DTM Hockenheim: Lamborghini's Bortolotti clinches maiden title, Engstler wins finale

Manufacturing unit Lamborghini driver Mirko Bortolotti was topped the 2024 DTM champion after ending second to Luca Engstler in Sunday’s finale at Hockenheim, as title rival Kelvin van der Linde struggled to twelfth.

Having retaken the lead throughout the championship by scoring three bonus components in qualifying on Sunday morning, SSR Effectivity’s Bortolotti turned the first Lamborghini driver to clinch a title throughout the DTM no matter dropping behind Engstler throughout the pitstop cycle throughout the hour-long race on the previous German Grand Prix venue.

The Italian’s success was made simple by a torrid start from Saturday winner van der Linde, who slipped from fifth to eleventh on the opening lap and couldn’t make any vital restoration whereas carrying 20kg of success ballast on his Abt Audi.

The podium was completed by three-time DTM champion Rene Rast for Schubert Motorsport, serving to the BMW squad clinch the teams’ title.

Initially of the race, Bortolotti pulled away cleanly from pole place, alongside together with his team-mate Nicki Thiim showing as a rear-gunner in second ahead of Abt Audi’s Ricardo Feller.

Engstler obtained the soar on van der Linde to start with and moved as a lot as fifth, whereas the South African continued to slip down the order on lap 1 as he complained a couple of lack of grip on workforce radio.

Bortolotti pulled out a bonus of over 4 seconds throughout the opening stint, which allowed SSR Effectivity to play it safe when the pitlane window opened on the 20-minute mark.

Whereas his chief rival van der Linde pitted on the primary various to get a model new set of tyres fitted to his Audi, Bortolotti stayed out until lap 19, with SSR servicing his automotive in 6.8s.

Luca Engstler, Grasser Racing Workforce Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3

Image by: Alexander Trienitz

That left him inclined to an undercut from GRT Lamborghini driver Engstler, whose tyres have been already as a lot as temperature, with the German driver making a wonderful cross on Flip 11 to seize the lead.

The Italian obtained right here once more at him throughout the final quarter of the race, nevertheless GRT Lamborghini’s Engstler was able to preserve him off to clinch a second occupation victory throughout the DTM.

Whereas Bortolotti missed out on a second victory in as many race weekends, the runner-up finish was adequate for him to win the DTM title for the first time after near-misses in every 2022 and ’23.

Rast staged an unimaginable drive from eleventh on the grid to clinch his fourth podium of the 12 months, closing inside eight tenths of Bortolotti with a formidable value throughout the final stint.

Fourth place went to Manthey EMA Porsche of Thomas Preining, whereas Thiim wanted to just accept fifth place after shedding a doable podium finish by going off the observe on his out-lap.

Feller held off the Schubert BMW of Marco Wittmann throughout the final laps to take seventh, whereas Winward Mercedes’ Lucas Auer dropped from fifth to eighth throughout the closing ranges of the race.

BMW’s Sheldon van der Linde accomplished ninth, whereas championship contenders Maro Engel and brother Kelvin van der Linde languished in tenth and twelfth respectively, separated by the Emil Frey Ferrari of Thierry Vermeulen.

Mercedes was hit by an in a single day Steadiness of Effectivity change which left Engel fifteenth on the grid, whereas van der Linde lacked the tempo to put a restoration drive after a disastrous opening lap of the race dropped him exterior the best 10.

The guidelines of things scorers was completed by HRT Mercedes’ Arjun Maini and the Lamborghinis of Maximilian Paul (Paul Motorsport) and Frank Perera (GRT).

The one retiree from the race was Maini’s team-mate Jules Gounon, who wanted to peel into the pits with 9 laps to associate with a right-rear puncture.

The producers’ championship was gained by Mercedes, which means all three DTM titles went to completely totally different producers.

Cla
Driver
Automotive / Engine
Delay

1
Luca Engstler
Lamborghini

2
Mirko Bortolotti
Lamborghini
0.455

3
René Rast
BMW
1.834

4
Thomas Preining
Porsche
16.802

5
Nicki Thiim
Lamborghini
18.001

6
Ricardo Feller
Audi
18.664

7
Marco Wittmann
BMW
19.465

8
Lucas Auer
Mercedes
20.558

9
S.van der Linde
BMW
26.228

10
Maro Engel
Mercedes
29.463