• Two podium finishes at the Sachsenring put Thomas Preining to the top of the DTM drivers’ championship
• Ricardo Feller secures another podium for Manthey with third place in Sunday’s race
• Manthey heads to the season finale at Hockenheim as leaders of the DTM team standings

Hohenstein-Ernstthal. Manthey celebrated a successful penultimate DTM race weekend of the season at the Sachsenring. After finishing third in Saturday’s race, Thomas Preining (Austria) took second place on Sunday, extending his run of podium finishes since Oschersleben to six races in a row. Having already taken the lead in the drivers’ championship following his second place in Saturday’s qualifying, the Austrian extended his lead to 23 points ahead of the season finale at Hockenheim thanks to his strong race results at the Sachsenring. Ricardo Feller (Switzerland) contributed further vital championship points with 13th place on Saturday and third place on Sunday, completing a double podium for Manthey in the second race. Like Preining, Feller has also scored points in every race so far this season and, with 98 points, is eleventh in the drivers’ standings. Thanks to this consistent haul of points, Manthey has also taken the lead in the DTM team standings after 16 of 18 races this season, with 282 points and a 20-point lead over Winward Racing.

“The Sachsenring was a rollercoaster ride with a very positive outcome for us. We were able to continue our run of podium finishes with Thomas and also celebrate a double podium. That’s an incredible result and the outcome of a strong team performance, which is reflected in the championship standings. Both races at the Sachsenring were at times turbulent and thrilling – definitely a great spectacle for all the fans and excellent publicity for the DTM. On Sunday, the race got underway in wet conditions, and tyre choice and pressures were absolutely crucial. Two pit stops per car added to the excitement. There were also plenty of fair but tough battles on track. Saturday’s race was a little calmer, but strategy and pit stops played a major role there too, and we were able to capitalise on our strengths. Two podium finishes and Thomas taking the championship lead are, of course, a brilliant result ahead of the season finale. For Ricardo, it wasn’t easy in the midfield after a less-than-ideal qualifying session on Saturday, but he still managed to score points. On Sunday, he then demonstrated his skill by finishing second in qualifying and was rewarded with his second podium finish with us in the DTM. All in all, we’re leaving the Sachsenring feeling very happy and are looking forward to the grand finale at Hockenheim,” explains Patrick Arkenau, Director Racing at the Manthey Racing GmbH. 

“It is a remarkable achievement by the team that we are now actively competing for the championship titles at the DTM season finale in Hockenheim for the third time in the past four years. After a difficult start to the season, we have fought our way back step by step since Oschersleben and never gave up. The fact that we have now taken the lead in both championships is a reward for the dedication of the entire team. Thomas and Ricardo have played a major part in this success. Scoring points with both cars in every single race of the season is no mean feat and underlines the excellent work of everyone involved. Now it’s a case of giving it our all once again in the run-up to the season finale and at the track at Hockenheim,” adds Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of the Manthey Racing GmbH.
 
In the run-up to the DTM season finale at the Hockenheimring (8 to 10 October), Manthey is expecting an intense end-of-season sprint. Before the DTM finale, the team still has two endurance races on the programme: first, the team will travel to Japan for the FIA WEC’s 6 Hours of Fuji, before the season finale of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup takes place at Petit Le Mans in Atlanta, one week before the final DTM races. With the FIA WEC race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya following the sprint races at Hockenheim, Manthey faces a total of four race engagements over four consecutive weekends.

Quotes on the DTM race weekend at the Sachsenring:

Ricardo Feller, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90: “A really great race on Sunday. It would be brilliant if every race were this exciting, and I’m absolutely delighted that the team can celebrate a double podium and that we’re now leading the championship. Everyone really deserves this. I’m also incredibly grateful that, after the mid-field battles on Saturday, my crew set the car up again in such a way that this result was possible on Sunday, and that they never stop believing in me. I’m proud of the whole team and would be happy if we can pick up where we left off at Hockenheim.”

Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91: “An incredibly strong weekend for us at the Sachsenring. Sunday’s second place in particular means a lot to me and was very important in terms of the championship. It was also my first double podium with Ricardo, which makes me all the more thrilled. It’s hard to believe that we’re now leading both championships by 20 points, having been so far behind before Oschersleben. I’m incredibly proud of the whole Manthey team. I owe these six consecutive podium finishes and our championship leads entirely to them.”

Results DTM Race 1 at the Sachsenring:
3rd Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91
13th Ricardo Feller, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90 

Results DTM Race 2 at the Sachsenring:
2nd Thomas Preining, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91
3rd Ricardo Feller, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90