DTM – Stars and Stories from the Nürburgring

• Former Germany international Helmes visits Abt Sportsline
• Schäfer-Betz and Razgatlıoğlu: two world champions at the Nürburgring
• Spectators enjoy truck action on the start/finish straight

Football stars visit the DTM
Abt Sportsline were having a ball on Sunday: former football international Patrick Helmes and RP Leipzig players Benjamin Henrichs and Tidiam Gomes were guests of the iconic team. The trio checked out the two Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2, chatted to Mirko Bortolotti and Nicki Thiim, and experienced the special atmosphere on the DTM grid in front of packed grandstands. "Up until today, I had only been to the Formula 1 in Monaco. It is really fascinating how close you are to the action in the DTM. If we had this many fans in the changing room just before a football match, all wanting to take selfies with me, it would drive me mad," said Henrichs with a grin. Helmes added: "A perfect trip for the family. The kids have lots to see and it is also exciting for the adults, particularly everything going on in the pit lane."

World champion gymnast overwhelmed by the DTM
Pauline Schäfer-Betz visited the DTM for the first time at the Nürburgring, and was impressed by what she saw. "It is overwhelming how many people are here and mad about motorsport," said the gymnast, who won the world title on the beam in 2017. When it came to the demands on the drivers, she was able to draw parallels with her own sport. "The ability to focus is also vital for us. Like the drivers, we have to be able to react really quickly and make correct decisions. Plus, your body is also subjected to huge forces in gymnastics, when taking off and landing." The 28-year-old had an official duty to perform at lunchtime at the Nürburgring: she sent the DTM field into Saturday's race with the "Drivers start your engines" sign.

Superbike world champion Toprak Razgatlıoğlu supports his mate Güven
Two Turkish motorsport stars at the Nürburgring: two-time Superbike world champion and future MotoGP rider Toprak Razgatlıoğlu visited his friend and compatriot Ayhancan Güven at the race weekend in the Eifel Mountains. This was the motorcycle ace's first trip to the DTM. "Ayhancan and I have known each other for over ten years. He has often visited me at the racetrack. This weekend, I am finally at the DTM for the first time," said the 28-year-old.

Mallorca feeling with motorsport fan Peter Wackel
There was a Mallorca feeling to the paddock on Saturday evening. From 18:00, Ballermann star Peter Wackel got the crowd in front of the Schaeffler Brand Home going with party songs like "Inselfieber" and "Joana". Not only were the fans impressed by the event, but so was the singer. "The DTM is known for how accessible it is to the fans. For this reason, I had all the barriers removed and enjoyed singing in the middle of all the people, as we used to. If it were up to me, I would happily perform at the DTM again, as I love motorsport," Wackel said. "It was impressive to watch the race and the battle for every position from the grandstands. I will be at the Red Bull Ring too, but privately as a fan."

HRT reveals the new Ford Mustang GTD
HRT and Ford presented the new Mustang GTD in the HRT Race Base during the DTM event in the Eifel region. On Saturday evening, Mark Rushbrook (Global Director Ford Performance) introduced selected guests and media representatives to the car, which boasts a 5.2-litre V8 engine and generates over 800 hp. Ford is back on the DTM grid this season for the first time in 30 years - the HRT Ford Performance team fields two new Mustang GT3.

Kart race opens DTM weekend at the Nürburgring
This weekend's action kicked off on Friday evening at the Ring kart track. For 30 laps, DTM drivers and media representatives battled it out for the first win of the race weekend at the Nürburgring. Montego Maassen from the ADAC Formula 4 Junior Team just came out on top. Ben Dörr, who on Sunday claimed the first pole position for McLaren in the history of the DTM, finished runner-up. "I lost too much time at the start. After that, I barely had a chance to overtake, because the kart track is very narrow," said Dörr. The fastest media representative was Sönke Brederlow from news platform Motorsport-Total.

Professional cyclist Nils Politt keeps his promise
The professional cyclist and domestique to Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar was at the Nürburgring to watch the DTM again. As such, the multiple German champion kept the promise he made last season, when the guest of Schaeffler said the following after a Taxi ride in the 600hp Audi R8 LMS GT2: "It was an awesome experience and I will definitely be back." This year, Politt raised the "Drivers start your engines" sign shortly before the start of Sunday's race. "Motorsport has become a bit of a hobby of mine. As such, I really wanted to come back to the DTM at the Nürburgring again this year," said Politt.

Trucks impress with power and precision
The start/finish straight at the Nürburgring was the scene of a spectacular show: in the battle for the title of "DTM Trucker of the Year", the teams' trucks demonstrated power and precision on Saturday evening. After maximum acceleration, the challenge was to brake precisely and come to a halt at the end of the main grandstand. The "DTM-Trucks Go and Stop" competition required the trucks to accelerate up to speed, before knocking over the first cone positioned in front of the finish line, but without dislodging the two positioned directly behind it. Large crowds cheered on the drivers and witnessed a narrow victory for Emil Frey Racing with Ondrej Mahovsky at the wheel. The first to congratulate him was Jack Aitken, who, together with team-mate Ben Green, celebrated a one-two in Saturday's DTM race.

Kelvin van der Linde makes his debut on ProSieben
Kelvin van der Linde swapped steering wheel for microphone in the DTM. The runner-up in the 2024 championship was making his first appearance as a TV expert for ProSieben at the Nürburgring, commentating on his former DTM colleagues alongside presenter Eddie Mielke. "I have two weeks off, but instead of going on holiday I am at a racetrack," said the South African, chuckling. "The DTM is my passion and it is interesting to experience it from the other side for once. As a commentator, you have to be well informed, give things a lot of thought, and consider exactly what you want to say or ask. I have great respect for the people who do this kind of thing every weekend."

Two world premieres for Porsche at the DTM
DTM fans were there in person when Porsche presented two new cars for the 2026 season in the paddock on Friday - the 911 GT3 R (Generation 992) and the 911 Cup (Generation 992.2). The optimised version of the 911 GT3 R can be used in the DTM next year, while the new 911 Cup will be run in the Porsche one-make cups, such as the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland and the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. Sebastian Golz, Project Manager Porsche 911 GT3 R: "The DTM is an important racing series and has great value for us. As such, the presentation of our cars, which feature many innovations, is perfectly suited to this platform. Furthermore, the Nürburgring is an iconic circuit that is known all over the world. All those things together create an extremely good image for the premiere of our cars."

Nostalgia at the Nürburgring
Fans at the Nürburgring for the opening round of the second half of the DTM season were treated to a journey back in time through the history of the successful racing series. Each day, cult cars like the BMW E30 M3, the Mercedes 190E Evo II, the Opel Calibra V6 4x4, and the Audi TT-R took to the track for demonstration laps. At the wheel were former DTM legends, including Harald Grohs and Volker Strycek. Herbert Wittmann, father of two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann, and his brother Nico took the opportunity to take a 1989 BMW M3 out for a spin at the Nürburgring.