Why Thomas Preining dreams of three DTM titles, why the helmet swap with Rene Rast in Hockenheim was a special moment, and what Rast thinks of Preining
“Grello” Porsche driver Thomas Preining has set himself the goal of winning three titles in the DTM. The works driver, who became the first Porsche champion in DTM history with Manthey in 2023, also fought for a possible second title in 2025, which was then won by his teammate Ayhancan Güven, of all people. Why does the 27-year-old want to win three titles?
It has to do with Rene Rast. “When I was a Porsche junior, there was a guy at Audi who suddenly came into the DTM and destroyed everyone,” Preining tells his fellow racers Laurens and Dries Vanthoor in the Over the Limit podcast. “His name was Rene Rast. And surprise, surprise—he also came from the Porsche one-make cup. That gave me a kind of role model.”
What particularly motivated Preining was that Rast won several titles in the Supercup and the German Carrera Cup around 15 years ago and then fought his way to the top of the DTM. “He made it to where I wanted to be,” admits Preining, who also won the Carrera Cup Germany title in 2018.
“My ultimate dream, because I always looked up to him”
So Preining emulated the three-time champion in the DTM as well. “Of course, he already had three titles at that point,” he recalls. “That’s why it’s my ultimate DTM dream, because I’ve always looked up to him and have a lot of respect for him,” says the Austrian.
This respect is mutual. After his retirement from the DTM, at least for the time being, Rast revealed that Preining was the driver in the current DTM field who “stood out in recent years with many strong performances.”
At the season finale in Hockenheim on Saturday evening, following Preining’s victory, the two top drivers exchanged helmets.
Helmet swap in Hockenheim a “really big moment”
“Rene has always been my role model—and in the DTM, he was my reference,” said Preining ahead of the event at ran.de. “So this is a really big moment for me.” Rast was also delighted to have received “a helmet with a few personal words” from Preining.
But were there also critical moments between the two? Similar to Rast, it didn’t take long for Preining to make a name for himself after joining the DTM in 2022 as a Bernhard driver.
On only the fourth weekend of the season at the Norisring, he secured Porsche’s first victory in DTM history. A year later, Preining repeated this feat – with a tough maneuver against his idol Rast in the battle for victory at the Norisring. It was a key moment on the road to Preining’s DTM title win.
Rast’s enthusiasm for the “Grello” Porsche driver’s action was limited after the race, but it is maneuvers like these that allow an up-and-coming driver to show the established drivers that they will continue to be a force to be reckoned with. Preining seems to have succeeded in doing just that with Rast.