Rain in the final DTM qualifying at Hockenheim turned strategic plans upside down and handed the front row to a surprise contender.
Weather‑induced disruptions shape qualifying performances
Unpredictable showers burst midway through the session, forcing teams to rethink tyre selection while pit stop timing evolved into a midnight decision‑making exercise. The changing conditions fragmented the expected progression of the field, with many drivers unable to lock in their target windows.
Bastian Buus takes Porsche’s first pole of the season
Denmark‑born rookie Bastian Buus completed a 1:36.923 lap that tinnyed his rival teammate Ricardo Feller by just 0.006 s. The stake‑out ended with Buus as the man on the front line, a position that has yet to be earned by any Danish driver in DTM.
Championship contenders and grid positions
Title favourite Thomas Preining could only finish seventh, 0.306 s behind pole, a result that short‑circuited his 20‑point advantage over rival Maro Engel. Engel was third, one point better than teammate Jules Gounon, who claimed fourth spot. Preining’s laps were interrupted by a warm‑up issue and tyres that were out of optimum range, yet his team considers the result a solid platform for the race.
Engel expressed confidence that “a win is now necessary” to upset the early leaders, insisting the team was ready to attack. The German “playfully” noted that the Penning-Preining margin made the race a true title decider.
Mixed fortunes for other drivers and grid shuffle
- Ferrari teammates Matteo Cairoli (+0.154 s) and Thierry Vermeulen (+0.273 s) occupied the front of the third row, ahead of Preining.
- Marco Mapelli qualified eighth while Luca Engstler’s crash left his Abt Lamborghini team a lone entry.
- Timo Glock (Dörr McLaren) rounded the field in ninth and Ben Dörr followed in tenth.
- Lap winner Lucas Auer stalled at twelfth, 0.646 s off pole.
- Marco Wittmann finished 16th, 0.863 s behind pole, expressing dismay that the race “had no chance.”
The race is scheduled to start at 16:30 CEST. Preining maintains the title lead, while Engel must secure victory to keep his championship hopes alive, and rivals like Wittmann face an uphill climb as the standings tighten.
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