Klaus Weber · DTM-Korrespondent
Following a Turn 2 collision and safety car period, Marco Wittmann claimed victory in Race 2 at the Nürburgring, while title favorite Matteo Cairoli failed to replicate his Saturday dominance.
Marco Wittmann won Race 2 at the Nürburgring in 1:00:11.283 hours, beating Tom Kalender (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) by 0.517 seconds for second place. Thomas Preining completed the podium, trailing Wittmann by 0.918 seconds. The tightness at the front, three drivers separated by just one second after more than an hour of racing, was the direct result of a safety car period that regrouped the field following a collision in the second turn.
Turn 2 Collision Sets Stage for Wittmann's Breakthrough
Championship leader Maro Engel collided with fellow Mercedes driver Lucas Auer on the opening lap. The impact spun Auer around directly into Kelvin van der Linde's Schubert BMW. All three cars sustained substantial damage, with van der Linde forced to immediately retire and Engel also out, classified as DNF in 18th position. Auer failed to finish the race.
Race Control deployed the safety car to regroup the field. For Schubert Motorsport, the loss of one car didn't cost them the day's points, quite the opposite. Marco Wittmann assumed the lead after the restart and held it to the checkered flag, while his teammate van der Linde was already parked. One team, two completely different race days, which underscores how heavily individual incidents in a tightly packed field can impact the outcome, independent of raw car performance.
Kalender's Redemption After Saturday's NGK Chicane Setback
For Tom Kalender, Race 2 served as a direct answer to a lost Saturday. Eight minutes into Race 1, he collided with Nicki Thiim at the NGK Chicane, damage to his Mercedes so severe that continuing was impossible. Race control later handed Thiim a penalty lap, but that didn't change Kalender's weekend, as he left Race 1 pointless.
Sunday told a different story. Kalender qualified for Race 2 from 11th on Saturday afternoon and closed within 0.517 seconds of Wittmann during the race. Making up ten places from 11th to second over a roughly one-hour race distance reflects consistent tire and lap-time management throughout the distance rather than a single lucky break during the safety car phase.
Cairoli's Blank Round Shifts Weekend Standings
Who dominated Saturday hit a wall on Sunday: Matteo Cairoli, Race 1 winner and Qualifying 1 pole-sitter, managed no better than 13th in Race 2, 19.501 seconds down on Wittmann and without points. In the combined weekend standings from both qualifying sessions and both races, Wittmann now leads with 40 points ahead of Preining with 35 and Cairoli with 29, a shift driven solely by Cairoli's pointless Race 2 and Wittmann's victory.
The midfield confirmed that Race 1 proved no reliable form guide for multiple teams. Arjun Maini, who was hopeless in Qualifying 1 down over 42 seconds and failed to finish Race 1, brought the HRT Ford home in fourth place for HRT Ford Performance, just 2.571 seconds off the front. Mirko Bortolotti, also without a finish on Saturday, netted fifth for GRT Grasser Racing Team. Both results show that a Saturday retirement doesn't automatically damage Sunday's pace, provided the car remains undamaged and the setup performs.
Worth noting was Finn Wiebelhaus's fastest lap, who despite crossing the line 59.586 seconds down in 16th position secured the race's best time, suggesting his HRT Ford showed considerably more potential in clear air late on than his final classification indicated. The title fight remains wide open with three serious contenders at the front, and whether Cairoli recaptures his Saturday form next weekend will likely define the next pivotal snapshot of the season.
