Aitken in pursuit of Auer: Next offensive at the Red Bull Ring

• Ferrari driver expects two fiercely-contested races in the Austrian mountains
• Aitken discusses his impressive form and his fascination with the DTM

Munich. As the DTM fast approaches the business end of the season, there is great tension in the title race ahead of the next round at the Red Bull Ring presented by VKB-Bank (12th to 14th September). A mere 20 points separate the top six drivers. In the thick of the battle for the DTM crown: Jack Aitken from Emil Frey Racing. The Brit and his Ferrari 296 GT3 trail Austria's championship leader Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) by just two points. Aitken has occupied top spot in the table twice already this season, but Auer was able to fight back on both occasions. With Kufstein-born Auer looking forward to his home event in Spielberg, Aitken is ready for a third push. "The goal for the Red Bull Ring is clear: we want to perform better than in previous years, so we are right in with a chance in Hockenheim. Anything can happen at the finale," says the Ferrari racer, who currently lies second in the table.

Aitken has already won two races this year, has made it onto the podium on a further two occasions, and has impressed with three pole positions in qualifying. "Last season I won three races and started from pole three times, but was still not really able to have a say in the title race," says Aitken, going on to reveal the secret behind this year's success: "I am managing to score much more consistently. Before the start of the season, we resolved as a team to avoid any DNFs, to assess risks better, and generally to be smarter." That approach has brought success: Aitken has finished in the points in eleven of the twelve races so far. Only on the Sunday at the Nürburgring did he end up outside the top 15, having been an innocent party in a collision with another car.

The man from London also puts his fine form down to experience. "In recent years I have learned a lot about the German circuits and the DTM. I really enjoy working with my team and just have great fun in the car," says Aitken. "The DTM," stresses the 29-year-old with Formula 1 experience, "is one of the few racing series, in which you have the car all to yourself. Outside of this series, I have only seen that in Formula racing. It is a genuine privilege to have so much driving time and to be able to make your own decisions with regard to the set-up of the car."

An exciting weekend against a spectacular Alpine backdrop awaits Aitken at the Red Bull Ring: "You can take perfect advantage of the car in front's slipstream on the long straights. The corners also invite you to make overtaking manoeuvres. You don't get that at many other racetracks. Plus, the weather in the mountains can be unpredictable. I am assuming that we will see two fiercely-contested races." The stage is set for a dramatic penultimate round of the title race in the 2025 DTM.