Marco Wittmann started the DTM race at the Nurburgring from the sixth grid spot and capped off the event with a third overall win after leveraging a blend of daring starts and precise pit stops.
Opening Chaos and Early Clashes
Mercedes‑AMG’s ambitions were dampened early when championship leader Maro Engel spun his Winward car in the first corner, taking fellow Mercedes driver Lucas Auer in the process. The collision also knocked Kelvin van der Linde of Schubert‑BMW off the track, ending all three seasons’ races prematurely.
Polesitter Jules Gounon and the rest of the Mercedes front row fought a tense duel, only for Gounon to finish 14th after a penalty altered the order. Mercedes‑AMG dominated the early high‑speed battles but the team’s chain reaction cost them their standing moments.
Under‑cut Glory for Wittmann
Wittmann capitalised on the May 12-South–starting scramble by moving to the front after the first pit‑stop window. He was among the earliest in the field to make the change, handling tyre changes at the 12th lap and staying ahead of any safety‑car interventions.
During the same window, the top‑three drivers, including Mercedes’ Gounon and APC‑Ferrari’s Matteo Cairoli, performed pit stops that exposed mechanical mishaps: Dorr‑McLaren’s win‑line wheel was fastened incorrectly while Gounon’s stop was flawless, saving the Frenchman from further time loss.
Kalender Breaks Through to Podium
Shortly after the first safety‑car period, Tom Kalender’s fresh‑tyre strategy propelled him to second before the second pit‑stop phase. After the last in‑lane pass of the front trio, Kalender spun a tactical advantage owing to a superior tire set, finishing the race second and earning his first DTM podium.
Thomas Preining secured third for Manthey‑Porsche and closed the points gap to the leading Engel. He was ready to challenge for the championship once again with only a handful of remaining races.
Midfield Battles and Final Standings
Abt‑Lamborghini’s Lucas Engstler and coachable HRT‑Ford’s Arjun Maini fought for fourth place, with Maini overtaking Engstler in the closing laps, leaving Matute‑Lamborghini’s Mirko Bortolotti and Bastian Buus to claim the remaining top‑10 positions.
Nicki Thiim, driving for Comtoyou‑Aston‑Martin, achieved a solid seventh place, but could not maintain pace after Müller‑Simbody’s correction of the wheel position during his stop.
Championship Implications
Despite his retirement, Engel remains on the points front due to his early fight for speed. Preining’s third‑place finish draws him just one point behind the leader, reshaping the competition for the last four races on the calendar.
As the season edges toward the Sachsenring and final Hockenheim showdown, every upcoming lap will be a decisive moment for drivers hungry for the title and for Mercedes‑AMG and its rivals striving to uphold their growing influence on the track.
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