Engel wins DTM finale as Preining takes title

Perfect strategy, implemented to perfection made Thomas Preining (Manthey) a two-time DTM champion after a calculated run to third place Sunday afternoon at the Hockenheimring, while Maro Engel took his third win of the year for Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol.

The Austrian's 20-point lead made him favorite coming into the final race of the season, and the podium place proved sufficient to wrap up title number two.

"That is one of the best moments of my life. It is hard to put the many emotions into words," said Preining. "At the start, I had to be fully focused, in order to avoid getting caught up in a collision. When I had already managed to climb into fourth place after the opening lap, I knew that it could be a big day for us."

Engel once again showed his class as the season drew to a close. The experienced racer produced an impressive display to claim his third win of the season the runner-up spot in the championship. Ricardo Feller overtook his teammate Preining on the final lap to finish the race in second place.

The grandstands at the Hockenheimring were packed when the DTM field took to the starting grid for the final time this season. Engel, third in the table, had to overturn a 22-point deficit, and so made an aggressive start to the race. Having started fourth, the Mercedes-AMG driver immediately gained two positions and slotted into second place behind pole-sitter Bastian Buus (Land-Motorsport). Preining, who started from seventh, climbed into third. He was followed in fourth and fifth place by Feller and Ben Dörr (Dörr Motorsport) in a McLaren 720S GT3 Evo. Engel pulled off an impressive overtaking maneuver to take the lead on lap 11. Preining and Feller also found a way past Buus.

The running order at the head of the field remained unchanged after the two mandatory pit stops. Engel was able to pull clear of the Porsche trio in the closing stages, and took the checkered flag with a lead of over three seconds. Behind Feller, who passed Preining on the final lap, Buus came home fourth to claim his best result of the season. Dörr completed the top five.

Matteo Cairoli (Emil Frey Racing) was sixth in a Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, Marco Wittmann (Schubert Motorsport) ended the 16th race of the season in seventh place in the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, a result that dropped him from second to third in the overall standings. Arjun Maini (HRT Ford Racing) finished eighth ahead of Lamborghini drivers Marco Mapelli (Red Bull Team Abt) and Mirko Bortolotti (TGI Team by GRT) in ninth and 10th.

The teams' championship was won by Manthey, ahead of Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing. In the manufacturers' competition, the title went to Mercedes-AMG, with Porsche taking second place. Rookie of the Year was Tom Kalender (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf).

"I gave it my all and left no stone unturned, but at the end of the day we unfortunately had dropped a few too many points," said Engel. "I am a fighter, see every setback as motivation, and will come back stronger. I took some risks in the race. This was the first victory that my daughter has seen live at the circuit. Furthermore, I am proud to have won the manufacturer title with Mercedes-AMG."