Matteo Cairoli kept his DTM title hopes alive after the penultimate round of the season at the Sachsenring. On one of the most twisty and demanding circuits on the calendar, where overtaking opportunities are limited and every detail can make the difference, the Italian driver and Emil Frey Racing tackled the weekend with great determination, securing sixth place in Race 1 and a valuable fourth-place finish in Race 2.
The Sachsenring weekend represented Cairoli’s final opportunity to remain mathematically in contention for the title ahead of the season finale at Hockenheim. The target was to leave the German circuit no more than 66 points behind the championship leader. A goal achieved thanks to two races characterised by different approaches, but united by consistency and the ability to make the most of every opportunity. In Race 1, Cairoli delivered a clean and solid performance, bringing the No. 14 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo home in sixth place and scoring valuable championship points. It was, however, Race 2 that particularly highlighted the Italian’s determination and the team’s ability to read an extremely complex situation.
Difficult wet qualifying conditions had left Cairoli 14th on the grid, making a meticulous strategic approach essential. With the track drying progressively and rapidly, the team faced the challenge of identifying the right moment to make the tyre choice. The No. 14 Ferrari opted for slicks, a decision that required patience before the car could show its full potential. After the first pit stop, however, Cairoli began to set a blistering pace, rapidly gaining positions and working his way back into podium contention. It was a comeback built on race pace and on the ability to make the most of the work carried out by Emil Frey Racing, bringing the Ferrari firmly back into the fight at the front.
A Safety Car intervention in the closing stages then bunched the field back together, giving Cairoli another opportunity. At the restart, the Italian driver attempted to attack second place, occupied by Thomas Preining, his direct rival and championship leader, with the aim of closing the gap further in the standings. However, the track and brake conditions were not yet optimal and Cairoli ran wide at the first corner, losing out on a podium finish and ultimately crossing the line fourth.
The result does not diminish one of the most significant comebacks of the season and allows Cairoli to finish the penultimate round fifth in the Drivers’ standings, 47 points off the lead. The gap makes the title challenge a difficult one, but the championship remains mathematically open, leaving the door to an all-or-nothing finale. The series promoted by ADAC has repeatedly demonstrated how quickly the balance of power can shift during the closing stages of a championship.
Alongside the Drivers’ standings, the season finale will also see Cairoli fighting for the Teams’ championship. Emil Frey Racing currently sits fourth, just 13 points away from the podium, with the opportunity to achieve the Swiss outfit’s best result since joining the DTM. This will be another of the objectives for the final round of the season.
Before returning to the wheel for the DTM finale, Cairoli will also contest the final two rounds of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. The No. 14 Ferrari will return to action at Zandvoort from 18 to 20 September, before the season finale in Barcelona from 2 to 4 October. The final chapter of the DTM season will then be written at Hockenheim from 9 to 11 October, where Cairoli will arrive determined to make the most of every opportunity to fight for the title in his debut season in the series while also helping Emil Frey Racing’s bid for a place on the Teams’ championship podium.
