– All clear for Mercedes-AMG factory driver Jules Gounon: During an examination this morning in his home country Andorra, it was found that he only suffered a minor injury to his left hand in the DTM Sunday race at the Sachsenring during his crash with Nicki Thiim.
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“After the initial examinations at the Medical Center at the Sachsenring, I was able to travel back to Andorra, where further examinations as well as an X-ray and an MRI were performed,” he writes on Instagram. “The good news: Nothing is broken, just a slight bone bruise and minor issues.”
The Winward driver was knocked off by Thiim’s Aston Martin and had such an unfortunate impact on the steering wheel that he complained of pain and had to wear a splint. “I was told to take it easy for the next few days and to rest my wrist… which will not be easy for me,” writes the 31-year-old living in Andorra.
Why Engel’s teammate will miss the Hockenheim test
“See you in Fuji,” Gounon shares – confirming that he will already be back on the grid for the upcoming race of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) in Japan. The WEC weekend in Japan takes place from September 25 to 27. This gives him a little more than a week until his appearance in the Alpine hypercar.
However, the official DTM test for the season finale at the Hockenheimring will take place on September 23, which Gounon will not attend according to information from Motorsport-Total.com. This is not due to the hand injury but because of the trip to Japan.
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The Winward team still wants to start both cars in the test, as the Mercedes-AMG squad and Engel enter the title fight as challengers to Manthey-Porsche driver Thomas Preining. (SPONSORED LINK: Secure your tickets now for the DTM finale 2026!)
High-profile replacement for Gounon?
“Who will drive as an alternative has not yet been decided,” a Mercedes-AMG spokeswoman told Motorsport-Total.com when asked about the Hockenheim test. “But most likely one of our performance drivers who are available on Wednesday.”
A logical candidate would be former DTM driver Luca Stolz, who competed in the traditional series until the end of 2024, achieved three wins, and – as it looks – has no scheduling conflicts. But wasn’t Gounon also scheduled to race next weekend in Zandvoort in the GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE) Sprint series?
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The son of former Formula 1 driver Jean-Marc Gounon recently replaced Chris Lulham in Misano and Magny-Cours for the Mercedes-AMG Team 2 Seas racing under the Verstappen Racing flag. However, Max Verstappen’s British protégé will be fit again next weekend and will make his comeback in the GTWCE Sprint series.
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