Thomas Preining sets the pace on Friday at Hockenheim, topping both DTM practice sessions to underline his title credentials in mixed conditions.

The Manthey Porsche driver carries a 23-point cushion over Maro Engel with two races left, and 24 over Marco Wittmann, turning practice momentum into valuable leverage.

Preining leads FP1 with a 1:36.974 on a largely dry track as light rain arrives, beating Jules Gounon by 0.050s before a late Sachs corner off for the Mercedes driver triggers a full-course yellow.

His best lap comes on a qualifying simulation on lap seven. The yellow compromises several rivals, tempering the headline gap yet validating Porsche’s baseline and tyre preparation.

FP2 flips to wet and cooler, where Preining again is decisive with a 1:47.823. Teams bank early laps as visibility and grip fluctuate, prioritising track position over extended runs.

The consistent speed hints at a well-rounded package: strong front-end bite for rotation, stable traction on exits, and confidence in braking reference changes as grip recedes.

Wittmann sits 0.209s off in the dry, executing two qualifying runs as the surface evolves. The BMW driver struggles in the wet, slipping to 15th and over a second adrift.

Kelvin van der Linde thrives in the rain to sit second, indicating Audi’s window is generous when the rear axle is energised and temperatures remain in the operating range.

Engel’s sixth and eighth place runs are tidy, within half a second in the dry and under a second in the wet. The points leader’s main rival remains well in the fight.

Lucas Auer shows promise on his qualifying sim but hits traffic, ending up 11th and roughly half a second down, masking Mercedes’ potentially stronger one-lap picture.

Further back, Nicki Thiim is 20th and well over a second off, while Matteo Cairoli lands 14th. Thierry Vermeulen completes both sessions despite a foot injury, with cover prepared as outlined in the DTM finale Vermeulen injury report.

Rain looms for qualifying, increasing jeopardy and rewarding early banker laps and disciplined tyre warm-up. Preparations should build on data from the recent Hockenheim test, where long-run balance and out-lap discipline proved decisive.

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Zane Muniz

Zane Muniz writes across NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, IMSA, NHRA, and dirt-racing news. His breaking-news alerts and event previews ensure motorsport fans never miss a lap, drift, or drag-strip showdown.