– The DTM comeback of Maximilian Paul is now officially confirmed: The Grasser Lamborghini driver, who suffered fractures to the tibia and fibula as well as the first lumbar vertebra in the Norisring horror crash on July 4 two months ago, will return next weekend at the Sachsenring (all info on TV times, stream, etc.).
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“I am very happy to finally be able to race again at the Sachsenring,” says the 26-year-old Dresden native. “I made optimal use of the time after the accident with my physio, with whom I partly stayed. Thanks to that and the trust of Lamborghini and Gottfried Grasser, I was already able to sit in the cockpit again during the test three weeks ago.”
Paul, who recently spoke publicly for the first time about the three impacts and the rescue after the Norisring accident, lived during rehab with Grasser physiotherapist Sven Helferich, who has his practice near Stuttgart. And he surprised his team by returning to the race car 50 days after the crash.
How Paul surprised his Grasser team at the DTM test
Because at the official DTM test at the Sachsenring on August 23, Paul completed a solid 98 laps, which is significantly more than two DTM race distances. “Internally, we did not expect him to be able to do more than ten, fifteen laps,” said team boss Gottfried Grasser after the test.
Last weekend, Paul participated with his former GT Open team Oregon in the Italian GT Championship weekend in Imola and finished fourth with his Italian teammates Enzo Geraci and Guido Luchetti.
Paul feels “super-ready” for the DTM comeback
“I had my first race after the accident this weekend,” said Paul on Instagram. “We just missed the podium and finished fourth. And now I feel super-ready for the DTM at the Sachsenring.” (SPONSORED LINK: Secure tickets now for the 2026 DTM season!)
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Did the test race ultimately decide that Paul can already start in the DTM this weekend? “That was pretty clear beforehand,” says team boss Grasser in an interview with Motorsport-Total.com. “But everything fit well.”
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Paul missed two DTM weekends due to his more than two-month injury break. His cockpit remained empty in Oschersleben, and at the Nürburgring he was replaced by Christian Engelhart, who could not participate due to an accident in the second race.
Brake as the biggest challenge
The biggest challenge for Paul, who recovered in record time, is the brake. This is because drivers usually brake with their left foot, which Paul broke in the accident.
At the DTM test, the Lamborghini factory driver operated the brake pedal in the hard braking zones with his right foot, as a brake pressure of more than 100 kilograms is necessary.
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After the Sachsenring weekend, Paul has a month off before the DTM finale at the Hockenheimring is on the program. Only one week later, the GT World Challenge Europe endurance series visits Portimao in Portugal, where Paul will make his comeback alongside his teammates Mirko Bortolotti and Franck Perera.
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