Schubert Motorsport BMW Star Reignites Title Ambitions as Preining and Gounon Complete Saturday Podium
Marco Wittmann enjoyed a flawless opening day at the Sachsenring for Round 6 of the DTM season. The two-time champion broke his 2026 pole position drought during Saturday morning’s Qualifying 1 before executing a supreme drive in Race 1 to convert his top grid spot into an overall victory behind the wheel of his Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO.
Morning Qualifying: Wittmann Strikes, Auer Heavy Crash
Saturday began with high drama on the tight, undulating 3.671-kilometer Sachsenring circuit. Marco Wittmann produced a razor-sharp lap of 1:17.627 in Qualifying 1 to take his first pole position of the season. Manthey EMA’s Thomas Preining pushed hard to challenge, locking up second on the front row just 0.126 seconds behind, while Jules Gounon impressed in third for WINWARD Racing.
The morning session was interrupted by a red flag following a severe accident involving Lucas Auer. The Austrian lost control of his Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO through a high-speed section, crashing heavily into the barriers. While Auer walked away unharmed, the damage forced his crew into extensive repairs ahead of the afternoon race.
Afternoon Sprint: Unstoppable Pace in Saxony
When the lights went out for Race 1, Wittmann launched cleanly off the line to defend his lead into Turn 1, holding off immediate charges from Preining and Gounon. Navigating the narrow roller-coaster sections of the Sachsenring, the BMW factory driver maintained a relentless pace, managing tire degradation and controlling the gap to his pursuers across the entire distance.
Jules Gounon put in a standout performance to elevate his WINWARD Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO into second place, splitting the front-row starters. Preining crossed the finish line in third place, securing valuable championship points for Manthey EMA to keep his title push on track.
Wittmann’s triumph marks his second victory of the 2026 campaign, significantly closing his gap in the overall standings to just 14 points behind the championship leader. With the momentum firmly on Schubert Motorsport’s side, all eyes turn to Sunday’s Qualifying 2 and Race 2 to see if Wittmann can complete a clean sweep of the Sachsenring weekend.