DTM is headed for Sachsenring, only a few kilometres from the Czech border
Great tension and a small lead on the head: the leader of the Maro Engel and Thomas Preining Championships are practically in a tight hold when heading towards the penultimate round of the DTM season at Sachsenring. Both riders divide only one point and hope for a successful weekend at the Hohenstein-Ernstthal circuit to prepare for the final of the Hockenheim championship.
The German Sachsenring is close for Czech fans. The nearest Czech border, Rivers in the Erzgebirge Mountains, is the air line approximately 40 kilometres from the track. It creates approximately 50 minutes by car.
Maro Engel leads by one point
Engel's impressive ride ended at the Nürburgring: the Mercedes-AMG driver did not finish, so he left empty for the first time in 18 DTM races. An experienced racer, who was found responsible for causing a collision, must start with a three-figure penalty on the starting grid in Saturday's Sachsenring race. However, the leader of the championship has already shown that he can maintain his nerves in tricky situations and fight his way to the top of the field from the end. His closest rival, Preining, is in great shape: the 2023 champion got 89 of his 159 points in the last two racing weekends and was the fastest driver on the official Sachsenring test about three weeks ago. "The circuit suits us, and I hope we get the best results this weekend. The track is unique, with different turns and great grip. At first it's all left-handed, then there's fast right turns. That makes it a challenge for our engineers too," explains the Austrian.
The ninth manufacturer delivers more spices to Sachsenring plants
For the first time this season, the audience will see an Audi in DTM. Seyffarth Motorsport places Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2. Young Simon Conor Primm will be behind the wheel. "DTM has always been my big dream. Five years ago, I was racing in go-karts. This is why the start in DTM with Audi is is really special this weekend," says the 21-year-old driver from the Saxon town of Großschirma, who is racing in his third season in ADAC GT Masters.
Paul returns after a severe accident
The unique arrangement of Sachsenring makes it a unique race in the DTM calendar. The curved track with a length of 3 645 kilometres has a maximum drop of 12.8 percent and a climb of about 10 percent. The first section is narrow and technically demanding. Quick turns are followed before the maximum speed is reached at 800 meters long starting / finish straight. One of the characteristics of the track, which is also the Motorcycle Track and the venue of the Great Prix of Liqui Moly Motorcycles in Germany is adhesion asphalt. For Maximilian Paul, the weekend is more than just about scoring because he's coming back after the Norisring accident. "I'm excited to finally get back to racing at Sachsenring. The time after the accident, I took full advantage of my physical therapist, who I lived with sometimes. This allowed me to go back to the wheel three weeks ago in the test, thanks to the trust that Lamborghini and Gottfried Grasser put into me," says the man from Dresden.
Accompanying program includes juniors and racing nostalgia from the East
Fans will meet two words of motor sport in the accompanying program: ADAC GT4 Germany and BMW M2 Cup are two series focused on young riders, which will take place in each of them in two races. On the other hand, the ADAC Historic Cup Ost will present the racing technique of idiotic historic cars from the East. Forms and travel cars from before 1990 - when Sachsenring Classic was a permanent part of the racing calendar will be seen. The audience can look forward to exciting races and thrilling battles between the legendary icons of motoring sport from the former Eastern bloc.