Motorsport Arena Oschersleben — The ninth race of the DTM season belonged entirely to Thomas Preining. The 2023 DTM champion produced a commanding performance in his Manthey Porsche 911 GT3 R, snatching pole position in Qualifying 1 before leading from start to finish to secure his second win of the season.
Qualifying 1: Preining Sets the Benchmark
Saturday morning set the tone for a dominant day by the Austrian driver. Building on his top form from Friday’s free practice sessions, Preining put together a flawless lap around the tight, 3.696-kilometer circuit near Magdeburg to claim pole position.
Starting from the front row alongside Preining was Luca Engstler in the Red Bull Team Abt Lamborghini, with Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel lining up right behind in third.
Race 1 Highlights: Pit Stop Precision and Tactical Mastery
When the lights went out, Preining launched cleanly into Turn 1 to defend his lead. Behind him, Maro Engel made an aggressive start, getting past Engstler into second place early on.
The narrow, twisty layout of Oschersleben makes overtaking notoriously difficult, placing heavy importance on strategy and traffic management. Preining gradually built a two-second lead before the mandatory pit-stop window opened.
Key Developments:
- The Pit Window (Lap 21): Preining and Engel pitted simultaneously on lap 21. A swift, mistake-free tire change from Manthey Racing saw Preining return smoothly to the lead, while a slightly slower stop for Engel dropped him behind Engstler.
- Engstler’s Late Charge: On fresh rubber, Luca Engstler pushed hard in the closing stages, trimming Preining’s lead down to 1.601 seconds. However, Preining kept his cool in heavy lapped traffic to take the checkered flag after 40 laps.
- Championship Shake-up: Maro Engel crossed the line in third to round out the podium, earning crucial points that elevated him to the top of the DTM drivers’ championship standings. Meanwhile, former points leader Nicki Thiim endured a tough afternoon and retired on lap 18 due to cockpit heat issues.
“Getting the timing of your pit stop right is vital in Oschersleben, because you soon find yourself amongst cars being lapped on this narrow track,” Preining reflected after taking his ninth career DTM victory. “Luca was closing in on me all the time in the closing stages, so I had to remain totally focused.”