Why Thomas Preining faces the real challenge on Tuesday, what disadvantage Engel sees for the DTM favourite, and just how dangerous Wittmann is
Pressure ahead of the decisive DTM weekend in the title race? Any special preparations? None of this seems to be an issue for DTM title favourite Thomas Preining ahead of the season finale at Hockenheim. “I’m putting myself in a real high-pressure situation today – not like at the finale,” says the Manthey Porsche driver with a smile on Tuesday.
“The Padel World Championship against my mates! It’s a do-or-die match – and I’m really looking forward to it,” says Preining. Otherwise, “everything’s as usual,” insists the 28-year-old Austrian. “I’m trying to approach the whole thing quite normally, just like any other weekend. I’m training and preparing together with my team.”
And what about Preining’s rivals? “Actually, pretty much business as usual,” replies challenger Maro Engel. “Taking my daughter to school in the morning, training in between, preparation, meetings with the team, picking my daughter up again in the evening, helping with her homework,” says the Winward-Mercedes driver, describing the “perfectly normal everyday life of a racing driver dad”.
Wittmann: “Whether it’s the final, the first or the fifth weekend”
And Schubert-BMW driver Wittmann, who only returned from the IMSA weekend in the US on Monday, wants to shake off the jet lag for now. “Today I’m celebrating my mum’s birthday with a small but fairly large group.” On Thursday, he’ll be heading to the Hockenheimring.
“But basically, the routine is the same as for any other race,” says the 36-year-old. “Whether it’s the final, the first or the fifth race weekend, it doesn’t really matter in the end.”
Nevertheless, the starting positions of the title contenders could not be more different: Preining leads the overall standings comfortably and could secure the title as early as Saturday, as he has a 23-point lead over Engel and a 24-point lead over Wittmann. There are still 56 points up for grabs – including those from qualifying.
Engel: “Thomas has everything in his own hands, but also everything to lose”
Long shots – but still in the running – are Lucas Auer, 45 points behind, Matteo Cairoli, 47 points behind, and Nicki Thiim, 50 points behind Preining. “Thomas has everything in his own hands, but also everything to lose,” says challenger Engel. “We’ve got nothing to lose.”
And Wittmann agrees with him. “We’re in a similar situation to Maro. We’ve got nothing to lose, we can only win. That’s why we’re heading into the weekend feeling relaxed.”
Wittmann senses an opportunity at the Hockenheimring
Especially as not only his BMW but he himself has an excellent track record at Hockenheim. “We’ve always been strong at Hockenheim – and so have I,” emphasises the two-time DTM champion, who has celebrated four of his 21 victories at Hockenheim (2014, 2017, 2019, 2022) and was only stopped in 2025 by champion Ayhancan Güven in a dramatic finale.
“It’s a circuit that’s always suited me very well, where things have gone well.” Apart from that, Wittmann sees “the momentum on our side”, as the Franconian has scored 79 points in the last four races at the Nürburgring and the Sachsenring. That means he has even collected three more points than Preining – and more than anyone else.
“The hope is to pick up at Hockenheim where we last left off at the Nürburgring and the Sachsenring,” says Wittmann.
What Preining learnt from his first DTM title
So the challengers are putting the pressure on Preining, who arrived as the favourite back in 2023 when he won his first DTM title. What has he learnt from that experience?
“What we did very well back then – and have also done well over the last few weekends – was to focus entirely on ourselves,” he replies. “We always get the most out of it. Back then, it was two first-place finishes. That’s not easy, of course. This season, in the first half of the campaign, it was often sixth or tenth place.”
At the moment, he cannot say where he and his Manthey Porsche stand in comparison to the competition. His approach? “Definitely to squeeze every last bit out of the car, as much as possible. And then things should actually work out,” says Preining confidently.
