Thomas Preining described his Oschersleben weekend as “phenomenal” after completing Round 5 of the 2026 DTM season with third place in Race 2.
The Manthey driver claimed pole position for both races, converted Saturday’s front-row start into victory and led much of Sunday’s contest. However, a delay during his second mandatory pit stop dropped him behind Mirko Bortolotti and Maro Engel.
Preining subsequently resisted Marco Wittmann to protect the final podium position. Although he missed the opportunity to complete a clean sweep, he left Oschersleben with his strongest points haul of the season and renewed confidence in Manthey’s ability to race at the front.
Preining celebrates phenomenal Oschersleben weekend
Preining focused on the scale of Manthey’s progress rather than the disappointment of losing the Race 2 victory. The Austrian had struggled to build sustained momentum earlier in the campaign. However, Manthey controlled much of the Oschersleben weekend and gave Preining a car capable of challenging at the front in every session.
“I’m satisfied with the weekend overall. It’s been phenomenal. I think we scored more points now than the rest of the season combined, so it’s difficult to complain.
“Of course, I would have liked to win the race, but I would like to win all of them. That’s the mentality. So, generally, the weekend was great for us. The car was perfect, and also, in the first two pit stops of the weekend, we were the quickest. Mistakes like this, like today, can happen. It’s very, very rare that something happens in our team like this, so that’s racing.”
Preining’s assessment reflected both his competitive mentality and his confidence in the team. Naturally, he wanted to convert his second pole position into another victory. Nevertheless, he refused to allow one difficult pit stop to overshadow Manthey’s performance across the weekend.
Engstler challenges Preining into Turn 1
Preining started Race 2 from pole after again setting the pace in Qualifying. However, Luca Engstler produced a strong reaction when the lights went out and moved ahead of the Porsche on the approach to Turn 1. Preining retained an opportunity to respond when Engstler carried too much speed towards Turn 2.
The Manthey driver consequently regained control and maintained the lead through the opening phase.
“Yeah, I mean, he [Engstler] just passed me on the way to turn one. I thought I got a good start. In the end, I obviously dictate when we go, so I think he had a very good reaction time. And, yeah, he just cleared me before turning, and luckily, he missed the braking for turn two. Otherwise, I would have lost the lead there already, and then it’s been a pretty good race. I mean, on this track, it’s so difficult to overtake on track. And then, yeah, even in the first round of pit stops, everything was smooth, and also in dirt, it’s difficult to follow each other.
Preining’s early defence carried additional importance at Oschersleben, where the narrow layout and limited overtaking opportunities placed greater emphasis on track position. Once he retained the lead, he controlled the opening stint and carried his advantage through the first round of mandatory stops.
Second pit stop costs Preining the lead
Manthey executed Preining’s first pit stop cleanly and kept him at the front. However, the team lost time during his second visit to the pit lane. The delay allowed Bortolotti and Engel to move ahead during the final phase of the race. Preining rejoined in third and could not recover the lost positions. Oschersleben’s layout made passing difficult, while the cars ahead could manage the gap once the field settled after the stops.
Nevertheless, Preining defended the podium against Wittmann. The BMW driver carried strong pace into the closing laps and remained within striking distance, forcing Preining to protect his position despite lacking the performance he had shown earlier. The Manthey driver ultimately secured third and completed a weekend that featured two pole positions, one victory and a second podium.
“And then, obviously, at the second pit stop, we lost some time, and then we were P3, and we stayed there. I had to defend a bit from Marco because, well, he had a lot of pace, and in the end, we didn’t really. So, nevertheless, all in all, obviously, like I said, we scored tons of points for our standards, and I hope we can continue to race at the front.”
Preining refused to criticise Manthey after the pit-stop issue. Instead, he highlighted the team’s rapid work during the first two stops of the weekend. Manthey had supported his Race 1 victory with strong execution and again completed the opening Race 2 stop without difficulty. However, Preining now expects Manthey to review the stop, identify the cause and return stronger at the next event.
New podium format receives Preining’s approval
DTM moved the Oschersleben podium ceremony away from the pit lane and into an area that supporters could access. Preining welcomed the opportunity to celebrate closer to the fans. However, he suggested that organisers should create a dedicated space for team personnel and improve the surface used during the ceremony.
“I like the idea. I think the idea is great. I think it’s cool to have so many fans around for the podium. On those days, I couldn’t see my team, so it would be nice to have a small team’s area. And maybe you could brush a bit because yesterday we got two punctures from the podium. So, other than that, all good, really enjoyable.”
The revised format allowed more supporters to experience the celebrations at close range. Nevertheless, Preining wanted team members to receive better access after contributing to the result. His comments also raised a practical concern after the podium area reportedly caused two punctures following Saturday’s ceremony.
Oschersleben revives Preining’s championship challenge
Preining arrived at Oschersleben needing a major result to strengthen his championship position. He responded by leading both Practice sessions, taking pole twice and finishing on the podium in both races. Consequently, he scored more points during Round 5 than he had managed across the previous rounds combined.
Although the Race 2 pit stop denied him a second victory, the weekend proved that Preining and Manthey could consistently challenge the leading DTM teams. The Porsche driver must now carry that form into the remaining rounds. His car performed strongly throughout the weekend, while Manthey demonstrated competitive pace in Qualifying, race conditions and the majority of its pit stops.
Therefore, Preining left Oschersleben with more reasons for optimism than frustration. One delayed stop cost him a potential clean sweep, but his substantial points haul brought him firmly back into the championship contest.
