Dear readers,
Thomas Jäger left the track immediately after the Sachsenring defeat. Rumor has it that the goal of the DTM project manager from Mercedes-AMG was to test the mysterious new GT3 car that is currently being worked on intensively. Looking ahead is one way to at least temporarily get the events of the past days out of your head.
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Because looking back must be extremely painful. Mercedes-AMG has – unless a miracle happens – thrown away the DTM title at the Sachsenring. And that, even though they were the only brand to have two drivers, Maro Engel and Lucas Auer, fighting for the DTM crown all season long.
Just a month ago, Engel was the clear favorite for the title, but after the next fateful collision, the 41-year-old goes into the finale with a 23-point deficit (if Bortolotti’s disqualification is reversed, it is even 24 points).
And that is against arch-rival Thomas Preining, who just secured his sixth consecutive podium and is experiencing an absolute high with Manthey. There are still a total of 56 points to be won.
AMG starting position even worse than in previous years
You don’t have to be a math genius to understand that the starting position is bad – and only luck and an absolute top performance can save the first driver title since Maximilian Götz in 2021. Especially since Auer is practically out of the title race – with a 45-point deficit.
Looking back proves that since Götz’s title, Mercedes-AMG went into the finale with less deficit in every season they were still in the title fight. In 2022, Auer had an eleven-point deficit to Sheldon van der Linde, in 2023 they were already out of the race, and in 2024 Engel was 20 points behind Mirko Bortolotti.
And in 2025, Auer was overall leader before Hockenheim – with a seven-point lead. Yet it was never enough for the big triumph.
What makes it even worse this year: While Mercedes-AMG especially struggled to keep up towards the end of last season, the Balance of Performance (BoP) is certainly not the reason for the looming defeat this year. Because no vehicle was – perhaps except for the second race at the Lausitzring – so consistently able to compete at the front.
Last year, AMG customer sport director Stefan Wendl had threatened to reduce the commitment to one team because the other teams were better able to play with the BoP. This year, there is no reason to complain.
How Mercedes-AMG went off course in the title fight
But what are the reasons that the next defeat is now looming? Until the Nürburgring weekend, everything went according to plan – and above all, Engel gave the impression that nothing could throw him off track. The veteran led comfortably by 25 points ahead of Nicki Thiim and 26 points ahead of teammate Auer – Preining was fourth, 29 points behind.
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But then he misjudged the first corner in the Sunday race at the Nürburgring and took out his teammate Auer. Engel knew the mistake was clearly his fault – and apologized. But the pressure grew, as Preining fought back to within one point and Engel received a three-place grid penalty.
Engel’s race engineer was not at the Sachsenring
At the Sachsenring, it was noticeable that the usually so confident Engel was more tight-lipped in interviews than usual. Possibly also to fully focus on his own performance. In addition, there was a change in the team, as his race engineer Mauricio Moreira was expecting a child and was replaced by Marius Avemarg.
Avemarg is no stranger: The top engineer was vice-champion with Auer at Landgraf last year, switched to Winward in the winter – and celebrated a great victory with Engel at the 24h race at the Nürburgring in 2026.
The weekend started strong: On Saturday, Engel finished fifth after the grid penalty starting from eighth – just two places behind Preining, who started second. That is like a win. And on the rainy Sunday, he secured an impressive pole position under his conditions.
Engel and AMG mishap destroy Auer’s title chances
But after the difficult start phase, in which Engel fell back, he made another major mistake one lap before the end and took out Kelvin van der Linde, which cost him all points due to the penalty. Was the pressure too great?
What makes it even worse: Because of Engel’s Nürburgring mistake, Auer now has hardly any chances left. And because his wheel hub broke after a strong first sector time in Saturday’s qualifying, causing a heavy crash a day after his 32nd birthday – and resulting in the last starting position.
Even though the part was still within the service life tolerances according to Mercedes-AMG, it is a known weak point of the current GT3 car. According to his own statements, the Austrian could “write books” about how the pendulum can swing in the title fight. This time, it happens to his disadvantage again.
Will there be another miracle like in 2021?
Nevertheless, it is crazy that Auer scored more points this weekend with eleventh and fifth places than Engel, even though he was among the last three after two laps in both races.
What remains now? The hope for a miracle – and the thought of 2021.
Because back then, before the scandalous finale at the Norisring, Götz was third with a 26-point deficit to leader Liam Lawson – three more than Engel. The controversial team order that brought the triumph back then has since been banned in the DTM.
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