Third DTM Victory for Matteo Cairoli at the Nürburgring

The Nürburgring, one of the iconic circuits in DTM history and a fixture on the series calendar since its inaugural season in 1984, delivered a triumphant weekend for Matteo Cairoli. The Italian driver enjoyed an almost perfect Saturday, securing pole position, victory and a new lap record for the circuit, with the potential to repeat the result on Sunday’s podium despite carrying an additional 20 kg due to his success ballast. The result confirms the renewed potential of the Emil Frey Racing driver at the wheel of the #14 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo. The Nürburgring weekend got off to the best possible start for Cairoli, who immediately showed particularly strong pace. A qualifying session decided by thousandths of a second handed Matteo his second pole position of the season, laying the foundations for a starring performance in Race 1. At the start, Cairoli defended the lead and progressively built an ever-growing advantage over his rivals, coming close to a ten-second margin in the closing stages.

An authoritative performance, further enhanced by his ability to maintain a high pace throughout the race and, notably, by his superior tyre management. Cairoli claimed his third victory of the season, becoming the only driver to achieve three wins in the 2026 DTM season. During the race, Cairoli also set a new race lap record for the Nürburgring GP Sprint, the configuration used by the DTM. The record was subsequently beaten by a few thousandths on Sunday, when lower temperatures at the circuit nestled among the forests of the Eifel allowed for improved outright performance. Sunday got off to a more difficult start in qualifying, with the regret of a small mistake at the final corner resulting in third place on the starting grid. In addition, following his victory the previous day, Cairoli had to tackle Race 2 carrying the 20 kg of success ballast required by the regulations, a condition that made the second race even more challenging in the Italian’s expectations. Despite the additional weight, Matteo maintained a pace strong enough to challenge for the leading positions, with a realistic chance of securing another podium and giving further momentum to his championship campaign.

However, the result was compromised by the first pit stop. A problem fitting the left-rear tyre during the stop cost the #14 Ferrari around 20 seconds, an unavoidable handicap that significantly reduced Cairoli’s ambitions in the closing stages of the race. The Emil Frey Racing driver eventually finished 13th, having to give up a result that, judging by his pace and the course of the race, appeared within his reach. A particularly bitter ending after Saturday’s performance, especially considering that another podium could have represented a further step forward in the championship standings. Pole position, victory and fastest lap nevertheless provide a clear response to the work carried out over the past few weeks and an important boost of confidence ahead of the final part of the season. The DTM will return to action at the Sachsenring from 11 to 13 September, where Cairoli will look to turn the competitiveness shown at the Nürburgring into another challenge for the leading positions and further strengthen his championship ambitions.

Matteo Cairoli
“A weekend of two halves at the Nürburgring. A fantastic victory, especially after the disappointing weekends we have experienced recently, and a bitter taste left by Sunday’s result, starting with the pole position that slipped away in the morning and the chance to score another podium in the race, which we lost because of the pit stop. The team has nevertheless put together an exceptional job over the past few weeks, doing everything possible to get us back on the right track, and that work has paid off. First pole position, then victory and the fastest lap. Our mechanics have always done an impeccable job: these things happen and they are part of our sport. At the Sachsenring, we will fight to try to secure a fourth victory of the season.”