Alpine opener: DTM title race kicks off at the Red Bull Ring

• DTM stars battle for the first two wins of the year in Spielberg
• New feature for fans: live vote for Driver of the Day
• Impressive programme, with ADAC GT Masters, ADAC GT4 Germany and Track Safari

Munich. The battle for the 2026 DTM title begins against an imposing backdrop: the Red Bull Ring in Austria is the fastest track on the calendar and provides the perfect stage for a spectacular opening round this coming weekend (24th to 26th April). Two local favourites will be in the thick of the action: Mercedes-AMG star and last year's runner-up Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) and Porsche racer Thomas Preining (Manthey). Tickets for the first two races of the year start at € 49 and are available at dtm.com. Admission is free for under 16s when accompanied by an adult. Fans can also enjoy the DTM at home: ProSieben is showing all races live on free-to-air TV, with coverage from Spielberg start at 13:00 on Saturday and Sunday. The two races can also be seen in a free stream on Joyn, ran.de, ServusTV ON and the DTM YouTube channel.

Key facts, Red Bull Ring, Spielberg, races 1 and 2 of 16

• Circuit length: 4,326 metres
• Layout: Ten corners (seven right, three left), driven clockwise
• 2025 winner, race one: René Rast (Schubert Motorsport, BMW M4 GT3 Evo)
• 2025 winner, race two: Ricardo Feller (Land-Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo2)

Auer and Preining looking to benefit from home advantage
The local favourites have high hopes ahead of the opening round at the Red Bull Ring, and will be looking to make an early statement in the race for the DTM title. Auer, from the Tyrol region of Austria, is hungry to finally claim a first home win in the DTM. "The best drivers and teams go head to head in the DTM. I prepared meticulously during the winter and spent a lot of time in the car. Plus, I am obviously extremely motivated, as I am at home and racing in front of my own fans," says the 31-year-old. "The opener, and indeed the whole season, will be all about who understands the new tyre fastest. In my opinion, that will be the biggest challenge," says Auer, referring to the new Pirelli tyres, which have been developed exclusively for the DTM.

His compatriot Preining already knows how it feels to win at the Alpine circuit, and is out to repeat that success in the optimised Porsche 911 GT3 R. "I am pleased that the season is finally getting underway after a long winter. Kicking off the season at the Red Bull Ring is an absolute highlight for me," reveals the 2023 DTM champion from Linz. "In recent years, the DTM races here have always been exciting. Furthermore, the track offers many overtaking opportunities. I love racing at the Red Bull Ring, and would obviously like to start the season with a home win."

Home outing with the new Lamborghini
The season opener in Styria heralds a new era for TGI Team by GRT: the team from Knittelfeld, near the racetrack, fields two new Lamborghini Temerario GT3 and can call upon the services of works drivers Mirko Bortolotti (I) and Maximilian Paul (Dresden). "We are lining up with a completely new car, which means the start of the season will be about development work," says Bortolotti, who lives in Vienna. "You need maximum performance to be successful in the DTM. As soon as we have the necessary pace, anything is possible. It obviously really helps that I have known the Grasser team for many years, and that we have a very trusting relationship.”

BMW drivers Marco Wittmann (Fürth) and the returning Kelvin van der Linde (ZA) are definitely among the favourites. Particularly given the fact that the M4 GT3 has won a DTM race in Austria in each of the past three years. Four drivers will be making their DTM debut at the Red Bull Ring: experienced Italians Matteo Cairoli (Emil Frey Racing) in a Ferrari and Marco Mapelli (Red Bull Team Abt), talented youngster Bastian Buus (DK/Land-Motorsport) in a Porsche, and Road to DTM winner Finn Wiebelhaus (Obertshausen/HRT Ford Racing) in a Ford.

New fan feature
As of the start of the season, DTM fans can look forward to a new feature, in cooperation with DTM fashion partner PME Legend. During the 16 races there will be a live vote for "Driver of the Day" powered by PME Legend. Fans will be able to vote for their personal favourites in the race via the DTM app and at dtm.com.

Impressive support series at DTM opener
The ADAC GT Masters gets its 20th season underway at the Red Bull Ring, where ADAC GT4 Germany will also hold the first two of its twelve races. Visitors in Spielberg can also look forward to the Porsche Sixt Carrera Cup Deutschland and the single-seaters of the Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA). There is a special experience in store for fans on Friday: the Track Safari takes lucky participants onto the track in buses, alongside the DTM cars.