Thomas Preining left DTM Race 1 at the Sachsenring as the new championship leader after continuing his impressive run of podium finishes with third place.
The Manthey driver qualified second but dropped to fourth during the opening stages as Jules Gounon and Kelvin van der Linde moved ahead. A strong strategy helped Preining regain third before he closed on race leader Marco Wittmann and Gounon during the latter stages. He eventually completed the podium behind the pair.
The result left Preining on 177 points, six clear of Maro Engel, while Wittmann moved to within 14 points of the championship lead following his victory.
Speaking in the post-race press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Preining discussed the importance of another strong result, Manthey’s recent form and why he could not turn his late-race pace into an attack on the leading pair.
Preining pleased with “very important” day for championship
Preining entered DTM Race 1 at the Sachsenring having secured second on the grid in a qualifying session interrupted by a red flag. Like Gounon, he had only one opportunity to produce his decisive lap after the session resumed.
Despite losing positions on the run to Turn 1, Preining felt Manthey extracted the maximum from the race and highlighted the significance of the points he collected for his championship campaign.
“Feels good. Very good day in the office. We started well in qualifying. It was not an easy session. As Jules [Gounon] said, we were in the same boat with him, only having one lap where you need to nail it in the end. So obviously it’s a high pressure scenario, because if you mess it up, you’re starting last. So it was not an easy one, but we came away with P2, which we were really happy about.”
“And nevertheless, before the race, obviously we knew it’s going to be difficult on the way to turn one to stay P2, which unfortunately came true. But after we maximised, I think, the race, we had a good strategy. And yeah, in the end, it’s difficult to overtake. But nevertheless, I think we maximised its good points, as you said. For the championship, I think it was a very important day for us. And we can be really happy.”
Preining credits consistency for Manthey’s strong run
The Sachsenring result marked Preining’s fifth consecutive visit to the DTM podium, continuing a run of strong results for the Porsche driver. Preining believes several factors have contributed to that consistency, including his long-standing relationship with Manthey and the team’s ability to arrive at race weekends with a strong baseline.
“I think, first of all, we have a very good rhythm. Also, we’ve been four years working together, the team and I, so it makes a lot of things easier. We arrive usually pretty sorted, even to test days. All in all, for sure, Oschersleben and Sachsenring are the two tracks that suit us a lot. At Nürburgring, by ourselves, it was a lot more difficult, I have to admit. Obviously, we benefited greatly from the accident and penalties and mishaps other people had in the pits.”
The Austrian also stressed that Manthey’s execution has played an important role in maintaining the podium streak.
“So by ourselves, we would not finish on the podium. But obviously, you take what you can get. I think, as I explained, it’s a mix of different things that just came together to make it five podiums in a row. But for sure, also, you need to be consistent. You need to not make mistakes, also in the pits, which I really have to say a big thanks to the team. The pit stops and also the strategy have been spot on. And it’s what you need.”
Late pace not enough to challenge Wittmann and Gounon
Preining recovered third place through the pit-stop phase before closing the gap to Wittmann and Gounon as the race progressed. Although he at times showed enough pace to close rapidly on the leading pair, the difficulty of overtaking at the Sachsenring limited his opportunities. Preining instead tried to manage the gap, cool his tyres and launch repeated attempts to put himself into contention.
“Well, this is why I drove so fast. I was trying to overtake them, it’s just not possible. I always try to, at some point when I realise it’s not happening, leave a little gap, try to cool my tyres down a bit and then try again. Because anyway, they were stuck together. Marco [Wittmann] was just cruising in the front, saving his tyres and not going crazy. And Jules, obviously in the dirty air, kind of burning his tyres. And I knew I had to try something different if I want to make anything happen. But it’s just not really that easy here, unfortunately.”
