DTM Norisring: Thiim converts pole into dominant victory in red flag interrupted Race 1

Nicki Thiim secured his second career DTM victory with a commanding performance in Saturday’s opening race at the Norisring, leading throughout a dramatic contest interrupted by a lengthy red flag period.

Starting from pole position in the #91 Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3, Thiim controlled proceedings from the outset and was never seriously challenged on his way to victory. Behind him, Maro Engel delivered another measured drive in the #80 Team Ravenol Mercedes-AMG GT3 to finish second and extend his championship advantage, while Arjun Maini claimed his first podium finish of the season in the #36 HRT Ford Performance Mustang GT3.

A clean start through turn 1

The run to the first corner was remarkably clean for a circuit renowned for opening-lap drama. Thiim retained the lead ahead of Engel and Maini, although local favourite Marco Wittmann was less fortunate. Contact through the tight Turn 1 hairpin left the BMW driver with a puncture, forcing an unscheduled stop at the end of the opening lap. Falling a lap behind effectively ended his hopes, and the Schubert Motorsport driver later retired.

Despite carrying 20 kilograms of success ballast following his qualifying performance, Thiim quickly established control at the front. Engel remained within striking distance but was unable to reduce the gap to less than a second as the Aston Martin driver carefully managed the pace.

The first interruption came when Tom Kalender crashed the #84 Landgraf Mercedes-AMG into the barriers, sustaining rear suspension damage that left the car stranded on track. The incident prompted a safety car intervention and delayed the opening of the mandatory pit window.

When pit stops eventually began, Engel was the first of the leading trio to blink. Maini followed shortly afterwards but lost valuable time when a problem during the left-rear tyre change left the Ford stationary for around 10 seconds. Thiim extended his opening stint and combined a strong sequence of laps in clean air with a slick 5.8-second stop to emerge comfortably ahead once the cycle was complete.

Red Flag

The race’s defining incident arrived shortly afterwards. Max Paul’s #19 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 suffered what appeared to be a mechanical failure on the approach to Turn 1, sending the car heavily into the barriers. With no control over the stricken Lamborghini, Paul then collided violently with Kelvin van der Linde’s #3 Schubert BMW as the South African turned into the corner.

The severity of the accident initially triggered a Full Course Yellow before race control upgraded the stoppage to a red flag to allow barrier repairs and vehicle recovery.

Another retirement followed before the restart, with Timo Glock unable to continue in the #16 Dörr Motorsport McLaren after an oil leak developed during the stoppage. The extent of the issue was evident from the sizeable pool of fluid left on the starting grid before the field was released.

Following two safety car laps, racing resumed with 17 minutes remaining. Thiim immediately re-established his advantage, while Engel successfully resisted sustained pressure from Maini to maintain second position.

Problems for Manthey Porsche

Further back, one of the race’s most entertaining battles developed between Lucas Auer and Thomas Preining. The Manthey EMA Porsche driver struggled for straight-line speed, allowing Auer’s Mercedes-AMG to repeatedly challenge into Turn 1. Preining initially held firm, but Auer eventually completed a clean pass to move into fourth place.

Preining’s difficulties soon attracted Thierry Vermeulen’s Emil Frey Racing Ferrari. However, the Dutchman outbraked himself into Turn 1 while attempting a move and lost ground instead.

That brought Finn Wiebelhaus into contention in the sister HRT Mustang. The Ford driver briefly moved ahead after contact with Preining’s Porsche, but stewards deemed the move illegal and ordered the position to be returned.

As the closing laps unfolded, Thiim remained untouchable at the front to seal a popular victory at a circuit where he has traditionally excelled. Engel’s second-place finish strengthened his position at the top of the drivers’ standings, increasing his championship lead to nine points over Auer, while Maini’s third-place result delivered both his and Ford’s first DTM podium of the 2026 season.