Marco Wittmann secured an unexpected pole position for the first DTM race at the Sachsenring following a dramatic session-halting incident for championship contender Lucas Auer.
Three Minute Qualifying Shootout
The Schubert Motorsport driver clocked a 1:17.627 in his BMW M4 GT3 to edge Thomas Preining by 0.126 seconds. The Manthey Porsche driver assumes the championship lead, capitalising on the disrupted shootout that concluded the morning running.
Mechanical Failure Ruins Title Hopes
Red flags flew with under three minutes remaining when Auer struck the Turn 8 tyre barrier. Mercedes-AMG traced the mechanical failure to a broken right-rear wheel hub. The Landgraf driver emerged uninjured but lost his fastest lap, relegating him to the back of the grid.
Traffic Disrupts Final Out Laps
Teams faced immense operational pressure during the frantic restart. Out-lap traffic management proved decisive, an urgency mirroring the intense preparation seen recently as Alan Permane backed Racing Bulls to manage tricky setups. Winward Racing driver Maro Engel managed fifth but lamented cars slowing down ahead of him. A prior grid penalty for a collision drops the Mercedes driver to eighth.
Unexpected BMW Qualifying Success
Wittmann admitted the disrupted climax aided his pace, telling motorsport.com he asked his engineer “whether he was taking the piss out of me” over the radio. The BMW driver noted the stoppage “played into his hands a little” at a venue where the manufacturer traditionally struggles.
Championship Standings Shift Quickly
Preining starts on the front row looking to consolidate his overall points advantage, facing immediate pressure from Jules Gounon in third. Similar unpredictable sessions unfolded elsewhere this weekend, as Dino Beganovic claimed F2 pole amid severe track challenges. The first DTM race at the Sachsenring begins this afternoon.
