Outside Line: Quest for real racing takes us to 2026 DTM opening weekend at Red Bull Ring
F1 OpinionTuesday, 28 April 2026 at 15:39
After the first three rounds of the unsatisfying 2026 Formula 1 championship, I set out on a quest to attend a series within my reach that could provide an alternative for racing while the top flight struggled to come to terms with what that actually means.
Killing two birds with one stone, with my son Luis and our mate Jannis for priceless company, we drove down south from Berlin to the Red Bull Ring. It was a high speed chase, which you can only do on the glorious German open roads, until you get to Austria, where those pesky speed limits come into play.
Now, DTM has always been close to my heart. I love it as a series because of its history. It really had some glorious days. Alfa Romeo was there in the 90s, which kickstarted my interest, deepened by witnessing that era of cars at Kyalami in 1991.
I also had a great weekend in 1993 at Lausitzring, in an era when DTM ran very impressive silhouette or prototype cars, one could say single seaters with a super GT configuration of a road car. Retiring Formula 1 drivers took a step down into DTM, such was the driving style required.
The first golden era for the series was from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, then a resurgence in the early 2000s as the silhouette prototype concept was introduced. The series thrived during a time post Michael Schumacher, when German fans looked inward for their entertainment, and DTM in that guise delivered.
Audi was there in force. BMW came in later. Mercedes was there. Opel over the years, and the series was amazing. The cars were on another level of spectacular. They were super GTs, and you knew what DTM cars looked like and how fast they were. In 2021, that golden era, for me, died.
GT3 cars are cool but they are not the DTM beasts we once knew
Now, do not get me wrong. GT3s are very cool, but there is so much GT3 racing in this world, from the start in early January with the Dubai 24 Hours, where I was press officer for several editions, all the way to the end with the Gulf 12 Hours in December, and a myriad of GT3 races every weekend. Overdose.
The thing is, in DTM a dozen or more of the top drivers, in my opinion, are among the best tin top aces in the world, very good drivers of all ages, a strong field of real deals. And I would pick a couple of them who are probably better drivers than a few of the numpties on the current Formula 1 grid. But that is a story for another time.
But I am just unenchanted by the GT3s compared to pre 2021 DTM. I saw the GT3s last time out in Hockenheim last year. It was a rainy weekend, so it was difficult to really gauge the shift. But on a sunny weekend at the Red Bull Ring, there was a reality check.
Firstly, I have to say the Red Bull Ring is an iconic racetrack oozing history. If you are a racing fan, you have to go there and savour it. It is kind of like a mall in terms of having just about everything there, but with a fantastic welcome centre where petrolheads can partake in experiences. It is not cheap, but being one of us is not for slim wallets.
Everything is very classy. You can see Red Bull’s influence, the marketing genius that thankfully latched onto our sport. And then, of course, DTM. The organisation is professional and efficient. Everything is there, as it says on the tin, and more for media folks. They even go out of their way to be helpful.
DTM orgnistaion is slick and hassle free
I arrived late because we were staying in Graz, with accommodation very difficult to find near the track. It is an hour’s drive, we got stuck in traffic, and I missed the photographers’ briefing. The press officer in charge said: “Be here at 10:40 and do the briefing to get the photo bib.”
Voila, 10:40, briefing done, and I got my photo bib. After that I was out doing what I really love most, namely photographing race cars and race drivers.
The crowds were impressive, 100,000 over the weekend. Not like a Grand Prix, as there were several grandstands that were totally empty by design. But the main grandstand in front of the pits was full. Both stands into and exiting Turn 1 were pretty much full when the DTM cars were on track.
The paddock is unbelievable. It is like going to a fun fair. I would say many were there for that aspect, the food, the sims, the merch, hanging out, the pit walks, the autograph hunting and being seen. What is true is it is a very good bill and an enjoyable day out.
The personal double header I was there for meant two DTM races, where I always like to follow the South Africans. Jordan Pepper was there last year in the Lamborghini, and this year it was Kelvin van der Linde, also a homie, driving the BMW. Looking good.
Also notably, I often photographed Kelvin’s grandfather, Hennie van der Linde, a South African racing legend who spawned a dynasty of talented racing drivers, much like the Andretti clan in the USA.
For me, covering racing with some skin in the game always adds an edge to a weekend.
Checking in on Rashid Al Dhaheri
The other very good reason was, of course, our man that we’ve been following since his karting days, Rashid Al Dhaheri, now a Mercedes Academy driver contesting FRECA. He did us proud on the Saturday, powering to victory in the second race from P11 on the grid, which was mighty impressive.
The reason Rashid started P11 for Race 2 is that he finished P2 in the first race earlier in the day, which then swapped the grid positions for the second race, hence his demotion down the order.
He drove an intelligent race to take his first victory in the series, and to be there on that occasion was special. From a six year old karter to that day had me with a lump in my throat. Bravo Rashid! Again Please!
Notably, while the non-DTM (FRECA, Porsche Cup, GT4 etc) track action was going on, most of the crowd swarmed the paddock; eating, drinking and partaking in a myriad of promotions and activities that keep the place heaving all day.
DTM is like a mini Formula 1 with everything: sponsors, motorhomes, hospitality units. It is right up there. But even with the GT4 support races and Porsche Cup, the stands are not packed. They are packed only for DTM. If you wonder where the people are, walk into the paddock and it is controlled mayhem. It is packed.
Apart from merch, signature cards and the like, there are crowds shuffling about clutching used disc brakes for €25 a pop. Teams have clearly found a revenue stream by taking used parts and selling them as mementos. Smart.
That is pretty much what it is, a huge income stream of food, merch and games, blended into a potpourri of racing, mixed with a need for speed flea market for petrolheads and race fans. If that is your cup of tea, you will not be disappointed.
Which brings me to the racing. For this piece I will focus on the DTM experience, a series which pre 2021 always made me go: wow. Those DTM silhouette cars were gorgeous, they stood out, high downforce and super rapid. For me, only Formula 1 and the top end Le Mans cars of the time were more spectacular machines.
What makes DTM car different from any other GT3 car? Nothing!
Those DTM cars stood out among the elite series. But these GT3s do not quite do it for me, despite the incredible driving talent on that grid. What makes DTM different from any other GT3 series? Nothing.
Besides it being a sprint format with two races and tyre changes, but it is still GT3. The big difference is that you have some of the best tin top drivers in the business doing battle in the German premier series.
That is where I think DTM might be missing a trick. Give the teams an opportunity to strip these GT3s and push them closer to silhouettes. GT3 cars are already as light as they can be, but to upgrade them to a “Super GT3” there is maybe about 50kg to find. Add around 80bhp and let them bolt on significantly more aero.
Because GT3 filling the shoes of the silhouette DTM of the past does not work for me. Granted, it is the first race of the season. But even as a spectator, I reflect now and think: Thomas Preining wins in the Manthey Porsche, then finishes P13 in Race 2.
In contrast, Van der Linde qualifies and finishes the first race in nowhere land. The next day, he qualifies P1 for Race 2 and runs among the leaders. I have never fully believed in Balance of Performance to even out fields. I do know that throughout the history of BoP, half the field is happy with it and the other half is not.
Having watched proper banger DTM races last season, I felt both of this weekend’s races were a tad processional. An impression shared by Luis and Jannis, taking it all in from the grandstands overlooking the exit of Turn 1, with a view of most of the track.
Credit to Race 1 winner Thomas Preining in the Manthey Porsche and Maro Engel for winning Race 2 at the wheel of the Team Ravenol Mercedes. The Mercedes cars seemed to have the rub of the BoP over the weekend.
DTM have great drivers with Wow Factor
In the moment, trackside, in the big braking zone into the uphill right hander, at arm’s length, with bits of rubber flinging past my head, lots of energy rebounding between Armco and bodywork, plenty of metal rattling, and the smell of brakes and rubber, I was not awestruck. Not like I felt when photographing DTM a decade earlier at Lausitzring.
Maybe I am spoilt, having watched, photographed and reported on plenty of GT3 racing during my decade at Dubai Autodrome. In my opinion, in terms of track action, it would not take much to bring back that wow factor. They could make these already great looking cars more extreme in performance and looks, call it Super GT3.
I reiterate, I would like to see DTM stand out again as a tin top series. Something more extreme would really test a field of star drivers, give them star cars, and I suggest: lighter, faster, more downforce.
Having said all that, if DTM is in your part of the world, and you like the smell of fried food in the paddock mixed with rubber, candy floss, fuel and burnt brakes, go check it out. Definitely a series you should experience at least once in real life.
For now, it is still early days for the GT3 based 2026 DTM season, and history suggests there will be some crazy races when the needle between drivers ramps up. For that reason, time and schedule permitting, I may well sign up to cover a couple more over the course of the year.
In the end, it is still real racing at great venues, more so than what the Formula 1 uber alles brigade has been dished out in the first three races of the year. This weekend we head off to Miami, to the pop up race track around a football stadium with fake beaches. The antithesis of the hallowed Red Bull Ring, aka Österreichring, A1 Ring and Zeltweg.
Before I sign off, importantly, give me race cars without electricity any time of the day.
DTM Red Bull Ring Photo Gallery
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