– Regarding the title fight, the DTM is facing a key weekend: While the top 4 led by DTM leader Maro Engel have pulled away somewhat with six races to go, the pursuers urgently need two top results at the Nürburgring (all info on TV times, stream, etc.). Marco Wittmann, who is fighting for BMW’s last chance in the Eifel, knows this as well.
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“If we want to have a chance and maybe still have a say, then the Nürburgring has to be a real blast,” says the two-time champion, who is the best BMW driver in the championship in seventh place and is 56 points behind.
Even if he scores the maximum points and Engel remains completely scoreless, he would only catch up to him. “It’s a shame that such a huge points gap has arisen within two weekends, and I think part of it was caused by the BoP – you don’t have to mince words about that,” Wittmann, who had only seven points deficit before the home race at Norisring, says clearly.
“You have to get the chance from Friday to be in the game”
In general, Wittmann sees chances for the Nürburgring, where the BMW M4 GT3 has been competitive in recent years, but the classification of the cars is the decisive factor for him. “The layout fits, we have been strong there in the past, but in recent weekends we often experienced that we only got better classifications on Sunday and then were competitive.”
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However, that is not enough if you want to have a say in the championship. “You also have to get the chance to be in the game from Friday, to perform over the whole weekend or to be able to convert that into results. And I think that was partly not in our hands.”
“Our ambitions are certainly not 18th starting positions”
In Oschersleben, Wittmann was at least positively encouraged by Sunday, when he started from third in qualifying and finished fourth, but was later promoted to third after winner Mirko Bortolotti was disqualified. “That should actually always be the case for us, because we have a strong driver lineup at BMW with Kelvin and me – and I believe our ambitions are certainly not 18th starting positions,” he makes clear.
But one should not forget that Schubert, with Kelvin van der Linde and Wittmann alongside Dörr, was the only team to test on the track beforehand. “We were able to focus on the race weekend, which is certainly a small help compared to the competition,” says Wittmann.
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“The BMW has not been in this situation before”
Nevertheless, it is now a bit his “hope that maybe we will also catch the train,” he wishes for a weekend where the BMW is consistently competitive.
He does not want to “diminish” the performances of Nicki Thiim and Thomas Preining in Nuremberg and Oschersleben, emphasizes the veteran. “Nicki Thiim delivered completely at Norisring – and you have to do that first,” he says. “But it is also clear that the car was rated very strongly.”
Preining also “delivered in Oschersleben, especially compared to his other two brand colleagues, that must not be forgotten,” says Wittmann. “But still: He almost scored the maximum points. And in this situation, the BMW – or we – have not been there yet this year.”
Wittmann has not yet given up on the 2026 DTM title
Does he still believe in his title chance? “It is mathematically possible – and there are still six races to go,” he says. “But it has not become easier, rather the situation is significantly more difficult. We also have to hope a bit for the bad luck of others,” Wittmann knows he needs luck.
But the Franconian once again showed his fighting spirit in Oschersleben, when he suffered from a gastrointestinal illness and even received infusions. “That goes in the same sentence structure as with the illness: Giving up is not an option,” he announces. “We fight as long as it is possible.”
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