DTM season finale // Maro Engel: “The fans can look forward to a great motorsport festival!”
- High tension ahead of the DTM season finale from 18th to 20th October at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg
- These are the expectations of title contenders Mirko Bortolotti, Kelvin van der Linde and Maro Engel
- For Audi driver van der Linde, the Hockenheimring is “one of the best racetracks for GT3 cars!
The starting position ahead of the big DTM title showdown from 18th to 20th October at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is obvious: Mirko Bortolotti is the man being hunted, Kelvin van der Linde and Maro Engel are the hunters. And for 17 other drivers in the grid of the spectacular GT3 racing cars from seven different brands, the season finale is all about one thing: a strong end of season finish with a recommendation for the coming season.
But for the three title contenders, the 2024 DTM finale is not a race weekend like any other. For Mirko Bortolotti, a maiden DTM title win seems close enough to touch. With 204 points on his scoreboard, the Vienna-based Italian in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO from SSR Performance has 15 points more than his closest rival, the German-licensed South African Kelvin van der Linde, who drives an Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II for Team ABT Sportsline. A further five points behind van der Linde is Maro Engel from Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD, one of the most experienced DTM drivers in the entire field.
Of course, Bortolotti’s lead is only comfortable at first sight. Although the 34-year-old can theoretically already seal the title in Saturday’s race (start at 1.30 pm), there is always the threat of a poor points score or even a zero result in the extremely evenly matched and fiercely contested field. And with a maximum of 28 points up for grabs per race day (25 for a race win, 3 for pole position), the situation can turn very quickly. The Lamborghini works driver is fully aware of this: “Nobody can predict what will happen at Hockenheim. It’s DTM, so anything is possible. What makes me confident is the way we are performing at SSR this season and always getting the maximum out of the car. I’m proud of that and I’m extremely grateful to my crew. That’s the only really tangible thing we can take with us to Hockenheim. And we have to keep that up if we want to finish on top.”
Motorsport fans know and appreciate that fighters like van der Linde will only give up when nothing else really works. But for the 28-year-old from the Allgäu, the DTM finale weekend in Hockenheim is a special one: “A DTM finale in Hockenheim is always something very special – especially when the championship has not yet been decided. I’ve been looking forward to it every year since I was a child. I was eight years old when Mattias Ekström won his first DTM title in 2004 in the blue Red Bull Audi from ABT. He was an idol for me and I am incredibly proud to be able to fight for the title myself 20 years later in a Red Bull car. It will also be my last race with Audi after ten years together. It will definitely be a very emotional weekend, regardless of how it turns out.”
Maro Engel is also expecting plenty of emotion – both on and off the race track: “We can look forward to a giant motorsport festival. The atmosphere will be bombastic, as it usually is at a DTM finale in Hockenheim. I’m looking forward to an exciting title fight and to being right in the middle of it.”
However, the three title contenders will not be doing any special preparation. “We will prepare for the two final races in the same way as the previous 14,” says Engel. “Of course, the goal is to score as many points as possible to have a chance of turning the situation to our side. We are very well positioned in the Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is a super car, and that gives me confidence that we can still make everything possible in Hockenheim.” Van der Linde sounds the same: “It’s business as usual. We will try to get the maximum out of our package and not make any mistakes. We’ve actually always managed to do that very well this season, even though we’ve never had the fastest car.”
The protagonists categorically avoid making any statements about the balance of power in a field in which all 20 cars are usually within one second of each other. “Nobody can say that,” waves Bortolotti off. “Whether you’re the hunter or the hunted doesn’t matter. You always have to perform and can’t afford to make any mistakes. And that is of course also the goal for the final. I’m looking forward to the title fight with Kelvin and Maro.” Van der Linde has a similar view: “Hockenheim is normally a track where all the brands are competitive and close together. The DTM fans can look forward to a mega-exciting finale.” “It always has to do with form on the day,” says Engel. “The only thing we know for sure is that it will be incredibly close again. We have consistently been among the front-runners throughout the season and obviously hope that we will be in Hockenheim too. And, of course, it would be especially nice to be able to clinch another victory after seven podium finishes.”
What unites the title contenders is their enthusiasm for the 4.5-kilometer Grand Prix circuit. “I love Hockenheim,” enthuses Kelvin van der Linde. “For me, it’s one of the best race tracks for GT3 cars. You can drive many different lines and the races there are always exciting and action-packed. I like driving at Hockenheim and have actually always been successful there.” Maro Engel agrees: “The Hockenheimring is a racetrack that has everything – fast and slow corners, a great flow, some overtaking opportunities and just this great atmosphere. I’m really looking forward to being on the grid there again – hopefully with a positive outcome for us.”
Reasonable ticket prices
The DTM showdown can be watched live on site from €15 (Friday ticket). Day tickets for Saturday or Sunday, including paddock access, are available from €39 in advance. Admission for children and young people under the age of 16 is free. Tickets are available via the official website www.dtm.com.
