DTM Lausitzring: Jack Aitken Steals Dramatic Win

Jack Aitken claimed his first win of the 2025 DTM season at the Lausitzring, overtaking Rene Rast in the final moments of a chaotic race. The event was filled with close battles and several incidents, but despite predictions, the expected rain never arrived.

Aitken, driving the Emil Frey Ferrari, started from pole but lost the lead to Rast during the pit stop phase. Rast, representing Schubert BMW, made an early stop to undercut Aitken.

For several laps, Rast held the advantage, but Aitken stayed close, waiting for his chance to reclaim the top spot. With only two laps remaining, Aitken made a bold move to get past Rast and secure his victory. For more details on the DTM racing format and rules, check out the official DTM website.

Rast, who did not expect BMW to be so competitive at Lausitzring, finished second. He later said it was frustrating to lose the lead so close to the finish, though he enjoyed the battles throughout the race.

Jules Gounon, racing for Winward Mercedes, tried hard to grab second from Rast at the final corner but fell just 0.045 seconds short and ended up third. Jordan Pepper finished fourth driving for Grasser Lamborghini.

Maro Engel in a Winward Mercedes took fifth, while DTM champion Mirko Bortolotti claimed sixth for Abt Lamborghini, which was his best result of the season so far. Thierry Vermeulen finished seventh for Emil Frey Ferrari, ahead of Marco Wittmann in the Schubert BMW.

Saturday’s race winner, Lucas Auer, completed the top nine in his Landgraf Mercedes. Maximilian Paul crossed the finish line in tenth place but was handed a 60-second penalty for taking his second pit stop later than allowed. To understand more about race penalties and regulations, visit the FIA’s official site.

This penalty dropped Paul out of the top ten, giving Timo Glock the last point-scoring position. The race start saw immediate drama when Thomas Preining, driving a Manthey Porsche, made contact with polesitter Aitken and soon had to retire in the pits.

Marco Wittmann tried to take advantage but was pushed wide by Aitken’s Ferrari, and Auer ended up on the grass after a separate clash with Wittmann. Bortolotti made up ten places in the opening laps, climbing from 20th to 10th, while Fabio Scherer moved from 22nd to ninth.

Marco Wittmann later experienced ABS issues that caused him to fall down the field before making a pit stop for new tires. In the midfield, Ben Dörr received penalties after he spun Morris Schuring and had earlier made contact with Bortolotti, costing both drivers places.

Despite the penalties, Dörr managed to recover to finish 14th. As the race settled, Aitken and Rast pulled away from the rest of the pack.

After Rast’s first-stop undercut, a safety car came out due to Wittmann and Schuring’s collision. Rast kept the lead during the restart, forcing Aitken to defend his position from Maro Engel who was close behind.

Further back, more tangles saw Ricardo Feller spin Nicolas Baert and Arjun Maini collide with Timo Glock during a scrap for 15th place. The second round of pit stops saw Rast hold his advantage over Aitken and Engel, but Engel made a mistake on cold tires coming out of the pits.

This drop allowed Pepper and Gounon to get ahead of him. In the dramatic closing laps, Aitken reeled in Rast, making his successful move before the final lap to capture his first DTM win of the year and jump to fifth in the overall standings.

After Sunday’s race, Lucas Auer remains at the top of the championship with 69 points. Jules Gounon is second with 63 points. For historical context on DTM championship standings, you can explore Wikipedia’s DTM page.

Jordan Pepper holds third with 55, and Maro Engel sits fourth with 52. The next round of the DTM championship will be run at Zandvoort in two weeks, with fans eager to see if Aitken can keep his winning momentum going. For more on the Zandvoort circuit, visit the official Circuit Zandvoort site.

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.