DTM

A FIERY WEEKEND IN THE NETHERLANDS: DTM ZANDVOORT RACE REVIEW.

DTM made it’s first flyaway stop of the season at Circuit Zandvoort for Round 3 of the championship.

Published

1 year ago

June 11, 2024

A FIERY WEEKEND IN THE NETHERLANDS: DTM ZANDVOORT RACE REVIEW.

It is a beautiful morning in The Netherlands. Little birds chirping around, the sun glistening in the sky, flowers blooming in every corner. It’s one of those days where you feel grateful for being born. As you soak in these blessings god bestowed upon you, you hear a roaring sound. The next thing you know, you are sitting at Circuit Zandvoort with German Touring Cars whizzing past you because it’s the DTM weekend in the Netherlands.

The daunting 4 km track has put the greatest names in motorsports in a twist. Even Formula One drivers call this track a challenging weekend. But regardless of it’s challenging nature, the drivers are more than ready to face it.

Kelvin van der Linde is fully motivated and wants to turn his last win in Race 1 at Lausitzring into a double streak of wins. Thomas Preining had a poor start to the season at Oschersleben, finishing a low P10 & P13 in Race 1 & Race 2 respectively . He redeemed himself at the Lausitzring with a win in Race 2 but he has high hopes to perform better this weekend. Last year’s Race 1 winner Maro Engel aims to be back on the podium and continue his podium campaign as he has finished in the top 3 twice this season. Mercedes AMG Team HRT driver and Indian Arjun Maini has been on a phenomenal run this year, scoring a P8 and P4 at Oschersleben and a P7 & P12 at Lausitzring. The has waved the tricolor high, scoring points in every race this championship campaign.

The weekend lasted from the 7th of June till the 9th of June. With a lot of action and storylines continuing from Lausitzring, let’s get into how to weekend went by.

FREE PRACTICE

The fastest man in FP1 in the morning was Nicki Thiim from SSR Performance.

“It is a few years since my last race weekend in Zandvoort.”
Nicki thiim on his stints at the dutch race track.

FP2 saw three different drivers, Lucas Auer; Clemens Schmid & Kelvin van der Linde top the time sheets. All three drivers separated by just 0.7 seconds. Auer set one flyer of a lap which was then topped by the others. The main reason for such quick lap times is Track Evolution. More rubber on the track means more grip leading to better and quicker lap times.

“We made good progress from the first to the second free practice session. However, people keep their cards to their chest right to the end in the DTM. As such, I am intrigued to see how we get on in qualifying. Grid position is very important in Zandvoort, as it is difficult to overtake here,”
Auer gives his insights on zandvoort

QUALIFYING

Qualifying 1 saw an electrifying performance from Jack Aitken as he set his Ferrari on pole for Race 1. The Brit set a blistering lap of 1:31.762, which let his team at Emil Frey Racing celebrate. Clemens Schmid placed second with his McLaren, setting a 1:32.136. Arjun Maini took a brilliant P3 with 1:32.209.

Maini was very pleased to be placed P3 for Race 1. The Indian has finished in the top five in all but one of the qualifying sessions so far this season. Aitken secured his third pole position of his DTM career with his Ferrari 296.

“I have the best starting position and am looking forward to the race. The goal is obviously to win, in order to move back towards the top of the championship,”
Jack aitken on his pole position for Race 1

Qualifying 2 had Maximillian Paul take his maiden Pole for Paul Motorsports, placing his #71 Lamborghini on the front row of the grid with a 1:32.780 . Fellow Lamborghini driver Mirko Bortolotti placed his car alongside Paul to lock out the front row. Both Emil Frey driver Thierry Vermuelen and Jack Aitken locked out the second row for their team. Arjun Maini performed spectacularly once again and placed fifth, setting a 1:33.053.

“As a new team, to start from pole in our third weekend in the DTM is really impressive and the reward for our hard work. However, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels now, as the field is very strong and includes many works drivers. The key to the race is to stay cool and put our foot down,”
Max Paul on his maiden Pole Position at Zandvoort.

RACE

Race 1 had Jack Aitken storm off of Pole Position and into the lead with Schmid close behind in his McLaren. The order followed as Maini, Feller & Auer. Rene Rast made swift moves up the pack in his BMW to move up to 4th from 7th. Quick pitstops helped Aitken maintain his lead and Rast shaved seconds off of Schmid who was running in 2nd. Rast kept up the blinding speed to pass Maini and Schmid to take 2nd place. Schmid meanwhile kept losing pace and was eventually overthrown by Maini and had to settle for fourth place. The chequered flag fell and Aitken took home the victory with Rast in second and Maini finished up the podium. Ben Dorr bagged the Fastest lap for Dorr Motorsports in his McLaren 750S GT3 EVO.

“Three race weekends in and I already have two wins to my name, that is awesome. The key was that I managed to open a bit of a gap immediately after the start. After that, I could control the race from the front. I could often see René Rast in my mirror in the closing stages, but I did not let that distract me,”
Aitken after his win in Race 1.

Rene Rast seemed very thrilled to be on the podium as he did not believe he’d be up there after his performance on Friday.

“After our performance on Friday, it really did not look as though we would be on the podium…. The race was really great fun.”
Rast on his performance in Race 1.

Arjun Maini felt that he could have pushed harder for a better result and he knew his Mercedes could have helped him score higher than he did.

“I am finally back on the DTM podium. That feels super……I was hoping there may possibly be more in it for me. However, Jack Aitken and René Rast were faster than me at the end.”
Maini on his p3 finish

Race 2

Race 2 saw Polesitter Maximillian Paul shoot off at the start but falling short at Turn 2 as Mirko Bortolotti overtook him to take the lead of the race. A couple laps later, Auer and Schmid partook in a skirmish leading to a crash, bringing out the Safety Car. Home hero Thierry Vermuelen and Kelvin van der Linde occupied P4 and P5 respectively.

As the race progressed, Bortolotti kept the lead. BMW’s Marco Wittmann led an electrifying charge through the field and got lucky with his pitstops. He found himself leading the pack. Bortolotti hit Wittmann but the BMW driver kept pushing and won in spectacular fashion. He took the chequered flag after 38 laps. From 14th to 1st. He was followed close behind by Bortolotti and Kelvin van der Linde. Arjun Maini and his Mercedes finished a strong P6 and bagged valuable points after his podium campaign in Race 1. The Fastest Lap was clocked in by Nicki Thiim with a 1:34.609s.

“I never thought I would come from so far back to win…..I am just overjoyed that I was able to bring home the win,”
Wittmann after his win in Race 2.

“When you take the lead in turn one and are out in front for so many laps, you obviously want to win. In the end, I have to settle for second place. The rear axle felt strange in the closing laps, and the drivers behind me put me under an awful lot of pressure.”
Mirko Bortelotti after hi p2 finish.

“I am particularly pleased with third place for our crew, who have been very busy recently, with two DTM events and the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.”
Kelvin van der linde thanking his team after his p3 finish

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Zandvoort proved to be a ground for tough battles, redemptions, and surprises for the drivers. DTM next heads to the Norisring from the 5th of July to the 7th of July.

DTM

DTM Norisring Review: Jordan Pepper Takes Maiden DTM Win, Thomas Preining Picks Up his First Win of 2025, Arjun Maini Continues to Rise

At the only street circuit on DTM calendar, chaos was expected, and chaos was delivered.

Published

6 days ago

July 10, 2025

Akshat Ranjan

Photo: Gruppe C Photography

As DTM made its way to the Norisring, the only street circuit on the calendar did not disappoint. Jordan Pepper and Thomas Preining picked up wins in Race 1 & 2, respectively, on the streets of Nuremberg. Ferrari had their best weekend of the season and picked up a double-podium finish on Sunday. Arjun Maini’s rich form continues, and the HRT Team continue to make progress.

Jordan Pepper Delivers a Commanding Performance on Saturday

Jordan Pepper’s form shows no signs of slowing down, as the South African wins his first DTM race to become the sixth race winner of the 2025 season. Pepper achieved this feat just one week after his 24 Hours of Spa success. Pepper picked up pole position earlier that day and converted pole to win by driving a near-flawless race. Pepper’s race win seemed skeptical only at one point – when he lost time in the pits due to a rear-right tire issue. However, he had made up enough time in his first stint to take the win.

DTM Norisring Review: Jordan Pepper Takes Maiden DTM Win, Thomas Preining Picks Up his First Win of 2025, Arjun Maini Continues to Rise — Jordan Pepper wins Race 1 of DTM at Norisring 2025 – Photo: Gruppe C Photography

“It was the longest 55 minutes of my life” – Said Pepper

Thomas Preining finished in second place, just three seconds behind Pepper. Maro Engel returned to the podium despite an opening lap collision with Nicki Thiim. Thiim spun and finished the race last in 20th; however, the incident was deemed a racing incident by the stewards. Arjun Maini pushed his Ford Mustang to its limits and had an intense battle with three-time DTM champion Rene Rast, where he put up a strong defence. Maini finished the race in P8 while Rast drove a brilliant recovery from P17 to P10.

Mirko Bortolotti had a heated battle with Marco Whittman, which involved several instances of contact between the Lamborghini and BMW. This led to a warning for Whittman, and both drivers finished out of the top 15. Fabio Scherer could not start the race due to a massive crash in qualifying earlier. Timo Glock reported a power issue, and Aston Martin driver Gilles Magnus scored his first points of the season with a P12 finish.

Thomas Preining Wins Chaotic Sunday Race

Flawless strategy by the Manthey EMA team meant that Preining picked up his first win of the season in Nuremberg. Starting from sixth on the grid, Preining beat Ferrari drivers Jack Aitken and Thierry Vermeulen to clinch the win. The Emil Frey pair finished P2 and P3 to round up a double podium for Ferrari.

The race started with a massive incident at turn 1 involving Marco Whittman, Mirko Bortolotti, Nicki Thiim and Jules Gounon. The incident forced all 4 drivers to retire and red-flag the race. The race restarted under a safety car, where polesitter Vermeulen maintained the lead from Aitken and Preining, who had jumped from sixth to third in the first start.

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A full-course yellow was called when Fabio Scherer suffered a loose wheel. This caused another accident, where Tom Kalender’s Mercedes was hit from the back by Magnus’s Aston Martin while he slowed down to meet the delta time. This caused both drivers to retire from the race.

“That would’ve been the usual braking point. I don’t know what the other driver was thinking, but it happened. You can’t just vanish into thin air. It was a typical racing incident.” – Said Kalender

The race was won by the Manthey team’s pit crew. Preining was closing in on Aitken, trailing the Ferrari driver by less than a second. A faster stop by the Manthey team put Preining right on Aitken’s tail, and since he had pitted a lap before Aitken, warmer tires allowed him to take the lead of the race. Maro Engel finished fourth ahead of Arjun Maini. Rene Rast salvaged P7.

Arjun Maini Continues to Progress Upwards

After a few incredible comeback drives earlier this year, Maini qualified P2 in the Group A qualifying on Sunday and finished P5. He took part in a heated battle with Rene Rast on Saturday and finished the race in P8. This was Maini’s best weekend so far in 2025, on a track not easy to drive due to its tight street circuit nature. Half of the season done and now familiar with his new car, Maini will be eyeing a podium finish in the coming races.

Championship Standings

The DTM driver’s standings show drastic changes after every race weekend; however, Lucas Auer continues to lead. Thomas Preining and Jordan Pepper jump up the standings to P2 and P3 while being tied at 102 points each, thanks to their wins. Jack Aitken also moves up to P4 level with Maro Engel at 101 points. Zandvoort Race winners Rast and Guven fall to P6 and P8. Jules Gounon sits at P7 with 88 points. Arjun Maini moves up to P14.

Mercedes’ lead over Porsche shrinks by 10 points. Lamborghini, Ferrari and BMW fight for P3 in the standings with 174, 167 and 161 points respectively. Manthey extends their lead to Winward Racing.

Nurburgring Up Next

DTM will return in five weeks’ time to the Nurburgring on 8-10 August. Jordan Pepper, high on confidence and in great form, will look to grab big points. Lucas Auer, after a brilliant start, will want to pick up the pace again for the latter half of the season and look to return to the podium. After coming ever so close to victory, Ferrari will look to push towards the top step of the podium. Having won two races this season, Guven will look to make up places in the standings.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X/, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.

DTM

DTM Zandvoort Review: Rene Rast, Ayhancan Guven Victorious as Arjun Maini Shines on Sunday to Achieve his Best Result Yet in 2025:

Rain spices things up for DTM inZandvoort as Rast and Guven take race wins. Meanwhile Arjun Maini orchestrates a comeback drive on Sunday.

Published

1 month ago

June 13, 2025

Akshat Ranjan

DTM Zandvoort Review: Rene Rast, Ayhancan Guven Victorious as Arjun Maini Shines on Sunday to Achieve his Best Result Yet in 2025:

Image Credits: Gruppe C Photography

Zandvoort saw top-tier racing and incredible DTM action. The weekend saw intermittent rainfall and therefore, unpredictable results. Underdogs such as Nicki Thiim and Max Paul had success, while the favourites like Lucas Auer, Jordan Pepper and Maro Engel would’ve hoped for better results.

Guven Holds his Composure in a Rain-Affected Chaotic Saturday Race

Strategy played a key role in Saturday’s race as the sun played hide and seek. Jordan Pepper showed exceptional skill during qualifying to secure pole position in tricky wet conditions. However, he failed to convert pole to win due to a strategy mishap. Pepper delayed his pitstop to avoid the crowded pit lane once the pit window opened. Later, when he did come into the pits, a slow stop meant that he lost the lead of the race. Maro Engel had a disappointing race, finishing P9, starting from P2. At the race start, he lost a couple of positions to Luca Engstler and Ayhancan Guven. Later in the race, Engel entered the pit lane one lap too early, before the pit window opened, due to a suspected radio miscommunication. This was effectively a drive-through and cost him the race.

Ayhancan Guven held his composure amidst the chaos and drove an excellent race to secure only his second DTM win, after his first at Oschersleben. Nicki Thiim and Max Paul finished P2 and P3, both starting from outside the top 10 thanks to a daring strategy. Thiim and Paul started the race on slicks and lost nearly 30 seconds to the leaders in the first 5 laps, however, a late stop allowed them to retain track position, and they cashed in their advantage to finish on the podium. Morris Schuring and Marco Whittmann fought till the end, with Schuring crossing the line just 0.017 seconds ahead of Whittmann to secure P5.

“It was a crazy race today. I got off to a good start and battled with Luca [Engstler], then we had a really good pitstop. The strategy was excellent too, but given the conditions, it was definitely walking a fine line.” – Said Guven

The race also saw multiple collisions and pit stop drama. Timo Glock made contact with Gilles Magnus’s Aston Martin, which sent him into a massive rally-style drift into the gravel. He did well to keep the car out of the barriers; however, a puncture meant that he had to retire from the race. Three-time DTM champion Rene Rast made contact with the barriers not once, but twice! Among other retirements, Arjun Maini too suffered an unfortunate retirement in his Ford.

BMW Dominates on Sunday for a 1-2 Finish

After a chaotic Saturday, Race 2 was comparatively uneventful. Rene Rast started from pole and drove an excellent race to convert it into a win. Marco Whittmann celebrated his 200th DTM race with a P2 finish and a 1-2 for BMW and Schubert Motorsport. Whittmann had a good start and straight away overtook Jack Aitken’s Ferrari in the first corner of the first lap to put himself in P2. Later, he piled on the pressure in the closing laps; however, Rast was successful in keeping him behind.

“I was clearly faster towards the end, I could attack, but it just wasn’t enough” – Said Whittmann

Jack Aitken and Thomas Preining had a fierce battle for 3rd; however, they could not keep up with the 2 BMWs. Preining emerged victorious from the battle to round up the podium. Maro Engel had a much better race, as compared to Saturday, and made up 7 places to finish P5. Fabio Scherer suffered a driveshaft problem, due to which he retired before the start of the race. Saturday’s polesitter Jordan Pepper suffered a DNF after a puncture due to contact with Thierry Vermeulen’s Ferrari.

Arjun Maini Shines on Sunday

After a disappointing result on Saturday, Arjun Maini bounced back on Sunday and drove a brilliant race in his new team. This also showed positive signs for the HRT team as well as Arjun Maini as they continue to familiarize themselves with the new car. A few weeks earlier, at Lausitzring, Maini showed promising signs with a brilliant drive from P20 to P12. This weekend at Zandvoort, starting from P16, he made up 6 places to achieve his best finish so far in 2025, driving the new Ford Mustang. This included his incredible battle with the McLaren of Ben Dorr, where none of the two drivers seemed too yield. However, Maini kept his head down and made the overtake stick. Maini and the team hope to continue this upward trend and hope to be fighting at the front of the field soon.

Championship Standings

A race win for Ayhancan Guven and Rene Rast propelled them into the top 3 in the driver’s championship. Lucas Auer continues to lead with 91 points, followed by Rast at 75 and Guven at 73. Jules Gounon and Maro Engel are close behind at 73 and 72 points, respectively. Arjun Maini currently sits at 17th in the standings.

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Manthey leads the team’s standings with 145 points. After a brilliant Sunday for Schubert Motorsport, they close the gap to Winward Racing as both teams are at 139 points. Mercedes maintains a healthy gap of 30 points in the manufacturer’s standings. Porsche is in 2nd with 152 points, followed closely by BMW at 142 and Lamborghini at 137.

Month-long Break Until Norisring

After an incredible weekend at Zandvoort, DTM resumes on 4-6 July at Norisring. Norisring is the only street circuit on the DTM calendar. Championship leader Lucas Auer will look to bounce back after failing to secure a podium at Zandvoort. Maro Engel will also hope to fight at the front for a win. Guven and Rast will enter the weekend with loads of confidence after their wins and will look to close the gap to the top of the standings.

DTM

DTM Lausitzring: Jordan Pepper Leads Heading into Lausitz

As DTM heads to Lausitzring, Jordan Pepper leads while Auer and Guven come with confidence after taking wins in the last round.

Published

2 months ago

May 22, 2025

Anuj Tripathi

DTM Lausitzring: Jordan Pepper Leads Heading into Lausitz

Image Credits: Gruppe C Photography

DTM is all set to make a stop at the DEKRA Lausitzring this weekend for Round 2 of the championship. The South African Jordan Pepper is leading the championship, but race winners Lucas Auer and Ayhancan Guven come into this weekend with lots of confidence. Let’s see who comes out on top at Lausitzring.

Jordan Pepper Looking for his First Win of the Season

Jordan might be leading the championship, but the Lamborghini driver did not win any races last time out. Thanks to his consistent qualifying and race results, the South African has managed to get the most points of anyone and take the championship lead. For Jordan, the goal this weekend would be to repeat that form and continue to get consistent points on the board, although he would not be completely opposed to getting some wins while he is at it.

Auer and Guven Carrying Momentum from Last Round

For Lucas Auer, Race 1 last time around was perfect as he started from Pole and was in control throughout to take the win when the chequered flag dropped. Guven too, impressed everyone by executing the perfect strategy to become the first ever winner, a Turkish driver to win in DTM. Both these drivers are on 34 points, just 3 behind the championship leader Jordan Pepper.

“I won my first DTM race at the Lausitzring in 2016; that was something of a breakthrough. The track is technically demanding, but also really cool to drive,” said Auer.

Arjun Maini and HRT are familiarising themselves with the Mustang

Both Arjun and HRT have been long-time associated with Mercedes, so shifting to Ford this year was a bold move. The new kid on the block is still getting to grips with the German team. Last weekend, Arjun was the quickest Ford of the two and also helped the American manufacturer score a point on debut. This weekend, the team and the Indian driver would be looking to build on the experience they have gained and hopefully move up in the grid. With the BoP balancing out the manufacturers in DTM, one can expect them to challenge for the top 10, if not for podiums and wins.

Schedule and Where to Watch DTM in India

You can watch all the sessions of DTM live on Fancode with a weekend pass for just this weekend or a full season pass for the full DTM season. The complete schedule in IST is given below.

Desi Racing Co. is dedicated to bringing the latest updates and insights from the world of motorsport. Whether it’s Formula 1, Formula 2, WEC, MotoGP, Indian motorsports, or other racing series, we’ve got you covered! Stay connected with us for in-depth motorsport coverage. Follow us on Twitter/X, Instagram, and LinkedIn to keep up with the latest motorsport news and updates.