HOCKENHEIM, GERMANY — Land-Motorsport’s Bastian Buus pulled off a sensational surprise in Sunday morning’s Qualifying 2 session, snatching pole position for the final race of the 2026 DTM season at the Hockenheimring.
In a tense, razor-thin shootout that saw changing track conditions throw strategy wide open, the young Dane clocked a blistering 1:36.923 to edge out fellow Porsche driver Ricardo Feller by a mere six-thousandths of a second—the tightest pole margin recorded since the adoption of GT3 regulations in 2021.
Title Protagonists Experience Mixed Fortunes
The final qualifying session of the year dealt a crucial tactical hand to the trio locked in the championship fight, setting up an explosive afternoon finale:
- Maro Engel Capitalizes: Title challenger Maro Engel put together a stellar performance in his WINWARD Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3, securing 3rd on the grid with a 1:37.051. By locking down row two, Engel positioned himself as the highest-running championship contender and gained a vital edge heading into the season-closing race.
- Preining Faces an Uphill Task: Championship leader Thomas Preining found himself forced onto the back foot during the frantic morning session. Driving the Manthey-Porsche, the Austrian could only manage a 7th-place grid slot after missing out on the ultimate peak of the track evolution. Holding a 20-point cushion, Preining will need to navigate a congested midfield to secure his second crown.
- Wittmann Slump: Marco Wittmann suffered a severe blow to his title ambitions. The Schubert BMW driver struggled for traction and pace in the cooler conditions, qualifying down in 16th place, leaving the veteran with a massive mountain to climb in Race 2.
Porsche Lockout at the Sharp End
Behind Buus and Feller locking down an all-Porsche front row, Jules Gounon steered his WINWARD Mercedes to 4th place, just ahead of the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari pairing of Matteo Cairoli and Thierry Vermeulen in 5th and 6th.
With the championship hanging in the balance and strategy options wide open for the afternoon’s multi-stop showdown, the final race of 2026 is primed for high-voltage drama.