DTM Hockenheim: Thomas Preining dominates as Lucas Auer retains factors lead

Thomas Preining has taken a dominant victory by 16 seconds within the first race of the DTM last spherical at Hockenheim, whereas Lucas Auer has held on the factors lead going into the title-decider finale.

The Manthey Porsche driver began Saturday’s race from third on the grid and moved into the lead on lap eight, occurring to take an unchallenged victory forward of Land Audi’s Ricardo Feller.

“Sure, this was clearly an excellent day,” grinned Preining when chatting with ran.de. “I’m more than pleased with it, however the job isn’t executed but. If we wish to grow to be champions, we want one other efficiency like this tomorrow. So we’ll get the rostrum and press convention executed, after which preserve working.”

Manthey Porsche’s Morris Schuring celebrated his first DTM podium in third, because the Dutchman even launched a last-lap assault on Feller, however couldn’t discover a well beyond the Audi driver.

Auer, who crashed in qualifying as a result of a gradual puncture, managed to restrict the harm within the race by taking twelfth place and thus retained his lead within the total standings.

Heavy rain compelled the race begin to be delayed by 25 minutes, with the sphere then set off behind the security automobile.

Ricardo Feller, Land Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3

Photograph by: ADAC Motorsport

When green-flag racing behind, polesitter Ben Inexperienced misplaced the lead on the hairpin which allowed team-mate Jack Aitken and Preining to slide previous. Title contender Jordan Pepper additionally made a mistake, spinning and crashing his Grasser Lamborghini into the wall.

On the entrance, Preining started closing in on Aitken, placing the Emil Frey Ferrari driver underneath stress. On lap eight, the 2023 DTM champion made the decisive transfer, overtaking the Briton and taking the lead.

After the pitstops, Aitken started to fade within the closing phases: first Feller moved up into second, then Schuring demoted the Briton from the rostrum. Maro Engel and Ayhancan Guven additionally handed the Ferrari driver, leaving Aitken sixth on the flag.

Along with Pepper, who failed to attain after his crash, two different title contenders additionally went residence empty-handed on Saturday. Marco Wittmann needed to make a second pitstop after a collision with Mirko Bortolotti, dropping out of the factors.

Preining’s victory has moved him as much as second within the standings, simply three factors behind Auer, with Rast in third. The highest seven drivers are separated by simply 13 factors heading into the title decider on Sunday.

DTM Hockenheim – Race 1 outcomes

1

91
 
Porsche 911 GT3 R
32

 
 
25

2

29
 
Audi R8 LMS Evo II
32

16.899
 
20

3

M. Schuring Manthey Junior Group

92
 
Porsche 911 GT3 R
32

0.110
 
16

4

24
 
Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
32

4.862
 
13

5

90
 
Porsche 911 GT3 R
32

0.651
 
11

6

14
 
Ferrari 296 GT3
32

0.817
 
10

7

33
 
BMW M4 GT3 Evo
32

8.402
 
9

8

2
 
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2
32

4.906
 
8

9

19
 
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2
32

4.509
 
7

10

B. Inexperienced Emil Frey Racing

10
 
Ferrari 296 GT3
32

6.965
 
6

11

1
 
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2
32

0.476
 
5

12

22
 
Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
32

1.044
 
4

13

7
 
Aston Martin Vantage GT3
32

2.255
 
3

14

36
 
Ford Mustang GT3
32

0.688
 
2

15

T. Kalender Mercedes-AMG Group Landgraf

84
 
Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
32

1.431
 
1

16

71
 
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2
32

0.588
 
 

17

64
 
Ford Mustang GT3
32

17.042
 
 

18

11
 
BMW M4 GT3 Evo
32

1.372
 
 

19

T. Vermeulen Emil Frey Racing

69
 
Ferrari 296 GT3
32

0.940
 
 

20

B. Dörr Dörr Motorsport

25
 
McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
31

 
 
 

21

N. Baert Comtoyou Racing

8
 
Aston Martin Vantage GT3
31

 
 
 

dnf

16
 
McLaren 720S GT3 Evo
24

 
 
 

dnf

48
 
Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo
20

 
 
 

dnf

J. Pepper TGI Group Lamborghini by GRT

63
 
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2
4

 
 
 

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