The fifth round of the 2026 DTM season, held at the technical Oschersleben circuit, allowed Matteo Cairoli to further strengthen his championship tally after a hard-fought weekend featuring two recovery drives and extremely fine margins in an increasingly competitive field. On the circuit located around 30 kilometres from Magdeburg, the driver from Como demonstrated strong pace from the outset, qualifying eighth in both sessions and securing two fourth-row starting positions.
Race 1 became complicated from the very first corners. Contact on the opening lap forced Cairoli to lose several positions, dropping him down the order. From that point onwards, he mounted a determined recovery, combining consistent pace with effective management of the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo to climb back to eleventh place at the chequered flag, securing valuable championship points.
Race 2 took place under different conditions, with cooler temperatures than on Saturday and an increasing chance of rain—ultimately avoided—forecast for the closing stages. Cairoli managed to remain inside the top ten after a stronger start, but the strategy of making an early pit stop did not produce the desired outcome. Rejoining in traffic, the Italian driver had to contend with the well-known overtaking difficulties presented by Oschersleben’s tight and technical layout, where following another car closely without sacrificing performance is one of the greatest challenges of the entire calendar.
Nevertheless, once again making the most of his race pace on a circuit that perfectly suits his driving style, Cairoli worked his way back through the field during the closing stages to finish inside the top ten once more, adding another valuable points haul to his debut season in the series.
With the championship now entering its second half, every point carries increasing importance in the battle for the overall standings. Cairoli continues to build on his impressive rookie DTM campaign, remaining firmly in contention at the front of the championship thanks to fifth place in the standings with 94 points, in a season characterised by incredibly close margins and a level of competitiveness that makes every race weekend crucial.
Before the DTM returns to action on 14–15 August at the Nürburgring GP Sprint circuit, Matteo will once again be behind the wheel of the Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo next weekend, when he contests the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup round at Magny-Cours, continuing a demanding summer schedule at the highest level of European GT racing.
Matteo Cairoli
“Oschersleben is my favourite circuit on the DTM calendar, so naturally I was hoping to come away with a little more. We managed to qualify eighth in both sessions, showing good potential, but a few incidents in the races, combined with the characteristics of the circuit, prevented us from achieving the result we were aiming for. On Saturday, the opening-lap contact forced us into a recovery drive, while on Sunday our early pit-stop strategy didn’t pay off as we had hoped, and overtaking here is always extremely difficult, even when you have a tyre temperature advantage. Still, we scored important points in both races and continue to gain experience in a highly competitive championship where every single detail can make the difference.”
