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Suspicious DTM Team Orders at Mercedes-AMG? Auer Reveals Intriguing Insight
Highlights
- Lucas Auer slowed, allowing teammate Maro Engel to overtake.
- Team orders banned in DTM since 2022 under Paragraph 20.2.
- Auer cited foot cramps causing pace reduction after race restart.
- DMSB found no evidence of team order via radio communications.
- Auer won race; Engel finished fourth, trailing by 22 points.
- DTM officials unable to prove illegal team orders definitively.
Lucas Auer slows after the Hockenheim DTM restart and lets Mercedes teammate Maro Engel through, despite the series’ team-orders ban. Officials and rivals immediately scrutinise the move.
Engel, stronger in the standings, accepts the position without resistance. Sector data shows Auer 1.5s slower in sector two on lap five, pointing to a deliberate pace cut.
Engel later highlights their friendship and long partnership at Winward Mercedes in GT World Challenge Europe. He says the gesture helps his title chase.
DTM’s Paragraph 20.2 forbids direct or indirect instructions affecting track conduct. Breaches can attract heavy sanctions, including fines up to 250,000 euros.
Team orders have been outlawed in DTM since 2022 under Paragraph 20.2.
Auer offers a different explanation. He reports foot cramps after the restart, says he sometimes tenses early, and eases off to avoid aggravating the issue.
“I had foot cramps after the restart and backed off to manage it.” — Lucas Auer
The DMSB reviews radio between the Mercedes drivers and finds no evidence of a planned swap. An off-radio agreement cannot be excluded, but proof is lacking.
The sporting impact proves limited. Engel’s slow 16.4s stop drops him behind Auer, who wins. Engel finishes fourth, 22 points down entering the final day of the season.
Title leader Thomas Preining remains firmly placed. Only a major error re-opens Engel’s hopes. Earlier Hockenheim practice and qualifying trends reinforce that picture.
The DMSB found no radio evidence of team orders and took no action.
Beyond this incident, Mercedes’ development focus stays in view across programmes. Recent analyses of Mercedes upgrades and F1 upgrade success underline that emphasis on execution.
Visual Summary
AUER
•
•
•
ENGEL
?
🚩
Did Auer gift Engel the lead,
or was it just cramps? 🤔
or was it just cramps? 🤔
Team orders are banned in DTM.
Officials reviewed radio comms – found no proof.
Auer: “Cramp slowed me down.”
Fans: “But the timing looks suspicious…”
Officials reviewed radio comms – found no proof.
Auer: “Cramp slowed me down.”
Fans: “But the timing looks suspicious…”
🏆 Winner
Lucas Auer
P4 – Maro Engel
Slow pit stop lost the lead
Max Penalty for Team Orders: €250,000
But: No evidence = No penalty. Officials cannot prove a rule break.
Engel now 22 points behind in the championship.
Needs a big mistake from Preining to have a chance.
Needs a big mistake from Preining to have a chance.
DTM’s Undefeated Mystery:
Did friendship decide the lead? 💙🤝 Or was it just cruel timing and cramps?
For now, the official word is: Case closed — but the paddock still whispers…
Did friendship decide the lead? 💙🤝 Or was it just cruel timing and cramps?
For now, the official word is: Case closed — but the paddock still whispers…
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.
