Klaus Weber · DTM-Korrespondent
A disqualification from Oschersleben remains tied up in court, and its outcome could reshuffle the current DTM standings.
Grasser Racing Team has appealed the disqualification of Mirko Bortolotti from the second DTM race at Oschersleben. According to reports, the hearing before the DMSB appeals court is scheduled for September 25 at 3:00 p.m. Should the ruling go Grasser's way, the DTM championship standings would shift, potentially giving Thomas Preining a different closest challenger than he currently faces.
The Oschersleben Case
At issue is the result of the second race in Oschersleben, where Bortolotti was disqualified after the fact. Grasser Racing refused to accept that decision and took the matter to the DMSB appeals court. The hearing date is now confirmed: September 25 at 3:00 p.m.
Such proceedings are anything but rare in GT3 racing. Balance of Performance adjustments, technical inspections, and post-race checks are just as tightly contested as the on-track action itself, and a retroactive correction to a result can shift multiple positions in the standings. Until the hearing, the original Oschersleben result remains officially in place.
What's at Stake
The appeal matters for the title fight because a successful outcome would change more than just Bortolotti's own points total. The order behind him would shift as well, potentially reshuffling who qualifies as the next closest pursuer of championship leader Thomas Preining.
Preining is competing this season with Manthey EMA, now in his fourth year with the squad and consistently scoring points since 2023. As the first Porsche driver and first Austrian to win the DTM championship, he brings a consistency that should serve him well in a tightly contested title race where even a single corrected result can redraw the challenger hierarchy.
Looking Ahead to September 25
Until the hearing, the current standings remain the official baseline for all parties involved, despite the open appeal process. The DMSB appeals court will decide that afternoon whether the Oschersleben disqualification stands or is overturned.
Preining's own point total won't change based on the outcome, but his closest rival very well could shift. That makes September 25 a date that could move more in the championship table than some entire race weekends.
