Thomas Preining is on the verge of securing his second DTM title in 2026: Here’s how the Manthey-Porsche driver could celebrate victory ahead of schedule at the Hockenheim finale
Thomas Preining already knows the feeling: back in 2023, the Manthey Porsche driver didn’t have to wait until the final race of the year at the DTM finale in Hockenheim to be crowned champion. The Austrian secured pole position in Sunday’s qualifying session, earning three points that sealed his title win.
This year, history could repeat itself: Preining leads the DTM standings and could even secure his second title as early as Saturday. The Porsche driver heads into the penultimate day of racing with a 23-point lead over Maro Engel (Winward-Mercedes) and a 24-point lead over Marco Wittmann (Schubert-BMW).
But how big does Preining’s lead need to be after Saturday’s race for the championship to be effectively decided and for the title to be out of reach even on Sunday? The answer: at least 29 points. This is because a maximum of 28 points are still up for grabs on Sunday.
In qualifying, three points are awarded for pole position, whilst in the subsequent race the winner receives 25 points. With a 29-point lead, Preining’s rivals will be unable to catch him on Sunday.
Preining can clinch the title early on his own merits
Preining would not be reliant on ‘help’ from his title rivals to clinch the title early: should the 2023 DTM champion secure both pole position and victory on Saturday, this haul would automatically be enough to clinch the title early.
This is because the Porsche driver would thereby increase his championship points tally to a total of 225 points. Maro Engel, with second on the grid (plus two points) and second place in the race (plus 20 points), would reach a total of 196 points – exactly 29 points fewer than Preining.
However, the situation can also be explained differently: if Preining scores at least six points more than Engel and at least five points more than Wittmann on Saturday, his two closest rivals would also be out of the running on Sunday.
But this also means that the Manthey-Porsche driver would have to finish at least in the top 10 in Saturday’s race, provided he does not finish in the top three in qualifying. Should he manage that, however, depending on his rivals’ results, even positions 11 to 13 might be enough. Anything beyond that would postpone the title decision until Sunday.
Title win also possible in Sunday’s qualifying
For Preining, the decisive factor on the first day of racing at Hockenheim will be that Engel and Wittmann, as well as the remaining title contenders Lucas Auer (Landgraf-Mercedes), Matteo Cairoli (Emil Frey-Ferrari) and Nicki Thiim (Comtoyou-Aston Martin), score only enough points to ensure that the Austrian is at least 29 points ahead by Saturday evening.
Generally speaking, the fewer points Preining scores on Saturday in his special “Grello” livery, the more he will have to rely on a helping hand from his rivals. The best-case scenario for the Manthey driver would be to finish ahead of his rivals in both qualifying and the race.
Perhaps the situation from the 2023 season will repeat itself: back then, Preining also secured the title before the final race of the year, though not on Saturday, but in qualifying on Sunday morning. Depending on how the first day of racing at the season finale in Hockenheim goes, this scenario cannot be ruled out.
What consequences a Grasser appeal would have on the title race
However, it should not be forgotten that Grasser still intends to lodge an FIA appeal against the confirmed disqualification of Mirko Bortolotti at Oschersleben. This could have implications for the title race: whilst Engel would fall even further behind Preining, Wittmann would make up one point.
The title race would therefore have to be a close one to ensure that the 2026 DTM champion is not already decided after the final race of the year, which takes place later than usual. As things stand, it looks as though Preining will have every reason to celebrate this coming weekend – whether on Saturday or Sunday.
