Why is it essential to follow the DTM final this weekend?

When McLaren crush it Formula 1, that Marc Márquez ultra-dominates the MotoGP, that Toyota leave only crumbs in WRC, DTM is a category filled with die-hard drivers, who don't let themselves be put off by the good performances of their rivals. In the German discipline, the gaps are small, tiny, and the cards are reshuffled from one round to the next, offering a thrilling spectacle, which has convinced those who have come through the DTM.

“My year in DTM was particularly demanding, but it taught me a different way of driving.”, assured Alex Albon, pilot Williams F1, Thursday from Singapore, he who finished 6th during his stint in the championship in 2021. The Thai driver - his country's first winner in the category - makes no mistake: the DTM is particularly demanding, due to the closeness of the cars in terms of performance and the very high level of the field.

Result: this 2025 season ends this weekend at the Hockenheimring with nine drivers in contention for the crown after the first qualifying session, dominated by Ben Green, already excluded from the debate (12th overall). Jules Gounon, the only Frenchman on the grid, needs a miracle to hope to be champion, but with 29 points behind Lucas Auer, the leader, the driver Mercedes can still believe it.

Nine candidates, only one elected 

However, he is the lowest-placed of the contenders, led by his teammate Auer, who is seven points ahead of South African Jordan Pepper (Lamborghini). The other favorite for the title is the experienced René Rast, third, 11 points behind Auer, who is competing in his last weekend in DTM before retiring. Will he finish on a high note by winning a fourth title in the category?

He's not the only former champion vying for a new crown: Marco Wittmann, twice crowned, is aiming for a third, while Thomas Preining, crowned in 2023, hopes to repeat the feat. Respectively 7th and 8th, the two men are not favored by the bookmakers, however, overtaken in the ranking by the less experienced Ayhancan Güven (5th, 154 pts) and Jack Aitken (6th, 152 pts).

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Second on the grid for the first race, the Briton, who has a Grand Prix start with Williams in 2020, can make a strong impact and move up the standings. Especially since his direct rivals haven't exactly been doing well: the best-placed is Thomas Preining, in 4th, while Maro Engel is 8th, ahead of Ayhancan Güven. Engel, a Mercedes driver, also sits fourth overall and is 16 points behind Lucas Auer, who crashed in qualifying, setting only the 18th fastest time.

A stroke of luck for the Austrian: his closest rivals, Jordan Pepper (14th) and René Rast (10th), didn't fare much better. The first race will take place this Saturday at 13:30 p.m., while the second will take place on Sunday at 13:30 p.m. At the end of this final meeting, one of these nine men will experience great happiness... It remains to be seen which one.

DTM – Hockenheimring 
Who are the nine candidates for the title?

1)Lucas Auer (Mercedes-AMG) – 171 pts
2) Jordan Pepper (Lamborghini) – 164 pts
3) René Rast (Schubert Motorsport) – 160 pts
4) Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG) – 155 pts
5) Ayhancan Güven (Manthey) – 154 pts
6) Jack Aitken (Emil Frey Racing) – 152 pts
7) Marco Wittmann (Schubert Motorsport) – 150 pts
8) Thomas Preining (Manthey) – 146 pts
9) Jules Gounon (Mercedes-AMG) – 142 pts

How does the points scale work in DTM?

In qualifying, the top three finishers score points (3, 2 and 1 point), whether in Qualifying 1, which sets the grid for Race 1, or in Qualifying 2, which sets the starting order for Race 2. During both races, the top fifteen finishers are awarded points: 25 points for the winner, then 20 for the second, 16 for the third, then 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 up to 15th place.