New car, new driver: Abt Sportsline is ready for the 2026 DTM

• Established team lines up with the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3
• DTM race winner Luca Engstler switches to Abt Sportsline
• First DTM season for newcomer Marco Mapelli

Munich. Abt Sportsline is extending its cooperation with Lamborghini in the 2026 DTM: the team from the Allgäu region will not only be able to call upon the services of two of the Italian manufacturer's works drivers, but will also line up on the grid with the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3. The cars will be driven by experienced GT driver Marco Mapelli (I) and Luca Engstler from Kempten. With five Driver titles, 78 race wins and 92 pole positions to its name since joining the DTM in 2000, the Abt team is the most successful and longest-serving outfit in the starting field.

This is Mapelli's first season in the DTM. However, the Italian is already familiar with the DTM circuits from his time in the ADAC GT Masters, during which he won four races. As a Lamborghini works driver, the 38-year-old was involved in the development of the new Temerario GT3. "To be a DTM driver for Abt feels like a dream come true," says the Italian. "I am very much looking forward to spending the whole season working with an absolutely top team. Right from the first moment, I have felt at home in the team. You can feel the commitment and passion of every single person, which is a great motivation for me to do my very best. Abt's history speaks for itself. This team races to win, and that is precisely our approach."

Engstler has been racing in the DTM since 2023 and currently has two wins to his name. The driver from the Allgäu region of Germany is ready for his first season with Abt Sportsline: "I am really looking forward to working with Abt," says the 26-year-old. "The team has been a part of my life since I was a child. Back then, I used to pass the workshop every day on the way to school. It is a great honour to now be starting for Abt. It goes without saying that there is a lot that is new for us. With this in mind, the first year will be something of a learning phase. However, our goal is to be successful and to consistently improve over the course of the whole season. The key will be to pick up points, even on difficult weekends."

Thomas Biermaier, CEO of Abt Sportsline, is confident ahead of the coming season: "We are delighted to have Luca and Marco in our team. Even in the first few weeks, we have already noticed that they are both a perfect fit for us - not only from a sporting perspective, but also as people. Together, we have a clear goal: to be successful again. With Luca and Marco, we are well on our way to achieving that goal."