Showdown in Hockenheim: Epic nine-way battle for the 2025 DTM crown

• Title race still wide open - even ninth-placed driver could still be crowned champion
• Championship leader Auer after his first championship, third-placed Rast wants title number three
• Live acts with Kamrad and H-Blockx, Track Safari and the final rounds of support series

Munich. The DTM is all set for a spectacular final weekend. Ahead of the two deciding races at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg (3rd to 5th October), nine drivers in cars from nine manufacturers are still in with a shout of winning the 2025 title - more than ever before in the history of this prestigious series, which stretches back over 40 years. Just 29 points separate championship leader Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) and Jules Gounon (F/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) in ninth place. With 56 points still up for grabs, the title is still within reach of the Frenchman. The highlight off the track is the open-air concert at 19:00 on Saturday on the "DTM Powerstage presented by Pirelli", featuring rising star Kamrad and the legendary H-Blockx. ProSieben will broadcast both races live on TV, with coverage from Hockenheim beginning at 13:00 on Saturday and Sunday. The races will also be streamed live and free of charge on Joyn, ran.de, ServusTV ON and the DTM YouTube channel. Tickets for the DTM at the Hockenheimring start at € 49 and are available at dtm.com. Admission is free for under 16s when accompanied by an adult.

Key facts, Hockenheimring, Hockenheim, races 15 and 16 of 16

• Circuit length: 4,574 metres
• Layout: 17 corners (eleven right, six left), driven clockwise
• 2024 winner, race 1: Kelvin van der Linde (Abt Sportsline, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2)
• 2024 winner, race 2: Luca Engstler (GRT Grasser Racing Team, Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2)

Title showdown: Eight chasers hunting down Auer
Championship leader Auer has so far impressed with a high level of consistency and nerves of steel. The Austrian is the only driver to have picked up points in every race. Last weekend, the man from the Tyrol region made it onto the podium at his home event at the Red Bull Ring for the first time. Given his mental strength, he now comes into the finale as a big favourite to clinch the title. "It is no secret that the title would mean an incredible amount to me. I have been driving in the DTM since 2015. This series is my sporting home;" says Auer. However, second-placed Jordan Pepper (ZA/TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT) trails by just seven points and is still well within striking distance. Even after the odd setback, the South African has always been among the front-runners in his first full DTM season. He is now looking to pull off a sensational coup at the finale: "On the track, I am a real fighter and ready to go that little bit further to achieve my goals. I know what I have to do and will remain true to myself at the finale," says Pepper.

As a three-time champion, third-placed René Rast (Bregenz/Schubert Motorsport) knows what it takes to win the DTM title. The 38-year-old briefly led the championship after an impressive fightback in the second half of the season, and already has five race wins to his name in Hockenheim. Should the BMW driver extend that record, he could achieve the remarkable feat of being crowned DTM champion with two different manufacturers. Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing) launches his final assault on the DTM crown from fourth place, thanks largely to clever tactics and fast pit stops. The experienced racer has his sights set on his first win of the season, as he looks to turn around a 16-point deficit. Hot on Engel's heels is Ayhancan Güven (TR/Manthey EMA), who already has four race wins to his name in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Ferrari driver Jack Aitken (GB/Emil Frey Racing) and Marco Wittmann (Fürth/Schubert Motorsport) in a BMW M4 GT3 Evo follow is places six and seven. Porsche works driver Thomas Preining (A/Manthey EMA), the 2023 champion, and Gounon complete the group of nine title contenders.

Close affair in the Rookie, Team and Manufacturer standings too
Coming into the final weekend of the 2025 DTM, Manthey EMA leads the Team competition with 316 points, ahead of Schubert Motorsport (300 points). In Mercedes-AMG Team Winward Racing (290 points) and Emil Frey Racing (282 points), a further two teams are also well positioned in the title race. It is a similar story in the Manufacturers Championship, in which Mercedes-AMG arrives at the Hockenheimring in pole position. Trailing them by 41 points in second place is Porsche. However, BMW and Ferrari in third and fourth place could also still win the Manufacturer title. A maximum 90 points are still on offer in both classes. The top rookie coming into the final is Ben Dörr (Butzbach) from McLaren team Dörr Motorsport. Porsche youngster Morris Schuring (NL/Manthey Junior Team), Gilles Magnus (B/Comtoyou Racing) in an Aston Martin, and Tom Kalender (Hamm/Sieg/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) still have a chance of winning the title in the "Rookie of the Year" competition.

Power on the stage: Kamrad and H-Blockx rock the DTM finale
After a day of captivating motorsport action, two musical highlights await DTM fans from 19:00 on Saturday: Kamrad and H-Blockx will ramp up the atmosphere on the "DTM Powerstage presented by Pirelli", behind the south stand (Südtribüne - block A). Kamrad is sure to have the audience singing along to hits like "I Believe" and "Be Mine". Cult band H-Blockx will get the crowd bouncing with energetic rock anthems from the 90s. Both performances are free of charge for all DTM ticket holders.

Finale for support series and the Track Safari
The ADAC GT Masters, ADAC GT4 Germany and the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland also bring the curtain down on their season at the Hockenheimring. The title race is still alive in all three series. Formula feeling will come courtesy of the races in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine. Fans are in for a special adventure on Friday: the Track Safari sees coaches full of spectators take to the 4.574-kilometre track, while DTM cars race past them at high speed.