Dörr takes shock win - Preining leads going into DTM finale

• Ben Dörr produces an impressive display to win race 14 of the season
• Championship leader Thomas Preining finishes second and extends his lead
• Imposing backdrop: 53,200 visitors at Sachsenring race weekend

Hohenstein-Ernstthal. Nerves of steel, and driving like a man possessed – Ben Dörr (Butzbach/Dörr Motorsport) claimed his second DTM victory on Sunday at the Sachsenring. In difficult conditions, and on a track that was still damp in the early stages, the McLaren driver moved to the head of the field on lap five. From that point on, he never looked back. "I coped really well with the mixed track conditions at the start of the race. It was close again towards the end, when Thomas Preining was right on my heels on fresh tyres. On the whole, it was a really strong display from us, and one of the best races of my career," said a delighted Dörr. Championship leader Thomas Preining (A/Manthey) came home second to make it onto the podium for the sixth race in a row. That saw the Austrian extend his lead at the top of the table to 23 points ahead of the finale in Hockenheim. His team-mate Ricardo Feller (CH) finished third to make his second appearance of the season on the podium. It proved to be a miserable afternoon for Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol): the man currently second in the overall standings was handed a 15-second penalty after the race, and consequently left empty-handed. 53,200 visitors attended the penultimate DTM weekend at the Sachsenring. Fans witnessed an eventful racing spectacle with many battles and changes of position, particularly on Sunday.

Key facts, Sachsenring, Hohenstein-Ernstthal, race 14 of 16

• Circuit length: 3,645 metres
• Weather: 18 degrees, cloudy
• Pole position: Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol, Mercedes-AMG GT3 #80), 1:26.307 minutes
• Winner: Ben Dörr (Dörr Motorsport, McLaren 720S GT3 Evo #25)
• Fastest lap: Finn Wiebelhaus (HRT Ford Racing, Ford Mustang GT3 #64), 1:19.414 minutes

Tyre selection was top priority ahead of the start of race 14 of the season on Sunday at the Sachsenring. Despite the track being wet in places, most drivers opted for the Pirelli slick – a decision that soon proved to be the right one. However, Bastian Buus (DK/Land-Motorsport), who started from fifth place on wet-weather tyres, took an early lead when the race got underway. He was followed by pole-sitter Engel, ahead of Dörr, who gained one position. Dörr went on the attack on lap five: the McLaren driver first overtook Engel, then Buus, who dropped back through the field as the track started to dry out. Behind the leading duo, Kelvin van der Linde (ZA/Schubert Motorsport), Preining and Feller occupied places three to five. By the time he came in for the first mandatory pit stop, race leader Dörr had opened a gap of over ten seconds, which he then proceeded to extend. Porsche works driver Preining climbed into second place, followed by Feller and Matteo Cairoli (I/Emil Frey Racing), who had gained ten positions in the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.

Dörr continued to lead in commanding fashion after the second tyre change, until the safety car made two appearances in quick succession shortly before the finish. First, Jules Gounon (F/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) and Nicki Thiim (DK/Comtoyou Racing) collided together – both were unable to finish the race. Engel then shunted van der Linde, who was running fifth ahead of him, into the gravel bed. That resulted in a retrospective 15-second penalty for Engel, who lies second in the table. Although race leader Dörr's big advantage had been cut by the appearance of the safety car, he kept his cool after the restart and went on to take the chequered flag after 39 laps of racing. Preining, Feller and Cairoli followed in positions two to four. Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) battled his way through from eighth to fifth.

Marco Wittmann (Fürth/Schubert Motorsport) pulled off an impressive fightback. The BMW driver made up ten positions and finished sixth. Thierry Vermeulen (NL) came home seventh in the second Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo of Emil Frey Racing. The best-placed Lamborghini driver was Luca Engstler (Kempten/Red Bull Team Abt) in eighth. Buus guided his Porsche 911 GT3 R to ninth place. Maximilian Paul (TGI Team by GRT) performed well at his first race weekend after his crash at the Norisring. Having started 18th, the man from Dresden recovered well to finish tenth.

Thomas Preining: "To bounce back that way from a disappointing qualifying is world class! I gained several places in the first phase of the race, even in the difficult mixed conditions. Then came two super pit stops. It all got a bit hectic again in the closing stages, but I was able to defend second place after the two safety car phases."

Ricardo Feller: "This result feels really good after what has been a difficult season for me. We have developed well over the course of the season, but have not been rewarded with good results. The fans in the grandstands were treated to an exciting race. I will definitely watch the replay of that one."

Result of race 14 of the season at the Sachsenring
1. Ben Dörr (D/Dörr Motorsport)
2. Thomas Preining (A/Manthey), +1.219 seconds
3. Ricardo Feller (CH/Manthey), +2.021 seconds
4. Matteo Cairoli (I/Emil Frey Racing), +2.293 seconds
5. Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf), +3.565 seconds

Drivers' Championship after 14 of 16 races
1. Thomas Preining (A/Manthey), 197 points
2. Maro Engel (D/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol), 174 points
3. Marco Wittmann (D/Schubert Motorsport), 173 points

The full result is available at dtm.com/en/results.