DTM season finale // The countdown is on
- High-tension ahead of the DTM season finale from October 20 to 22 at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg
- The three-way fight for the 2023 DTM title between Thomas Preining, Mirko Bortolotti and Ricardo Feller electrifies race fans
- In the three frame series, too, spectators at Hockenheim can expect hot duels for race victories and championship titles
Beautiful dream sports cars, engine sound with goose bumps guaranteed, tough door-to-door duels between some of the best GT drivers on the planet, high tension in the title battle – real race fans can expect the very best in horsepower treats this coming weekend. With its rounds 15 and 16 of the season, the DTM will celebrate the showdown of the year where it has traditionally done so for decades: at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg.
The ingredients for a (rather spicy) DTM menu are already ready: For Thomas Preining (Austria / Manthey EMA Racing / Porsche 911 GT3-R), Mirko Bortolotti (Italy / SSR Performance / Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2) and Ricardo Feller (Switzerland / Abt Sportsline / Audi R8 LMS), nothing less than the 2023 DTM title is at stake. With a total of 56 points still up for grabs, Preining is leading by ten points ahead of Bortolotti and 31 ahead of Feller. So much for the exciting starting position.
What makes things even more difficult for the three protagonists is that the top-class DTM field includes 24 other race drivers, all of whom have material capable of winning and have nothing whatsoever to do with the title fight. So it’s a highly explosive mix that makes the qualifying sessions for the two one-hour races on Saturday and Sunday the decisive minutes. In the very balanced field of 27 GT3 cars from six different makes, anyone who does not start on one of the front rows of the grid can generally kiss a top position goodbye.
And because all the drivers and teams know the Hockenheimring inside out from numerous races and test drives and have plenty of data on the 4.5-kilometer Grand Prix circuit, the field is always particularly close together on the traditional track just outside Heidelberg. To illustrate: In Saturday qualifying in 2022, the top 15 were separated by exactly half a second. In other words, one small mistake on the fast lap and the driver in question was at the back of the pack. That’s where chaos usually breaks out, especially after the start.
Lots of action in the frame race series
Of course, there is not only excitement in the run-up to the wild goings-on of the top stars from the DTM, but also in the three thrilling frame series. In the ADAC GT Masters, where the same 550 hp GT3 racers are used as in the DTM, the title decision is also still open. The Finnish-German pairing of Elias Seppänen/Salman Owega in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 enters the finale with a lead of 20 and 23 points respectively over the Porsche crews of Finn Gehrsitz/Sven Müller and Nico Menzel/Jannes Fittje. Lurking just eight points behind and thus in a dangerous underdog role are Benjamin Hites/Marco Mapelli in the Lamborghini and Eduardo Coseteng/Ben Green in the BMW M4 GT3, who are tied on points.
The starting position in the ADAC GT4 Germany is clearer. Hugo Sasse and Mike David Ortmann (Aston Martin Vantage GT4) travel to the final showdown with a supposedly comfortable lead of 43 points over Mercedes-AMG driver Denis Bulatov. Nevertheless: Wherever the field of mostly young GT4 drivers reaches, no more weeds grow, a retirement happens quickly and a seemingly secure lead is quickly gone.
And even though the title has already been decided in favor of Dutchman Larry Ten Voorde, the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland is always a highlight of every race weekend. The recipe has been tried and tested and successful for decades: a beautiful race car, the 992 version of which produces no less than 510 hp, the sound of the six-cylinder boxer engine that cuts through the marrow and the 30 or so drivers who get down to business on the track.
New Welcome Center opened at the Hockenheimring
On the occasion of the DTM final weekend, the brand-new Welcome Center at the Hockenheimring will open its doors to the public. The modernly designed meeting point for all fans and visitors is integrated into the main grandstand of the race track and offers a fan store, a coffee bar, and a high-end race simulator from Brogent, as well as much more. All DTM visitors are cordially invited to explore the new location and take part in one of the fun hands-on activities at the Welcome Center.
Attractive supporting program, low-priced tickets
ADAC Motorsport and Hockenheim-Ring GmbH have always stood for the fact that plenty of exciting action on and a colorful entertainment program for the whole family away from the race track does not have to go hand in hand with high ticket prices. A day ticket for Friday is available for as little as 15 euros (adults) or 10 euros (children and young people up to 16 years of age), while prices for a weekend ticket including access to the paddock start at 59 euros. Tickets are available on the official website www.dtm.com.
Image copyright: ADAC Motorsport
