Summary
Mercedes-AMG scored a DTM podium at the Sachsenring and recovered from 28th on the grid to finish fifth at Suzuka. The DTM and Intercontinental GT Challenge titles will now be decided at their final rounds.
Mercedes-AMG’s 2026 championship campaigns will be decided at their final rounds after a difficult weekend in the DTM and Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). Jules Gounon secured his first DTM podium of the season at the Sachsenring, while Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing recovered from a 28th-place start to finish fifth in the Suzuka 1000km.
Mercedes-AMG had 20 GT3 cars competing worldwide across the two events, which were the penultimate rounds of both championships.
Gounon reaches the DTM podium at the Sachsenring
The dry Saturday race produced Mercedes-AMG’s strongest DTM result of the weekend. Jules Gounon started third and gained one position at the beginning. A longer first stint before his pit stop—an overcut strategy—briefly moved him into the lead, but he could not hold the position after rejoining on cold tyres. After 41 laps, he finished second.
Maro Engel improved from eighth on the grid to fifth. Lucas Auer started from the back after a broken rear-right wheel hub ended his Saturday qualifying session and caused a red flag. A late pit stop and a tyre advantage helped him recover to 11th. Tom Kalender finished 14th and collected two points.
Sunday brought more difficult conditions. Engel took pole position in a wet qualifying session with a time of 1:26.307, around half a second ahead of the next driver. Gounon qualified third, Auer eighth and Kalender 12th. The track dried before the race, prompting Engel’s team, as well as Gounon and Auer, to switch to slick tyres on the starting grid. Kalender instead started on rain tyres.
The changing conditions caused several cars to slide during the formation lap and start, and the rain-tyre choice proved effective. Engel lost the lead, while Kalender retired after hitting an advertising barrier and Gounon was eliminated in an early collision. Engel crossed the line fifth but received a 15-second post-race penalty for contact, dropping him to 17th. Auer was consequently classified fifth.
Mercedes-AMG remains first in the DTM manufacturers’ standings with 372 points. Engel is second in the drivers’ championship, 23 points behind the leader. The DTM finale is scheduled for 9–11 October at the Hockenheimring.
Suzuka recovery starts after a qualifying setback
The Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by Craft-Bamboo Racing faced an even steeper challenge in Japan. Maxime Martin, Kakunoshin Ohta and Luca Stolz initially set the best average qualifying time for the Suzuka 1000km. A technical inspection then found the No. 77 car underweight, and all of its qualifying times were deleted. The car therefore started 28th.
The crew made up 23 positions during the race through consistent lap times and a strong opening stint. The car had reached fifth by halfway through the event, and Luca Stolz completed the final stint in darkness. After six and a half hours and 183 laps, the No. 77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished fifth overall.
Craft-Bamboo Racing’s No. 28 car finished 25th overall and sixth in the Pro-Am class after a lengthy repair stop. The No. 75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of 75 Express retired after Kenny Habul touched the wall at the 130R corner after moving onto the dirty part of the track following the car’s first pit stop.
The Suzuka result left Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel leading the IGTC drivers’ standings with 68 points. Luca Stolz is second with 61, and Maxime Martin is third with 60. Mercedes-AMG is second in the manufacturers’ ranking, 38 points behind the leader.
Championship decisions move to October
The results keep both title battles open. In the DTM, Mercedes-AMG leads the manufacturers’ standings, but Engel needs to close a 23-point gap in the drivers’ championship. In the IGTC, Engel leads the drivers’ table, while Mercedes-AMG remains within reach of the manufacturers’ title from second place.
The two finales will take place almost simultaneously. The Indianapolis 8 Hour, the final IGTC round, is scheduled for 10 October. The DTM season concludes at Hockenheim from 9 to 11 October.