Into the DTM at 19: Is HRT youngster Finn Wiebelhaus ready for the leap?

– Is the only 19-year-old Finn Wiebelhaus, who was presented as the new HRT Ford driver after his ADAC GT Masters title, ready for the jump into the DTM? How difficult the task is was proven last year with Landgraf Mercedes rookie Tom Kalender, who also made the step up as ADAC GT Masters champion – and then never made it into the top 10 until the knot finally burst with a strong fifth place at the season finale.

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But what does Wiebelhaus, who unlike the 17-year-old Mercedes-AMG junior has a second ADAC GT Masters year under his belt, expect from his first DTM season? “I don’t just see myself as an apprentice, but want to compete directly for points and top 10 finishes – to justify the great trust and support of the team,” explains the Offenbach native in an interview with the FAZ.

He also hopes for some support from Arjun Maini, who is entering his sixth season and whom Wiebelhaus describes as an “experienced and cooperative teammate” who “is familiar with all procedures, is well-connected in the paddock and can certainly take me by the hand at times.”

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Nevertheless, he is aware that he will be measured against the 28-year-old Indian, who is determined to take his first DTM victory in 2026. “At the end of the day, of course, the goal is to beat your teammate. And I will try to do that over the course of the season,” he says, highly motivated (SPONSORED LINK: Secure tickets for the 2026 DTM season now!).

Wiebelhaus’s advantage: Unlike Kalender’s first DTM season, he will also be competing in the GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE) endurance series with HRT – and thus gaining additional experience in the Ford Mustang GT3 Evo, which is particularly important compared to the factory drivers who are constantly in the car.

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“Of course, I don’t yet have the experience of other DTM drivers who have experienced all racing situations and are more savvy,” Wiebelhaus knows. “But my advantage is: I will be able to gain the experience very early on – and then benefit from it for longer,” he says, seeing his situation positively in the long term due to his age.

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In fact, at his first DTM race on April 25 at the Red Bull Ring, Wiebelhaus will be eight days away from his 20th birthday – and thus narrowly misses out on the top 10 youngest DTM drivers of all time.

Mustang “one that doesn’t always make it easy for the cowboy”

But it’s not just him; his team is also breaking new ground this year. The Evo package of the Ford Mustang GT3, which will be used in the DTM for the first time in 2026, is intended to help the US car with the spectacular sound achieve its first DTM podium finish, after Maini had achieved two fifth places in 2025.

How does Wiebelhaus, who sat in the Mustang in the ADAC GT Masters and the GT Winter Series, experience the popular car? He has “a good connection to the Mustang,” he says and laughs. “It’s one that doesn’t always make it easy for the cowboy in the saddle. You have to be one with the pony. You have to know exactly how to ride it – it only ever works with it and never against it.”

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Sensitivity is required, “otherwise it bucks and literally throws you off,” says Wiebelhaus, who calls the cult car a “beast” because of its V8 engine.

However, Wiebelhaus feels up to the challenge of not “overdriving” the car. “Basically, I don’t put too much pressure on myself because I know I can handle the steering wheel well,” he says.

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