Ayhancan Güven joins the title fight after a double victory at the Sachsenring.
Photo: Alexander Trienitz
DTM moved from the Nürburgring to the Sachsenring, a circuit known for producing great racing—and this year was no exception. Saturday’s qualifying was dominated by Jordan Pepper, but the race itself told a different story. The start was delayed by about ten minutes due to heavy rain. As the race went on, the track gradually began to dry, and drivers started switching to slick tyres. The biggest drama came at the entry to Turn 1 on the final lap, when Thomas Preining forced Jordan Pepper off the track. Güven seized the opportunity, overtaking both drivers and taking the victory. Pepper finished second, with Jack Aitken in third.
Sunday’s qualifying saw Jack Aitken set the fastest time, securing pole position. However, the race quickly turned into a nightmare for the Lamborghini drivers: Jordan Pepper retired after contact with another car, Mirko Bortolotti was forced to stop with brake failure, and Nici Thim also failed to finish. It was also a nightmare for Aitken, who started the race as championship leader but was spun by Thomas Preining in Turn 1. The safety car was deployed, and although Aitken managed to recover from the gravel, he was left at the back. Once again, Güven benefited from the incident, especially after Preining was handed a penalty.
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| Photo: Alexander Trienitz |
The race was therefore won by Güven. Aitken fought back to salvage a single point with 15th place. Ben Dörr was set for a dream race until a post-race penalty cost him his maiden DTM podium. Joining Güven on the podium were Jules Gounon and Ben Green.
The current championship leader is Lucas Auer, just two points ahead of Jack Aitken, while Güven and Pepper sit six points behind.
DTM now heads into its final two race weekends: September 12–14 at Austria’s Red Bull Ring, and the season finale at Germany’s Hockenheimring on October 3–5.