The DTM kicks off its new season at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg after a long winter break. This would be the first time that a new campaign will get under way in Austria.
With reigning champion Ayhancan Guven, star driver Rene Rast, Jack Aitken and Jordan Pepper all absent, four top-class drivers are leaving the series, giving other drivers the opportunity to step into their shoes.
South African Kelvin van der Linde is back after a year’s break – and highly motivated to win the title in the Schubert-BMW, just like his brother Sheldon did three years ago. Mercedes-AMG driver Lucas Auer, who led the championship for much of last year before finishing as runner-up, has the same goal. And the Manthey team, with Thomas Preining and newcomer Ricardo Feller, should always be considered a contender.
The field consists of 21 drivers, including former Formula 1 driver Timo Glock in the Dorr-McLaren. Nicki Thiim is finally racing in an Aston Martin and going for a title previously won by his father, Kurt Thiim. Also featured is the DTM debut of the new Lamborghini Temerario with Grasser and Abt, which replaces the Huracan this year.
Pirelli’s new DTM special tyre, designed to deliver faster lap times and greater tyre wear, and which still holds some secrets for the teams, is also generating excitement. Especially since the tyres are difficult to get up to temperature at the Red Bull Ring due to the long straights and the generally cool weather.
DTM Spielberg 2026 schedule (all times CEST)
Friday, April 24
- 10:25 AM: 1st training session
- 12:15 PM: 2nd training session
- 4:00 PM: 3rd training session
Saturday, April 25
- 9:40 a.m.: 1st qualifying
- 12:55 PM: Race 1
Sunday, April 26
- 9:30 a.m.: 2nd qualifying
- 12:55 PM: Race 2
| Event | Date |
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Red Bull Ring – Top 10 Shootout |
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Red Bull Ring – Free Practice 2 |
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Red Bull Ring – Free Practice 3 |
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Red Bull Ring – Qualifying 1 |
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Red Bull Ring – Race 1 |
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Red Bull Ring – Qualifying 2 |
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Red Bull Ring – Race 2 |
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Livestream, schedule and TV broadcast
The weekend format remains unchanged this year compared to last year. Qualifying for both races takes place in the morning, with one mandatory pit stop on Saturday and two on Sunday, as in 2025. All sessions can be watched with German commentary on ran.de and Joyn. Additional live coverage is available in English on the DTM’s YouTube channel.
You can also watch the races on ProSieben in Germany and ServusTV in Austria. UK viewers can tune into DAZN.
Enormous brand variety
This year, eight top-class brands, distributed across eleven teams, will be competing: the Mercedes-AMG GT3, the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, the Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo, the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3, the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, the Ford Mustang GT3 Evo and the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
The Lamborghini is a completely new car, while the Porsche, Ferrari, and Ford received updates over the winter. The Balance of Performance (BoP) system, for which the SRO Motorsports Group has been responsible since 2023, will continue to ensure a level playing field.
Exciting field of drivers
This year’s DTM field consists of 21 drivers from twelve different nations. Among them are former champions Marco Wittmann, Thomas Preining and Mirko Bortolotti, but also rookies such as the strong Emil Frey Ferrari driver Matteo Cairoli, ADAC GT Masters champion Finn Wiebelhaus and Porsche talent Bastian Buus.
It will also be interesting to see how the Land team, known from last year’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, fares this year after switching to Porsche, especially since the Manthey squad sets a particularly high bar. Incidentally, the Audi is the only car from last year that will no longer be used full-time.
DTM Spielberg: Full entry list
All Stats
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: motorsport.com
