Maro Engel wins the season finale in Hockenheim – Mercedes-AMG secures the manufacturers' championship again

Hockenheim, October 11, 2026. Thomas Preining is the 2026 DTM champion! At the season finale at the Hockenheimring, the Austrian Porsche driver secured third place in the final race to secure the title in the German Touring Car Masters for the second time after 2023. Maro Engel celebrated the season finale victory in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 from WINWARD Racing. A total of 112,000 visitors attended the final weekend from October 9 to 11.

Preining holds his nerve in the decisive race

With a lead of 20 points, Thomas Preining entered the final race of the season. The Manthey driver had to be especially careful to avoid unnecessary risks and bring his lead to the finish line. Despite the pressure, he delivered a controlled performance. After a strong start, the Porsche driver worked his way forward and established himself in the top group.

While Maro Engel fought for the victory at the front, Preining focused on the crucial championship points. In the final phase, he let his teammate Ricardo Feller pass by. The Swiss finished second, Preining crossed the finish line as third and thus completed his second DTM title.

For Manthey, this is another significant success in the GT3 era of the DTM. In addition to the drivers’ championship, the team also secured the team standings, confirming its strong position in German GT3 racing.

Engel wins the last race of the season

Maro Engel once again made a statement in the final race. The Mercedes-AMG driver took the lead during the early stages and then maintained it with absolute confidence. After 34 laps, Engel won with a lead of 3.058 seconds over Ricardo Feller. Thomas Preining followed him another 0.640 seconds later in third place.

For Engel, it was the third victory of the season. The Mercedes-AMG driver finished the championship as runner-up, twelve points behind Preining. Despite a strong end to the season, he was thus unable to secure the title.

Behind the top trio, Porsche driver Bastian Buus from Land-Motorsport took fourth place. Ben Dörr finished fifth in the McLaren of Dörr Motorsport. Matteo Cairoli finished sixth in the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Emil Frey Racing. Marco Wittmann came in seventh in the BMW M4 GT3 of Schubert Motorsport.

Auer wins the turbulent Saturday race

Even the first race on Saturday had generated plenty of conversation. Lucas Auer took victory in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 from Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf, ahead of Mirko Bortolotti in the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 from Grasser Racing Team. Marco Wittmann completed the podium with the BMW M4 GT3 from Schubert Motorsport.

The race was interrupted after a heavy accident involving Luca Engstler. The Lamborghini driver crashed into the track boundary, which necessitated repairs to the barrier. After the interruption, the race resumed behind the safety car.

Saturday was also important for the championship. Preining finished the race in fifth place, keeping his title chances open. Engel finished fourth, while Wittmann secured important points with his third place finish. The final decision was therefore not made until Sunday.

Mercedes-AMG wins the manufacturer's championship

While Manthey was able to celebrate in the driver and team standings, the manufacturers' championship once again went to Mercedes-AMG. The star-studded brand secured the title for the third time in a row and increased its overall tally of DTM manufacturer titles to 17.

As early as Saturday, Mercedes-AMG had already collected the crucial points with the results of Lucas Auer and Maro Engel, securing the manufacturers' title in advance. Porsche had to settle for second place in this category.

In the driver standings, in addition to Preining and Engel, there was another clear winner: Marco Wittmann finished in third place overall with 198 points. Up until the final, the BMW driver also still had title chances, but in the decisive race he was no longer able to make a decisive contribution to the championship battle.

112,000 fans experience the end of the season

The DTM finale in Hockenheim offered spectators a varied conclusion to the 2026 season. Two different race winners, a turbulent Saturday race, and the final title decision on Sunday created suspense until the final race of the season.

With Thomas Preining's second championship victory, Maro Engel's runner-up finish and Mercedes-AMG's renewed Constructors' Championship, a varied DTM season comes to an end. Hockenheim once again proved to be a worthy stage for the season finale of the German GT3 racing series.