Klaus Weber · DTM Correspondent
On a drying track, Luca Engstler claimed his maiden DTM pole position at the season finale in Hockenheim, while championship leader Thomas Preining consolidated his advantage by qualifying third.
Luca Engstler (Abt Sportsline) claimed pole position in the first qualifying session of the DTM season finale at Hockenheim on Saturday. On a wet, drying track, he posted a time of 1:47.048 minutes, ahead of Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) and Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA) in second and third. It marked the first pole position of his DTM career.
Ten-Second Gap Due to Changing Conditions
Qualifying lap times ran roughly ten seconds slower than those from Friday's opening practice session, where Preining had set the pace with 1:36.974 minutes. The session featured constantly changing, drying conditions that fundamentally altered grip levels and tire strategy.
Tire choice became a gamble: several drivers switched between rain and slick tires, while Maro Engel committed to slicks early in the session. Drivers going out early faced a wetter surface, while those running late benefited from improving conditions but had to hit a narrowing window before the checkered flag. Engstler executed the strategy perfectly, earning a 0.407-second advantage over Auer and 0.459 seconds over Preining.
Title Fight: Preining Third, Engel and Wittmann Scoreless
Preining, who entered the finale as championship leader, picked up a point for third place despite having his fastest lap deleted for exceeding track limits. His two closest rivals came away empty-handed: Maro Engel (Winward Racing), sitting second in the standings 24 points back after incidents at the Nürburgring and Sachsenring, qualified seventh. Marco Wittmann (Schubert Motorsport, 25 points back) managed only eleventh place.
The dispute over Mirko Bortolotti's disqualification in Oschersleben, however, has been resolved: the DMSB appeals court rejected GRT Grasser Racing Team's appeal on September 25. Whether the team will pursue a case before the FIA appeals court remains uncertain, though according to the ADAC, the champion is to be crowned at Hockenheim regardless. Bortolotti himself posted the sixth-fastest time at Hockenheim.
Gounon and Paul at the Back of the Field
Clear disparities emerged at the rear of the field. Jules Gounon (Winward Racing), who sustained a contusion on his left hand after an unavoidable collision with Nicki Thiim at the Sachsenring, managed only twentieth place with 1:52.037 minutes, nearly five seconds off Engstler's pole time. Maximilian Paul (GRT Grasser Racing Team) fell even further behind: posting 1:53.285 minutes for last place, over six seconds adrift of the front, having shown only mid-field pace in Friday's opening practice.
For the first race of the finale weekend, the results mean Engstler lines up from pole for the first time in his career, championship favorite Preining starts from third, while his pursuers Engel and Wittmann must attack from the midfield.
