Moritz Löhner triumphs at the Lausitzring

• Löhner claims his first win of the season
• Breath-taking finale, with just 0.077 seconds separating first and second place
• Tomás Ribero leads the championship

Munich. After enduring a tricky start to this season’s DTM eSports Championship, Moritz Löhner (Mouz) bounced back in emphatic style. The German took victory at the Dekra Lausitzring, finishing ahead of Tomás Ribeiro (Xero Point Racing) and Tim Jarschel (Falken Simracing Team). While Löhner celebrated his first win of the season, second place was enough to propel Ribeiro to the top of the table.

Löhner was slightly off the pace in qualifying. Tim Jarschel’s time of 1:19.233 minutes was enough to earn him pole position, ahead of Ribeiro and Maximilian Benecke (Mouz). Löhner started from fifth place. The start of the race saw Jarschel hold onto the lead, with Benecke slotting into second place, ahead of Ribeiro and Löhner. A few laps later, Benecke pulled off a successful overtaking manoeuvre to pass Jarschel and take the lead on the start/finish straight.

When the pit stop window opened after 15 minutes, Benecke and Löhner came in for their first mandatory stop. Jarschel and Ribeiro followed one lap later. However, then came the setback: Benecke was guilty of speeding in the pit lane, and was punished with a drive-through penalty. The Mouz driver reacted with a courageous strategy and immediately came in for his second mandatory pit stop. Despite an impressive fightback, he could do no better than 15th place in the end. With a clear track and fresh tyres after the second pit stop, Löhner made up valuable time and first leapfrogged ahead of Ribeiro, before going on to pass Jarschel. The pole-sitter dropped back to third place after a late pit stop. Jarschel was initially able to stay in touch with the leading duo, but gradually lost ground and eventually had to settle for third place.

Ribeiro refused roll over and concede defeat. Lap after lap, he piled the pressure on Löhner and waited for his opportunity. However, the 2020 DTM eSports champion held his nerve. Only in the closing metres did it become dramatic again: Ribeiro used the slipstream to pull alongside the German after the final corner, leading to a drag race the finish line. In the end, it was Löhner who came out on top by a mere 0.077 seconds.

Ribeiro moves to the top of the table
Second place was enough for Ribeiro to take the lead in the 2026 DTM eSports Championship. The Portuguese tops the table with 1,987 points, followed by Caique Oliveira (BS+ Competition) on 1,969 and Alessandro Ottaviani (Team Vitality) with 1,967 points to his name. Victory at the Lausitzring sees Löhner climb to seventh place in the table (1,954 points), while Jarschel lies ninth with 1,943 points.

Moritz Löhner: “It all went to plan and was tactically superb. I was surprised that Tim and Tomás did not react immediately to my second pit stop. That allowed me to gain the position in the end. At some point, the new tyres were no longer such an advantage, and I was able to defend my position on older tyres.”

Tim Jarschel: “Third place is okay. The Audi had tyre issues in the race, so this was as good as we could have hoped for. That is why I did not come into the pits at the same time as Moritz. I was expecting to finish third against the other two. Rather than make a mistake battling for position, I preferred to stay out and err on the side of caution. I was able to close in at first, but had no chance after a few laps.”

Short summer break
After two intense rounds, the drivers now take a short breather. The DTM eSports Championship resumes at the iconic Norisring on 11th July 2026. This is followed by a packed programme, before the top 20 drivers battle it out for valuable points at the major on-site event at the Nürburgring in mid-August.