Six drivers battle for the 2026 DTM title at Hockenheim

• The 2026 DTM season finale takes place at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg from 9 to 11 October
• Thomas Preining (Porsche), Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG) and Marco Wittmann (BMW) battle for the DTM title
• The champions in all DTM support series will also be crowned at the season finale

The Hockenheimring and the DTM share a tradition spanning several decades: the circuit has hosted the season finale more than 30 times. From 9 to 11 October, that history will continue with the 2026 DTM finale. And, as has so often been the case in the past, the battle for the championship crown will be decided this year on the 4.5-kilometre Grand Prix circuit.

Mathematically, six drivers still have a chance of succeeding Porsche driver Ayhancan Güven as DTM champion. The Turkish driver secured the title last October just metres before the chequered flag, pulling off a breathtaking move on BMW ace Marco Wittmann at the Sachs-Kurve.

Marco Wittmann is one of those drivers heading to Hockenheim with his title hopes very much alive. The Franconian from Schubert Motorsport is the man of the moment in the DTM. Over the last four races, the two-time DTM champion has scored no fewer than 76 points in the BMW M4 GT3 EVO – more than any other driver on the grid. As a result, Wittmann is now third in the standings, just one point behind Maro Engel.

The Monegasque resident has lost 55 points to Wittmann over the last two race weekends in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Mercedes-AMG Team Winward, surrendering the championship lead to Thomas Preining in the process. The 2023 DTM champion has enjoyed a similar surge in form to Wittmann recently, scoring 72 points in the Manthey Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R over the last four races. The Austrian heads into the finale 23 points clear of Engel.

That may sound like a comfortable advantage, but it is anything but, with 56 points still up for grabs at Hockenheim. Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf/Mercedes-AMG GT3), Matteo Cairoli (Emil Frey Racing/Ferrari 296 GT3) and Nicki Thiim (Comtoyou Racing/Aston Martin AMR Vantage GT3 EVO) therefore still have a mathematical chance of winning the title.

Then again, what better championship to deliver such a showdown than the fiercely contested DTM, with its two one-hour races, a total of three mandatory pit stops per weekend and 21 of the world’s finest racing drivers battling it out in GT3 machinery producing more than 550bhp from eight different manufacturers?

The teams’ and manufacturers’ championships are also highly prized in the DTM. Mercedes-AMG Team Winward leads the teams’ standings on 282 points, ahead of Manthey Racing (262), Schubert Motorsport (249) and Emil Frey Racing (236). Meanwhile, Mercedes heads into the finale with a 68-point advantage over Porsche and is on course to claim its 17th manufacturers’ championship.

At this point, it is worth highlighting the revised Sunday schedule once again. While Saturday’s race will get underway as usual at 1.30pm, the lights will not go out until 4.30pm on Sunday. After the chequered flag, the start/finish area will be opened so that race fans can experience the winners’ and champions’ celebrations from the front row.

Hot battle for the “Road to DTM” standings

There is also plenty of excitement in the DTM support series, all of which will crown their champions at Hockenheim.

In the ADAC GT Masters, which will also feature a one-hour race on both Saturday and Sunday, with two drivers sharing each GT3 car, everything is pointing towards a hard-fought title battle between two driver pairings. Leyton Fourie and Tim Zimmermann head into the finale at the top of the standings in the FK Performance Motorsport BMW M4 GT3 EVO. However, the Australian-German pairing has a lead of just five points over Felix Hirsiger and Finn Zulauf in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 of Liqui Moly Team Engstler Motorsport.

The outcome of the “Road to DTM” is at least as intriguing, with Fourie leading Zulauf by just seven points. Both therefore have an excellent chance of following in the footsteps of Finn Wiebelhaus. The 20-year-old won the classification last year, securing crucial financial backing for his step up to the DTM, and has been turning heads this season in HRT’s Ford Mustang GT3 in Germany’s premier racing series.

Three races in ADAC GT4 Germany

Fans at Hockenheim’s Motodrom can even enjoy three one-hour races in ADAC GT4 Germany. Despite the tight schedule, the organisers have managed to accommodate a replacement race on Saturday for the cancelled Sunday race at the Sachsenring.

The championship is also completely open in this series, with as many as three teams still having excellent title chances. The Australian-German pairing of Lachlan Robinson and Denny Berndt leads the standings in the AVIA W&S Motorsport Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS CS, just five points clear of Jan-Philipp Springob and Philipp Gogollok in the COSY Racing by ESM Aston Martin GT4 EVO.

Just three points further back, Italian Gabriele Piana and Finn Benjamin Sylvestersson are waiting in the wings in the FK Performance Motorsport BMW M4 GT4 EVO. Piana, at least, knows exactly what it takes to win a title showdown, having been crowned GT4 champion in 2023.

Four-way title fight in the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland

The outcome of the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland is also completely up in the air. Just seven points separate championship leader Keagan Masters of South Africa (Proton Competition) and Dutch Porsche Junior Flynt Schuring (Schumacher CLRT), who has already secured the 2026 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup title.

The two Germans, Alexander Tauscher (Target) and Theo Oeverhaus (ID Racing), are also still within striking distance. They trail Masters by 24 and 27 points respectively, with 50 points still available across the two races.

In the ProAm standings, Michael Essmann (Team 75 Bernhard) leads Sören Spreng (GP Elite) by 11 points, while in the Rookies’ classification, Luxembourg’s Chester Kieffer (Schumacher CLRT) holds the same advantage over Dutchman Sam Jongejan (Team 75 Bernhard).

Plenty of excitement is therefore guaranteed. Especially as Hockenheim regulars know all too well: when more than 30 Porsche 911 Cup cars, each producing around 525bhp and driven hard by their drivers, are unleashed with their glorious engine note, the historic Motodrom quite literally shakes.

Things are somewhat clearer in the BMW M2 Cup, however. Michael Schrey heads into the final two races of the new Munich-based one-make series with a 40.5-point advantage over Christopher Holst.

Varied entertainment in the DTM Fan Zone

The action on track alone makes a visit to Hockenheimring well worthwhile, but there will also be plenty going on away from the asphalt in the DTM Fan Zone, with a varied programme of entertainment including live music, shows, interviews, autograph sessions and much more.

As always, admission prices are family-friendly. Anyone wanting to get a taste of the action on Friday only can do so for €15 (adults). Day tickets for Saturday and Sunday, including paddock access, start at €49, while the cheapest weekend ticket is available for just €69.

Tickets are available via the official website: www.dtm.com