Thomas Preining enjoyed a dream start to the 2026 DTM season by winning the opening race at the Red Bull Ring. The Porsche driver came out on top after 38 intense laps, securing his ninth victory in the series and repeating his success at home, in front of an enthusiastic crowd that witnessed an Austrian one-two, with Lucas Auer finishing second.
“Não podia estar mais feliz. Como piloto, sonhas com momentos assim! Vencer diante da minha família e de muitos amigos é simplesmente incrível. Foi uma corrida muito exigente, com adversários muito rápidos da Mercedes-AMG. O Lucas Auer colocou-me muita pressão no final, por isso fiquei bastante aliviado quando cruzei a linha de meta”, said Preining, who was also voted Driver of the Day by the fans.
Strategy proves decisive in battle for victory
The race started with intense action, as Maro Engel defended his pole position in the opening laps. However, Preining quickly became a central figure by overtaking Auer and moving into direct contention for the lead. Behind them, Jules Gounon climbed to fourth, while Ben Dörr’s race came to an early end after contact sent him into the barriers.
The key moment came during the pit stops. Preining and Gounon opted for an early tyre change, switching to new Pirelli slicks. Engel pitted later but lost valuable time due to issues during the stop, allowing Preining to take control of the race. Auer also benefited from strategy and gained positions, putting himself firmly in the fight for the podium.
Final laps under pressure and full control
The closing stages added even more drama. Gounon’s retirement due to technical issues and the deployment of the safety car brought Auer right onto Preining’s tail. Despite the pressure, the Porsche driver remained composed and controlled the gap, never allowing his compatriot a real chance to attack.
The race ended under safety car conditions following another retirement, this time for Kelvin van der Linde, sealing a controlled victory for Preining. Behind him, Auer secured second place, while Maro Engel completed the podium. Tom Kalender was another standout performer, climbing from tenth on the grid to finish fourth.
Further down the order, Marco Wittmann was the top BMW driver in fifth, followed by Timo Glock, who placed the McLaren in sixth. Arjun Maini impressed by gaining nine positions to finish seventh, while Matteo Cairoli brought the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo home in eighth. Ricardo Feller and Nicki Thiim rounded out the top ten.
“Preparámo-nos meticulosamente para a corrida de abertura, e o segundo lugar é a recompensa por esse trabalho. No final, esperava um erro do Preining, mas este resultado em casa também é muito positivo. Agora temos de analisar a melhor estratégia para domingo com o novo pneu”, said Auer.
“Até à paragem nas boxes, estava a ser um dia perfeito para nós. Quando lideras durante tanto tempo, o terceiro lugar sabe a pouco. Ainda assim, a equipa tem feito sempre um excelente trabalho e temos um pacote forte para lutar novamente no domingo”, added Engel.