DTM
DTM LAUSITZRING REVIEW: Kelvin van der Linde enjoys a good weekend to take the championship lead
Kelvin van der Linde took pole and the win in Race 1 along with a second place position in Race 2 to take the championship lead while reigning champion Thomas Preining got his first win of the season
Kelvin van der Linde and Thomas Preining take top honours in Lausitzring
The DEKRA Laustzring played host to DTM for round 2 of the championship. Luca Engstler was the championship leader after Round 1, the Lamborghini driver won the season opener in Oschersleben in the Huracán GT3 Evo2. But as DTM leaves Lausitzring, there’s a new championship leader. Here’s how the weekend unfolded
FRIDAY PRACTICE
Porsche started the weekend impressively, with the 911s from the Manthey EMA team dominating free practice on Friday in both dry and wet conditions. Thomas Preining set the pace in the midday session, clocking the fastest time of the day at 1:20.782 minutes, the only driver to dip below the 1:21.000 mark. This marked a significant improvement for the defending champion following a less-than-stellar start to the season in Oschersleben.
“The free practice is not very informative. But after Oschersleben it was important for our team to be among the fastest again. The car ran like it was on rails and it is great to drive such a vehicle on such a technically demanding track with these hard bumps,” explained Preining.
In slightly cooler conditions around 23 degrees Celsius, Maro Engel secured the second fastest time with 1:21.061 minutes in the Mercedes-AMG GT3, followed by Kelvin van der Linde from Abt Sportsline in third place with Audi. Mirko Bortolotti in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 claimed fourth, while Ayhancan Güven piloted the second Porsche 911 GT3 R from Manthey EMA to fifth place.
The afternoon’s second free practice session saw heavy rain in parts of Lausitz, allowing drivers to test Pirelli’s newly developed Cinturato WHB rain tires. Güven seized the opportunity, setting the fastest time at 1:35.573 minutes in wet conditions. Van der Linde followed closely in second place with Jack Aitken finishing third in the Ferrari 296 GT3.
SATURDAY
Saturday started with qualifying for Race 1 and it was Kelvin van der Linde who took pole position for ABT Sportsline. Arjun Maini qualified an impressive 5th, and was also the highest placed Mercedes driver in qualifying.
RACE 1
Despite torrential rain and two race interruptions, Kelvin van der Linde of Abt Sportsline emerged victorious at the Dekra Lausitzring on Saturday.
Maro Engel of Mercedes-AMG Team Winward cleverly secured second place, leveraging strategic tactics in the adverse weather. Thomas Preining from the Manthey EMA team clinched third in the Porsche 911 GT3 R.
The race saw van der Linde defend his pole position successfully at the start, with Ricardo Feller overtaking Preining to claim second. However, heavy rain led to significant water accumulation on the track, prompting a switch to rain tires and two race interruptions. Engel capitalized on this, rising from 13th to second place after the restart.
“What a chaotic race. The key to success was that I was able to defend the lead in the hectic opening phase. Because at the front I had much better visibility. Nevertheless, it was racing at the limit because there was an extremely large amount of water on the track at the beginning,” explained van der Linde
Mandatory pit stops further shuffled the standings, with Preining advancing to third and Lucas Auer from Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter finishing fourth amidst the challenging conditions. Feller rounded out the top five finishers.
Sheldon van der Linde of Schubert Motorsport was the top BMW driver in sixth place, followed by Arjun Maini of Mercedes-AMG Team HRT and Lamborghini driver Nicki Thiim from SSR Performance in seventh and eighth, respectively. Christian Engelhart of Lamborghini Team TGI by GRT secured ninth place, with Luca Stolz driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 from HRT to complete the top ten.
SUNDAY
Qualifying for Race 2 kicked things off on Sunday and it was the reigning champion Thomas Preining who took pole position ahead of Ricardo Feller and Marko Bortolotti.
RACE 2
In the fourth DTM race of the season on Sunday afternoon, pole-sitter Thomas Preining initially held the lead, followed by Ricardo Feller and Kelvin van der Linde, who managed to overtake Mirko Bortolotti in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2. By the fourth lap, Feller’s pace in the Audi enabled him to overtake Preining and take the lead. After a safety car phase and the subsequent restart, Feller extended his lead to nearly a second.
During the mandatory pit stops, Preining was the first to switch to new Pirelli tires, which he quickly brought to optimal temperature. This allowed him to overtake Feller and Kelvin van der Linde, who were on colder tires due to later stops. Feller managed to pass van der Linde but made contact, prompting race officials to order a position swap. Regardless, Preining controlled the race and finished first after 42 laps, followed by van der Linde in second and Feller in third. Bortolotti secured fourth place, with his Lamborghini teammate Luca Engstler in fifth.
René Rast from Schubert Motorsport finished sixth, making him the best BMW driver of the race. Maro Engel of Mercedes-AMG Team Winward executed a brilliant strategy, climbing from 20th on the grid to seventh place with a late pit stop. Rast’s BMW teammates, Sheldon van der Linde and Marco Wittmann, finished eighth and ninth, respectively. Lucas Auer rounded out the top ten in his Mercedes-AMG GT3.
“That was one of the best DTM races I have ever experienced as a driver. Our strategy with an early pit stop was crucial for the win. After the tire change, I couldn’t take the lead straight away, but I was able to get myself into a good position. I attacked straight away and took a bit of a risk. That’s racing in the DTM,” said Preining
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
Kelvin van der Linde leads the championship standings with 63 points. Thomas Preining is in second with 55 points.
“Leaving the Lausitzring as leader of the table feels great. It is a great achievement by our team to make such a turnaround in such a short time after the weak start in Oschersleben. Unfortunately, I made a small mistake directly after the pit stop on cold tires, which Thomas Preining immediately took advantage of.” – Kelvin van der Linde
Up Next
DTM heads to Zandvoort for Round 3 of the championship from 7-9 June.
DTM made its second stop outside of Germany at the Red Bull Ring in Austria and it was the best weekend Indian driver Arjun Maini has had in the championship till now. The Mercedes driver scored his maiden Pole Position and went on to score 2 podiums that weekend.
Saturday: Maini takes his first pole as Bortolotti takes his first win
Saturday was a historic day for Indian Motorsports as Arjun Maini became the first Indian to score a pole position in DTM.
It was a day of firsts as Marko Bortolotti scored his first win of the season, propelling him to the top of the DTM standings. The Lamborghini driver from SSR Performance expertly handled tricky weather conditions, choosing rain tires at the start and commanding the race early on. He overtook Arjun Maini and Maro Engel to build an impressive lead, securing victory despite late pressure from Engel. This win, Bortolotti’s fourth DTM triumph, positions him as the title favourite with just three races remaining.
Engel followed closely in second, while Maini finished third after starting from pole. Luca Stolz secured fourth, completing a strong day for Mercedes-AMG, while Ayhancan Güven delivered a remarkable charge to fifth place. Former championship leader Kelvin van der Linde climbed from 17th to eighth, now trailing Bortolotti by just ten points. René Rast and Ricardo Feller rounded out the top ten in a race dominated by strategic tire choices amid evolving track conditions.
“That was probably the best victory of my life. We made the right decision and opted for rain tires at the beginning. I knew that if I was clever and kept the tires in a good window for a long time, I could open up a gap. I managed that,” said Bortolotti
Maro Engel and Arjun Maini in Red Bull Ring Race 1 (Photo: Gruppe C Photography)
Sunday: René Rast Triumphs Again at Red Bull Ring to take his 28th Career Victory
René Rast continued his dominance at the Red Bull Ring, winning the 14th DTM race of the season on Sunday for his 28th career victory. The BMW works driver from Schubert Motorsport executed a brilliant strategy, moving from fourth to first despite a poor start. His main rival, Thomas Preining in the Porsche 911 GT3 R, finished second after a relentless chase. Arjun Maini impressed again, securing third. Championship leader Mirko Bortolotti finished fourth, extending his lead by 15 points with just a few races left.
Pole-setter Bortolotti initially led but was overtaken by Rast after pit stops shuffled the order. Preining and Maini also overtook the Lamborghini driver, with Kelvin van der Linde finishing fifth. Sheldon van der Linde claimed sixth for BMW, while Ayhancan Güven and Maro Engel placed seventh and eighth. Franck Perera finished ninth, with Ferrari’s Jack Aitken rounding out the top ten.
“It was an action-packed, hard-fought race. The podium feels even better than the one on Saturday because I was able to work my way up from eighth place on the grid to third place. The decisive factor was that I got my tires up to the right temperature quickly after the pit stop.” – Arjun Maini after Race 2
With only a few races left, the battle for the DTM championship remains fierce, and all eyes will be on Bortolotti, Rast, and van der Linde as the season reaches its climax. DTM heads next to Hockenheimring for the final round of the weekend from 18-20th October.
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DTM is coming back after the summer break with the Nürburgring GP this weekend. In true DTM fashion, we already have 7 different winners in the 8 races conducted so far. And this weekend is predicted to be no less exciting! Read DRC’s preview for the weekend in the Eifel.
Championship fight continues
The 2024 DTM championship is currently lead by Mirko Bortolotti. However, he himself is yet to win a race this season.
The SSR Performance driver has had a good record at this track. In 2023, Bortolotti had a lights to flag victory in Race 1. This season, he has visited the podium thrice, with his best position being a P2. However, being at the top wouldn’t be a cakewalk for the Italian.
Kelvin Van Der Linde sits in P2, just six points adrift Bortolotti. He has been finishing every race in the points so far this season. He also has managed to finish in the top 6 in five races so far, which is another feat. However, Kelvin cannot rest for now as he has got another Nürburgring master on his tail.
René Rast (Schubert Motorsport) has had an excellent record at this track. He is a three-time winner at this track, winning with Audi. Now with BMW, he has amassed 65 points in just the last 4 races, winning most recently in Race 1 at Norisring. He now sits in third in the championship, 11 points away from the lead.
Now whether the three time world champion is able to recreate his Nürburgring magic will be a wait-and-watch affair.
Home advantage coming in clutch?
Two teams on the grid are based just near the track. Manthey EMA are headquartered in Meuspath, just beside the track.
Thomas Preining, piloting the no. 91 Manthey EMA, will be hoping for a strong performance to improve his position from 6th in the standings.
Another team with home advantage is Mercedes-AMG Team HRT. Located in Drees, the team has Luco Stolz and our very own Arjun Maini as its drivers.
Maini has been driving a spectacular season so far. Finishing in P4 at the last race, Maini is well ahead of his teammate in the standings. With 76 points under his belt, Maini is sitting in P5. However, he is slowly falling behind the top 4, who are engaged in the title fight. Maini will need to claw some essential points this weekend to get back into the title fight.
Track safari at the Nürburgring GP
Another sight to see this weekend will be the track safari being conducted. Fans will be allowed to board coaches on Friday and go on the track at the same time as the powerful GT3s, making for an unforgettable experience.
Track information
The track in use this weekend will be the Nürburgring sprint circuit. With just 3.6 kilometers of length, fans will be treated with frequent racing action. The weather in the Eifel region is already famous for being unpredictable enough to change the pitting strategy within a lap. All this makes up for a very interesting race weekend for us fans to watch.
When and Where to watch
All the sessions will be streamed on Fancode in India.
The schedule is as follows:
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It was a weekend of René Rast won his first race of the 2024 season driving flawlessly in changing conditions. On Sunday, it was Nicki Thiim who won his first-ever DTM race. Here’s how the weekend unfolded.
Read the preview of the Norisring weekend here
Rene Rast takes his first win of the season on Saturday
Saturday’s race at the Norisring started with Jack Aitken from Emil Frey Racing taking the lead in his Ferrari 296 GT3. Aitken’s strong start put him ahead of Sheldon van der Linde (Schubert Motorsport) and Lamborghini’s Mirko Bortolotti. The race strategy centred around potential rain, with top drivers delaying their mandatory pit stops. When the rain did arrive, most drivers switched to rain tyres, but René Rast gambled on staying out with slicks. This bold decision allowed Rast to take the lead and secure victory, as his competitors on rain tyres couldn’t close the gap.
Franck Perera, who also stayed on slicks, followed in second place, while Luca Engstler climbed from 15th to finish third after an impressive charge on dry tyres. Nicki Thiim took fourth, overtaking teammate Bortolotti in the final corner. Kelvin van der Linde finished sixth, maintaining his overall lead in the championship, while his brother Sheldon van der Linde placed seventh. Maro Engel ended in eighth, with Aitken dropping to ninth after losing his early advantage. Maximilian Paul completed the top ten, capping a thrilling race defined by strategic tyre choices and changing weather conditions.
“For me, the Norisring is one of the best tracks on the calendar, this victory feels gigantic. It got a bit louder on the radio because I absolutely wanted to continue driving with slicks despite the rain. It was a brave decision, but it paid off,” said Rene Rast
Nicki Thiim follows his father and makes history with Norisring’s victory.
In a thrilling eighth race of the DTM season, Nicki Thiim capitalized on his pole position to command the race from the start, steadily extending his lead over teammate Mirko Bortolotti. Maro Engel made an early pit stop and used his warmed-up tyres to overtake Bortolotti, securing second place. The race took an intense turn when the safety car was deployed with just ten minutes remaining, yet Thiim maintained his lead to claim victory after 69 laps.
Behind the top three, Arjun Maini delivered a commendable performance, finishing fourth in his Mercedes-AMG after a flawless race. René Rast, who started further back on the grid, displayed exceptional skill and determination, climbing 14 positions to secure fifth place in his BMW M4 GT3. Thomas Preining also impressed, advancing from 12th to 6th in his Porsche 911 GT3 R with strong overtakes in the closing laps.
The race wasn’t without drama for championship contender Kelvin van der Linde. Starting fourth, he suffered a setback after contact with Ferrari driver Jack Aitken. The collision pushed him down the order, and he ultimately finished ninth. This result saw van der Linde relinquish his lead in the championship standings to Bortolotti, with Rast moving up to third overall. Despite the setbacks, the race highlighted the resilience and tactical brilliance of the top drivers, setting the stage for an exciting second half of the 2024 DTM season.
“As a young boy, I watched my father’s DTM races here, and a win at the Norisring was always at the top of my bucket list. Repeating my father’s success feels incredible, especially after the difficult season so far. The moments after crossing the finish line were very emotional for me,” said Nicki Thiim.
Find the latest Championship Standings here.
Up Next: Norisring after a break
DTM takes a month-long break before heading to the “Green Hell” in motorsports. Round 9 of the championship will see the grid visiting Nurburgring from 16 to 18 August.
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