Lucas Auer Triumphs in DTM Lausitzring Opener over Maro Engel

Lucas Auer delivered a commanding performance at Lausitzring to win the opening DTM race of the weekend, claiming his second victory of the 2025 season. Auer, who drives for Landgraf Mercedes, started from the front and maintained his advantage over the competition, crossing the finish line ahead of fellow Mercedes pilot Maro Engel.

Rene Rast, racing for the Schubert BMW team, started fifth but quickly fought his way forward and secured a spot on the podium in third place. For more details on the DTM championship standings, you can visit the official DTM website.

The start of the race was eventful, especially in the midfield. Ricardo Feller lost his second-place position to Engel soon after the lights went out.

Further back, incidents affected several entries. Morris Schuring’s Manthey Porsche suffered heavy front-end damage in a collision, forcing him to retire early. To learn more about safety protocols in motorsports, check out the FIA’s official regulations.

Grasser Lamborghini’s Luca Engstler was also sidelined after the chaotic opening moments. The safety car was deployed to clear the track, briefly pausing the action and shuffling the field for the restart.

When racing resumed, Auer immediately built another gap at the front. However, a series of early pit stops in the midfield mixed up the order.

Among the frontrunners, Engel attempted an overcut and briefly managed to get ahead of Auer during the pit stop sequence. But Auer’s pace was stronger as his tires quickly came up to temperature.

He reclaimed the lead and began to extend it, while Feller fell out of contention with a mechanical issue on his Audi that forced him out of the race. For insights into racing tire technology, you can explore SAE International’s resources.

Behind the leaders, Jules Gounon, Marco Wittmann, and Thomas Preining were engaged in close battles. Gounon moved forward to finish fourth, with Wittmann and Preining rounding out the top six.

Engel pushed hard in the final laps but could not challenge Auer, who crossed the line to add another win to his season tally. With this result, Auer moved back to the top of the DTM championship standings ahead of the next round.

Emil Frey Ferrari’s Jack Aitken finished seventh, just ahead of Ayhancan Güven driving for Manthey Porsche. Güven previously celebrated his first DTM win at Oschersleben.

Ben Dorr in the Dorr McLaren and Ben Green in another Emil Frey Ferrari completed the top 10. The field showed tight competition throughout the race, with multiple manufacturers and teams represented in the upper positions. For a deeper dive into motorsport engineering, visit MIT’s Motorsports Research.

The opening event at Lausitzring sets the stage for more racing drama as the DTM schedule continues. Sunday will see the second round at the circuit, with drivers required to make two pit stops.

The race is set to start at 1:30 p.m. local time, offering more chances for teams and drivers to score valuable championship points.

This season in DTM, every race counts as the title battle heats up between top contenders like Auer, Engel, Rast, and other standout drivers. As the series heads into its next races, both fans and teams will be watching closely to see who emerges as the strongest competitor in 2025.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.