P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Manthey EMA Porsche’s Thomas Preining became the first Austrian DTM Drivers’ Champion by securing pole position for Race 2 in
Following his victory in Race 1 on Saturday, Preining needed a strong qualifying performance for the championship to be decided in Race 2 later that day. Bortolotti, his closest competitor, needed Preining to finish outside the top three positions in qualifying, while also securing a top two qualifying spot himself to reduce the point difference. The final lap times were only set in the closing moments of the session due to the cool conditions. Bortolotti initially took the lead with two provisional pole times, but Preining snatched pole by a fraction of a second. Preining’s time of 1:36.800s secured him the 2023 DTM Drivers’ Championship, with Bortolotti starting alongside him in the final race. Stolz, van der Linde, and Heinrich completed the top five, while Vermeleun, van der Linde, Engelhart, Güven, and Engel rounded out the top 10. Preining expressed his joy and disbelief at the championship win, and the season will conclude with Race 2 later in the day.
Source: Motorsport Week
