After a yr of many ups and downs, the 2024 DTM season is ready for an epic climax at Hockenheim this weekend. Three drivers, representing as many groups and producers, are in pursuit of their maiden title within the prestigious German sequence.
Main the standings is manufacturing unit Lamborghini man Mirko Bortolotti, who’s eager to avenge his slim loss to Porsche’s Thomas Preining in 2023. The Italian sits 15 factors away from Abt Audi driver Kelvin van der Linde, whereas Mercedes’ Maro Engel is one other 5 factors adrift in third for Winward Racing.
Each Bortolotti and van der Linde have scored at the least one win to this point, whereas Engel’s title cost has been constructed on consistency, having completed on the rostrum in seven of the 16 races to this point in 2024.
A complete of 56 factors are on provide on the Hockenheimring double header, with 25 going to the winner of every race and three further factors granted for pole place in each qualifying periods.
How Mirko Bortolotti can win the 2024 DTM title
Podium: Race winner Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Efficiency
Picture by: Alexander Trienitz
Bortolotti is the one driver who can safe the title on Saturday. To take action, he must rating at the least 14 factors greater than van der Linde and eight factors greater than Engel on the opening day of racing. That might give him an insurmountable lead heading into Sunday.
Which means that if Bortolotti takes pole place and wins on Saturday, he can seal the title if van der Linde rival finishes fifth or decrease and Engel doesn’t find yourself on the rostrum. Even a fourth place for van der Linde would suffice for Bortolotti if his South African rival qualifies decrease than second and doesn’t rating the extra two factors.
If Bortolotti finishes sixth or much less within the first race, the struggle will go down the wire on Sunday no matter how his two rivals carry out.
If the SSR Lamborghini driver doesn’t rating any factors in Saturday qualifying, even a fourth place would be certain that the title struggle will likely be selected the final day of the season.
Nevertheless, the Italian doesn’t essentially must struggle for victory within the ultimate weekend: two podium finishes, both second or third, would most likely be sufficient for Bortolotti to safe the coveted DTM crown for the primary time. As a result of then van der Linde must win at the least one of many two races to swing the struggle in his favour.
How Kelvin van der Linde can change into the 2024 champion
Kelvin van der Linde, Group ABT Sportsline Audi R8 LMS GT3
Picture by: Alexander Trienitz
The elder of the van der Linde brothers could not be capable to emulate Sheldon’s 2022 success on his personal. Even an ideal weekend, with two wins and two poles, wouldn’t assure the South African the championship.
If Bortolotti had been to comply with him and end second in each races and qualifying periods, the Lamborghini driver would nonetheless find yourself three factors clear. On his ultimate weekend driving an Audi, the Abt driver could subsequently want some misfortune to hit his chief rival in an effort to win a title that slipped from his grasp within the controversial 2021 finale.
For the 28-year-old, will probably be essential to make up as many factors as attainable on Saturday to maintain himself within the struggle. He can’t afford to lose greater than 14 factors to Bortolotti on the primary of the 2 race days if he needs so as to add a DTM title to a CV that features two ADAC GT Masters titles, and as many wins within the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
If van der Linde driver finishes forward of Bortolotti, the title will certainly not be determined till Sunday. No matter the place Bortolotti finishes on Saturday, he would hold the title struggle open with a podium end within the first race.
Nevertheless, it will be advisable to win from pole place in at the least one of many two ultimate races in Hockenheim. This is able to considerably enhance van der Linde’s possibilities of success. If he manages to realize this feat on Saturday and Bortolotti solely finishes fourth, the 2 drivers will likely be stage on factors on the prime of the desk once more earlier than the final race.
If Bortolotti and van der Linde end the season with the identical variety of factors, the latter would have a decisive benefit whatever the Hockenheim outcomes. As a result of whereas the Lamborghini driver celebrated his first victory of the season solely final time at Spielberg, van der Linde has already been on the highest step of the rostrum twice this yr. In the event that they find yourself stage on factors, the variety of wins will resolve who will get to carry the championship trophy.
How Maro Engel can win the 2024 DTM title
Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Efficiency, Maro Engel, Mercedes-AMG Group WINWARD
Picture by: Alexander Trienitz
Maro Engel has the bottom probability of all three title contenders. If the Mercedes-AMG driver does not take any dangers on Saturday, he must bury his title hopes early.
That’s as a result of if Bortolotti scores at the least eight factors greater than him within the first race, he would already be out of the championship reckoning.
If Bortolotti finally ends up third on Saturday, Engel must end between fourth to seventh, relying on the qualifying consequence, in an effort to stay within the title hunt. Ought to Bortolotti end second, the newly-crowned GT World Problem Europe Dash Cup champion would even have to complete on the rostrum to keep up his title possibilities.
If Bortolotti manages an ideal Saturday, following up pole place with victory, Engel could be left in a precarious scenario. He must qualify within the prime three and end the race in second place to maintain a mathematical probability of successful the title.
Second place on Sunday could be sufficient to complete the yr on the identical variety of factors, however Bortolotti would have extra wins to his title.
It isn’t unlikely that the variety of victories will finally resolve who wins the 2024 DTM title. In lots of calculations, Bortolotti and Engel find yourself on the identical variety of factors. The Mercedes-AMG driver would subsequently be effectively suggested to place all on the road to win Saturday’s race.
Then he wouldn’t solely rating a giant chunk of factors and hold his small hope of successful the title alive, however would even have – identical to Bortolotti – a victory underneath his belt.
In the event that they end equal on factors and race wins, the variety of second locations would resolve and Engel is at the moment forward with 5 second locations in comparison with 4 for Bortolotti.
Groups’ and producers’ titles
René Rast, Schubert Motorsport BMW M4 GT3
Picture by: Alexander Trienitz
BMW squad Schubert Motorsport leads the championship by 39 factors over Abt, having benefitted from its standing because the DTM’s solely three-car group.
Winward, SSR Efficiency and HRT – the Mercedes squad welcoming Jules Gounon for his sequence debut this weekend rather than an unwell Luca Stolz – are additionally very a lot within the body for the title.
Within the producers’ championship, Mercedes is on prime with 384 factors, adopted by Lamborghini (360), BMW (337) and Audi (301).
Hockenheim is poised to be Audi’s ultimate look within the DTM, with long-time companion Abt splitting with the German marque to affix forces with Lamborghini.
