.
Pain remains but does not stop Paul from racing
Despite the pace of his recovery, Paul admitted he has not returned to full fitness yet. He continues to experience some pain and restricted movement, while the muscle loss in his left leg remains another area he must rebuild.
However, none of those issues have reached a level that makes him uncomfortable about getting back behind the wheel.
“I’d put it this way: if nothing was hurting or aching after two months, that would be a bit crazy. Of course, I still have pain here and there, but ultimately it’s not any significant pain coming from the bones. And that’s the most important thing. I’ve lost a lot of muscle in my left leg, which needs to come back, and of course that also means quite a lot of muscle soreness.”
“There are also some restrictions in terms of movement, not a huge amount, but still some, because of the fixator in my back. But ultimately, if it wasn’t possible and if I didn’t feel comfortable, then I wouldn’t be driving. So everything is within an acceptable range, and for me the motivation and desire to drive is so much greater than those little aches and pains that I can overlook them.”
DTM Sachsenring comeback only became a realistic target for Paul weeks after crash
Paul did not immediately set the Sachsenring as his target following the accident during the DTM Norisring weekend. Instead, he initially focused solely on recovering before his progress gradually allowed him to consider a return to the DTM. Watching the championship continue without him provided another source of motivation as he saw his Lamborghini stablemates Mirko Bortolotti and Luca Engstler competing towards the front.
“Basically, I approached the whole thing without putting pressure on myself and with a clear head. Then we saw relatively quickly that things were progressing well, and that obviously motivated me to go all in. Of course, if you overdo it, that isn’t good for the healing process either. But I think we found a good middle ground between motivation and positivity. Staying positive throughout the healing process, simply not going over the limit, but always staying close to it. At some point, that naturally led to having a target.”
“I’d say three or four weeks after the accident, I still didn’t have a target. At that point, my full focus was still on my leg and my back. Then, of course, I watched the DTM from the sidelines and saw Mirko and Luca fighting at the front. That gave me another massive push mentally because I desperately wanted to get back in the car as well.”
“And from then on, around four or five weeks after the accident, a realistic target started to emerge. Of course, it was never clear whether I would be able to drive in the Sachsenring test or not. A week before it, my doctor then said, ‘Hey, your bone looks good, you can put weight on it. You can try it as far as I’m concerned.’ And somehow everything just came together at short notice. Then suddenly, I was sitting in the car at the Sachsenring. Of course, as you saw, there was a bet within the team that I wouldn’t manage 15 laps. But I won that.”
Asked what he received for winning the bet, Paul joked: “Nothing, the DTM seat this weekend.”
Left-foot braking no longer a major concern
Paul still needed help from his right foot under braking during the Sachsenring test, particularly in the heaviest braking zones. At that stage, the pressure required from his injured left leg caused too much pain.
His situation improved considerably during last weekend’s Italian GT event, where he completed the event braking exclusively with his left foot.
“Yes, at the test I supported with my right foot, especially in the braking zones where you really need a lot of pressure. The pain was simply still too high at 100 kilos of pressure. But last weekend, it actually got better with every day. And I braked exclusively with my left foot. Of course, at the beginning I still didn’t have the pressure that I used to have. But once a bit of adrenaline came into play, it wasn’t a problem at all anymore.”
“And I also didn’t have any pain on Monday after the race weekend, which for me is an indication that things are heading in the right direction. And at the Sachsenring, the load on the braking leg isn’t that high anyway. After that, there’s also a longer break. So at the moment, I don’t see any disadvantage for myself in that area.”
Surgery repaired both injuries in one procedure
Paul also revealed that doctors treated both his vertebra and leg injuries during one overnight operation following the Norisring accident.
After discussions about where the surgery should take place and who should perform it, Paul underwent the procedure in Nuremberg. He praised the work of the medical team, particularly because restoring his bones correctly mattered for his long-term health as well as his immediate recovery.
“Yes, it was one operation during the night. They did everything at once. Beforehand, we had long discussions about who would operate and where the operation would take place. But in the end, we found good doctors in Nuremberg who were able to operate on everything there overnight. And as I said, they did an amazing job. Everything is back the way it should be, which is obviously important for the rest of my life as well.”
“Getting everything to heal together in the short term is obviously one thing. But when you eventually get older and need those bones, then it’s better if everything is in the correct shape. So despite having a lot of bad luck, I was still fortunate that everything is back the way it was before.”
Recovery progressed better than expected
Paul stopped short of describing himself as surprised by the speed of his recovery. Instead, he said each positive medical update reinforced his motivation as he continued working towards getting back behind the wheel. With no lasting damage from the accident, he also believes the experience taught him valuable lessons beyond racing.
“I wouldn’t say surprised because ultimately you can feel your own body, and for me even three weeks without driving because you’re ill is bad enough. So I wouldn’t say I was surprised. I was more happy that things went as quickly as I wanted them to, or that all the targets were achieved in the way I hoped they would be.”
“The biggest fear, or really the biggest fear, was always going to the doctor and having him say, ‘Hey, the progress isn’t good.’ But that was never the case. It was always better than expected. So really, it was just happiness and motivation. You learn a lot about life again. Even though it obviously wasn’t a great thing to go through, I’ve definitely taken a lot of positives from it. There’s no permanent damage, and that is the most important thing.”
Paul backs Behind the Grid as way to bring fans closer to DTM
Paul’s rehabilitation also featured in the latest episode of DTM’s Behind the Grid series, offering viewers an insight into the work behind his recovery. He believes the series can help the championship build stronger connections between drivers and supporters by showing more of the personalities and stories away from the circuit.
“Yeah, I think fundamentally it’s a cool thing to help push the DTM, the drivers and the teams. We saw in Formula 1 with Drive to Survive that it was well received. I think it’s important that we as drivers are brought a bit more into the foreground in order to build a story and create a connection with the fans.”
“I think there’s a limit to how interesting it is if you only see cars driving around in circles. But if you get to know the people behind it, then it definitely becomes interesting to a much broader range of people.”
Paul now enters his home weekend at the DTM stop at the Sachsenring with a very different perspective to the one he faced immediately after the Norisring accident. Just weeks after his participation at the Sachsenring appeared uncertain, he returns to the DTM ready to race and confident that his recovery has progressed far enough to let him compete at the level he expects of himself.
