Bortolotti Capitalizes on Manthey Pit Stop Error to Claim Oschersleben Victory

Mirko Bortolotti returned to the top step of the DTM podium at Oschersleben, claiming victory in Sunday’s race after a flawless strategic drive and a critical error by rival team Manthey. The Grasser Racing Lamborghini driver’s fifth career DTM win and first since Spielberg in October 2024 came at the expense of polesitter Thomas Preining, who had dominated the opening stages before a botched second pit stop handed the lead away. Maro Engel (Winward Mercedes) finished second to further extend his championship lead, while Preining salvaged third despite late pressure from Marco Wittmann.

A Masterclass in Patience and Execution

For Bortolotti, the victory was as much about mental resilience as it was about pace. "We all know how difficult the year is for us," the Italian said on ProSieben. "Basically, it's been a difficult year and a half for me. It feels extremely good to be back right at the top." He emphasized that the win was earned, not gifted: "Nobody gave us anything, but that's not what we want either. That's why it just feels so good."

Bortolotti’s path to victory hinged on an overcut strategy during the first pit window. While early-stoppers like Kelvin van der Linde, Arjun Maini, and Marco Wittmann failed to gain positions through the undercut, Bortolotti and Engel stayed out longer. When they finally pitted, clean stops propelled them into the top three, leapfrogging Lucas Engstler (Abt Lamborghini), whose own stop was compromised by a left-rear wheel gun issue.

From there, Bortolotti shadowed Preining relentlessly, at times closing the gap to under one second. His patience was rewarded when the decisive moment arrived at the second pit stop.

Preining’s Heartbreak at the Second Stop

Preining had converted pole into the lead at the start, briefly losing position to Engstler in Turn 1 before reclaiming it on the inside. Despite carrying 20kg of success ballast from Saturday’s win, he controlled the race through the first stint and maintained his advantage after the first round of stops.

The race turned at the second pit cycle. All four leading cars pitted together, but Preining’s Manthey crew encountered a problem with the left-rear tire change. The delay cost him multiple seconds and dropped him to third behind Bortolotti and Engel. With track position lost and tire temperatures disrupted, Preining could not mount a counterattack and instead spent the closing laps defending against a charging Wittmann.

Wittmann Denied Home Podium Despite Tire Advantage

Marco Wittmann entered Sunday’s race with fresher tires after retiring from Saturday’s event, giving him a theoretical edge in the final stint. However, the Schubert BMW driver could not convert that advantage into a podium at his team’s home race.

"Of course we had hoped for a bit more, especially since we had a clear tire advantage," Wittmann admitted, visibly disappointed. Battling a gastrointestinal infection throughout the weekend, he described it as "one of, if not the most difficult and physical race weekends I've had." Though he closed on Preining in the final laps, he lacked the ultimate pace to pass, settling for fourth. "P4 is a good result, but when you're right there, you naturally want to fight for the podium."

Championship Implications

Maro Engel’s second-place finish proved strategically vital. The Winward Mercedes driver now leads the standings with 145 points, extending his margin over Nicki Thiim (124 points) and teammate Lucas Auer (123 points), who endured a quiet race to 12th. Preining remains in contention in fourth with 117 points, but the Oschersleben double-header has shifted momentum firmly toward Engel heading into the summer break.

"I'm absolutely delighted," Engel said. "It was a super strong weekend. But nobody can win the championship today or at the Nürburgring. So keep our feet on the ground, keep working."

Top 10 Finishers

Mirko Bortolotti claimed victory for Grasser Racing in the Lamborghini, finishing ahead of Maro Engel in the Winward Mercedes and Thomas Preining in the Manthey Porsche, who completed the podium in third. Marco Wittmann secured fourth place in the Schubert BMW, followed by Lucas Engstler in fifth driving the Abt Lamborghini. Arjun Maini finished sixth in the HRT Ford, with his Schubert BMW teammate Kelvin van der Linde taking seventh. The top ten was rounded out by Ricardo Feller in eighth for Manthey Porsche, Jules Gounon in ninth for Winward Mercedes, and Matteo Cairoli in tenth driving the Emil Frey Ferrari.

The DTM season resumes in three weeks at the Nürburgring (August 14–16), where Jack Aitken and René Rast claimed victories last year. For Bortolotti, Oschersleben marks a long-awaited return to form; for Preining, a painful reminder that championships are often decided not by outright speed, but by the margin of error in the pit lane.