The latest episode of ‘Behind the Grid’ ahead of the title decider focuses on the rivalry between Thomas Preining and Maro Engel: the pair reveal previously unseen sides of themselves
At the Hockenheimring, the big rivals Thomas Preining and Maro Engel are set for a showdown in the DTM title race. This is also one of the central themes of the latest episode of the DTM documentary series “Behind the Grid”, which focuses on the title contenders and will be broadcast on ProSieben on Saturday at 12.25 pm, immediately before the race coverage.
“People say that the two aren’t arch-rivals, but they’ve been battling it out for years and there’s certainly not much mutual affection there,” says former DTM champion Maximilian Götz, describing the relationship between DTM leader Preining and Engel, who trails by 23 points ahead of the final round.
The Mercedes title contender makes clear how he views his rival Preining – and also talks about his personal relationship with the Manthey-Porsche driver. “I don’t think it’s any secret that we won’t be going on holiday together,” says Engel. “We’re too different as people for that.”
Engel offers a personal insight into Monte Carlo
Nevertheless, there is mutual respect between the two on the racetrack, as Preining emphasises. The Austrian also reveals the area in which he believes Engel has improved the most in 2026 and where he sees his closest rival’s greatest strength in the title fight.
The seventh episode of the series also offers personal insights from the drivers – and reveals previously unknown sides to them. We see Engel talking to his wife and daughter about the serious pit lane collision with his Mercedes-AMG team-mate Lucas Auer at the Nürburgring – and how self-critical he is about it immediately afterwards in the Winward truck.
“It’s not your fault, sweetie. It was Dad who made a mistake,” the 41-year-old tells his eight-year-old daughter. Alongside footage from the final DTM test at the Hockenheimring – which went anything but perfectly for Engel – the Winward Mercedes driver is also seen on his running route up into the mountains above his home town of Monte Carlo.
Preining invites viewers to try Kaiserschmarrn and shows off his helmet collection
But Preining also reveals some unexpected sides to himself: the 30-year-old invites viewers into his flat in Linz to prepare a traditional Austrian Kaiserschmarrn in the kitchen. In the process, he also reveals what sets his recipe apart from others.
He shows where he keeps the 2023 DTM trophy and presents his collection of racing helmets in the cellar. One helmet, belonging to a fellow racing driver, is particularly close to his heart.
Schubert-BMW driver Marco Wittmann, who trails by 24 points in the overall standings and also still has a realistic chance of winning, is shown at a press conference with children.
The two-time champion also explains why he could be the one to benefit from the battle between the two major rivals. “In principle, we’ve got nothing to lose – for us, things can only get better. That’s why I believe the role of the challenger is the much more relaxed and enjoyable option.”