A wheel bearing threatens to outlast the season
The DTM finale at Hockenheim (October 9-11) was supposed to settle the title on track between Thomas Preining, Maro Engel and Marco Wittmann. Instead, a legal dispute is hanging over the showdown. The row traces back to Mirko Bortolotti's disqualification after winning the second Oschersleben race in late July, when post-race scrutineering found a wheel bearing on his Lamborghini Temerario GT3 that did not match DTM-GT3 homologation or the reference part, breaching Article 5.1 of the sporting regulations. The disqualification was formally issued in August, promoting Engel to the win, with Preining second and Wittmann third.
Grasser Racing Team appealed on time, arguing that a 2024 clarification document had made the disputed wheel bearing optional and remained available in the archived section of the team's website. The DMSB appeals court, led by lawyer Rainer Wicke, rejected that argument on Friday, September 25, and fully upheld the disqualification.
"We are going to FIA" — and it may not be quick
Team principal Gottfried Grasser did not accept the DMSB ruling as final, announcing: "We are now going to FIA in Paris." The team's Austrian motorsport licence allows this further appeal, which must be lodged within seven days of the DMSB verdict — a window closing around now. No FIA hearing date has been set, and nothing suggests a ruling will land before the October 9 finale.
That timing is precisely the problem. Should the FIA later side with Grasser, Bortolotti's win would be reinstated retroactively, with direct consequences for the standings. Heading into the final two Hockenheim races, Preining leads Engel by 23 points and Wittmann by 24; restoring the Oschersleben points would vault Wittmann up by 23 and Engel by 24. In the worst case, Hockenheim could crown a champion whose title is then reopened by the FIA weeks later.
Uncertainty at the worst possible moment
The timing could hardly be less convenient for the series. Hockenheim has been promoted as a title "showdown" with several drivers mathematically still in contention, and now there is an added layer: even a clean sporting result on Sunday may not be the final word. DTM officials have not yet commented publicly on what a late FIA ruling would mean for the title itself. Until Grasser's appeal is formally filed and scheduled, the sporting picture for Preining, Engel and Wittmann remains unchanged — but the legal one stays unresolved heading into the biggest weekend of the year.
On pure form, Preining looks the clear favourite: the Manthey Porsche driver arrives at Hockenheim on a run of six straight podiums and a comfortable points cushion, even as several drivers remain mathematically alive in the title fight. But with 56 points still on offer across the final two races, even a dominant weekend from Preining would not settle the legal question — if anything, a clean-cut sporting result would only sharpen the impact of a later FIA ruling in Grasser's favour.
Until the Paris hearing is scheduled, an unusual scenario remains on the table: a champion crowned at Hockenheim whose title may not be final until weeks after the chequered flag.