DTM Norisring, 2nd practice: Maro Engel sets fastest time

Best time for Mercedes ace Maro Engel in the 2nd practice session for the DTM highlight at the Norisring. Mercedes, BMW and Lamborghini in front – where is Manthey-Porsche?

Robert Seiwert05.07.2024, 16:50

Robert Seiwert

Head of Motorsport

Robert was already writing for sports media before his time at MSM. He has been reporting on DTM, Daytona, Le Mans and other events directly from the racetrack since 2011.MORE

Maro Engel with Winward-Mercedes during the DTM test drives at the Hockenheimring

Maro Engel secures the best time in the 2nd DTM training at the Norisring, Photo: DTM

Maro Engel made the best impression at the dress rehearsal for the DTM race Saturday at the Norisring: The Winward Mercedes driver secured the best time in the second free practice session on Friday afternoon. With a personal best time of 49.060 seconds, Engel was unable to break the 49 mark, but was three tenths of a second faster than Kelvin van der Linde, who had secured the best time in the morning.

Mercedes-AMG not only achieved the best lap time in summer temperatures of 23 degrees, but also presented itself in a strong position across the board: all four Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the 20-strong starting field finished in the top 8 of the time list: Lucas Auer in sixth place, followed by the HRT drivers Arjun Maini and Luca Stolz in seventh and eighth positions.

Norisring training: Mercedes, BMW and Lamborghini in top 8

In addition to Mercedes-AMG, two other brands were represented in the top 8: BMW M Motorsport and Lamborghini. The three-time DTM champion Rene Rast finished second in the classification and improved by one position compared to the first free practice session. The Schubert-BMW driver needed 49.074 seconds for his personal best time on the 2.162-kilometer street circuit. Teammate and last year’s winner Sheldon van der Linde finished fifth, and local hero Marco Wittmann came ninth.

Behind Engel and Rast, Lamborghini power followed in third and fourth place: 24h Spa winner Nicki Thiim ahead of teammate Mirko Bortolotti from the Munich racing team SSR Performance. Championship leader Kelvin van der Linde (Abt-Audi) took tenth place after setting the best time in the first practice session in the afternoon. Teammate Ricardo Feller, third in the overall standings, finished in P16.

Manthey-Porsche is still holding back

Manthey-Porsche with reigning champion Thomas Preining has kept a low profile so far. The Austrian did not manage to get past 13th place in his Porsche 911 GT3 R, while teammate Ayhancan Güven had to settle for 17th place. On paper, the 911 with its rear engine and good traction out of the corners is one of the hot favorites in the battle for victory.

The 45-minute training session went off without any major drama. Only DTM rookie Ben Dörr from DTM newcomer Dörr Motorsport was unable to complete a single lap. The gearbox on his McLaren 720 S GT3 had to be changed. Qualifying on Saturday begins at 9:00 a.m., the race follows at 1:30 p.m. (live on free TV on ProSieben).

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