Mature performance: Lucas Auer wins the opening DTM race

Lucas Auer has started the 2025 season with an impressive victory. The Austrian from Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf started the opening race of the championship from pole position on Saturday afternoon, and controlled the entire race from the head of the field. After 40 laps, he crossed the finish line first in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 to complete his tenth DTM success.

"A top start to the new season! The start of the race was superb. However, I later lost all the lead I had established when having to lap other cars. As such, I am delighted that the guys in the pit lane produced a really strong performance during the tyre change," said Auer.

Behind him, Jordan Pepper (ZA) from TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT took second place and impressed with a strong display at the circuit in the Magdeburg Börde region. Maro Engel (Monaco) from Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing guided another car with the star logo to third place, thanks to a clever pit stop strategy.

Auer made a perfect start from pole position on Saturday afternoon, in front of packed grandstands at Motorsport Arena Oschersleben: the 30-year-old immediately pulled clear of the field and opened up a lead of more than four seconds. He was followed by South African Pepper and Mercedes-AMG driver Jules Gounon (F), who had managed to overtake Porsche works driver Thomas Preining (A). The experienced Engel slotted into fifth place.

After the first mandatory pit stops, Auer lost a lot of time behind drivers who were slower on new and cold tyres. Then came the showdown on lap 18, when Auer, Pepper and Preining came into the pits at the same time for their tyre change. Despite being stationary for a little longer, Auer still managed to return to the track just ahead of the South African and his compatriot Preining.

Auer then set about opening a lead of roughly two seconds. The driver from the Tyrol region held onto first place and went on to celebrate his first DTM victory for about two and a half years. Pepper followed him home in second place. Auer's fellow Mercedes-AMG driver once again demonstrated his tactical prowess, making a late switch to the Pirelli slicks and beating Preining to third place. In contrast, Gounon dropped two positions after an earlier pit stop and eventually finished fifth.

Ferrari driver Jack Aitken (GB) from Emil Frey Racing took sixth place, while Ayhancan Güven (TR) steered the second Manthey EMA 911 to seventh. Marco Wittmann (Fürth) was the best-placed BMW driver in eighth place for home team Schubert Motorsport. Reigning DTM champion Mirko Bortolotti (I) climbed three places to end Saturday's race in ninth place in a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2 run by Abt Sportsline. Luca Engstler (Kempten) from TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT rounded out the top ten.

Jordan Pepper: "Second place feels like a win to me. Lucas Auer was faster than me at the start, but as the race progressed I benefitted a little from traffic caused by the pit stops. Unfortunately, I did not manage to launch a decisive attack on Lucas. Despite that, it was awesome to drive in front of such a fantastic backdrop."

Maro Engel: "The late pit stop was a spontaneous decision. I had the feeling that we still had enough pace and could stay out there a little longer. That strategy really paid dividends. Had I managed to stick around at the front for a tiny bit longer on the fresh and cold tyres, we could have won it."

Results are HERE