Jack Aitken Secures Dominant Victory at Nürburgring, Becomes 2025 DTM Leader
Jack Aitken made a strong statement in the first race of the Nürburgring weekend, claiming a commanding victory that propelled him to the top of the 2025 DTM standings. The Emil Frey Ferrari driver converted his pole position into an early lead, setting the tone for a thrilling and eventful race.
From the start, Aitken was in control, but the race quickly turned chaotic. An incident between Rene Rast and Mirko Bortolotti saw Bortolotti retire from the race, while Rast had to change his front tyres. This created a ripple effect, with Maro Engel and Thierry Vermeulen colliding in the following corners. Engel was spun around and dropped to the back of the field, while Vermeulen received three penalty laps.
Another key moment came on lap two when Morris Schuring and his teammate Ayhancan Güven collided, causing Güven to spin out. The race was temporarily red-flagged due to debris and coolant from Bortolotti’s car. These incidents highlighted the unpredictable nature of the race, which saw several drivers face setbacks.
Aitken maintained his lead throughout the race, staying ahead of Luca Engstler, Ben Green, and Lucas Auer. When the race restarted behind the safety car, Green managed to overtake Engstler, creating a two-second gap at the front. Both Aitken and Green, driving for Emil Frey Racing, were among the last to pit, allowing Ricardo Feller and Marco Wittmann to gain ground.
Feller, who started 11th on the grid, made a bold move by overtaking Aitken around the outside. However, he made a mistake and was soon passed again. Green also made a strong move, taking third place from Wittmann, which earned him a warning. Despite the pressure, Feller struggled with oversteer, and both Aitken and Green easily passed him, along with Wittmann and Jordan Pepper. Pepper’s battle with others ensured his fourth-place finish.
Reflecting on the race, Aitken said, “It was a very enjoyable battle, one I honestly didn’t expect. We came out of the pits, had a stop that was okay – not the best – and then I saw Ricci in my mirrors. At that moment I thought: ‘Oh man, this is going to be really tough’. We had a great fight.”
Lucas Auer finished sixth, followed by Rast, Engstler, Ben Doerr, and Thomas Preining. Aitken now leads the DTM standings with a 10-point advantage over Auer, with Pepper in third place.
Race Results
Here are the results from the first race of the Nürburgring weekend:
| Position | Driver | Team | Car | Laps | Time | Interval | Pits | Points | |----------|---------------------|-------------------------------|-------------------------|------|------------------|----------|------|--------| | 1 | J. Aitken | Emil Frey Racing | Ferrari 296 GT3 | 39 | 1:15'36.330 | - | 25 | 25 | | 2 | B. Green | Emil Frey Racing | Ferrari 296 GT3 | 39 | +0.684 | 1:15'37.014 | 10 | 20 | | 3 | R. Feller | Land-Motorsport | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | 39 | +3.097 | 1:15'39.427 | 29 | 16 | | 4 | J. Pepper | TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | 39 | +3.508 | 1:15'39.838 | 63 | 13 | | 5 | M. Wittmann | Schubert Motorsport | BMW M4 GT3 Evo | 39 | +4.726 | 1:15'41.056 | 11 | 11 | | 6 | L. Auer | Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 39 | +7.791 | 1:15'44.121 | 22 | 10 | | 7 | L. Engstler | TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | 39 | +9.656 | 1:15'45.986 | 19 | 9 | | 8 | B. Dörr | Dörr Motorsport | McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | 39 | +10.465 | 1:15'46.795 | 25 | 8 | | 9 | T. Preining | Manthey EMA | Porsche 911 GT3 R | 39 | +10.740 | 1:15'47.070 | 91 | 7 | | 10 | T. Glock | Dörr Motorsport | McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | 39 | +16.277 | 1:15'52.607 | 16 | 6 |
Notable Retirements
Several drivers failed to finish the race:
- M. Schuring (Manthey Junior Team) – 12 laps
- A. Maini (HRT Ford Performance) – 14 laps
- J. Gounon (Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) – 23 laps
- M. Engel (Mercedes-AMG Team Winward) – 24 laps
- A. Güven (Manthey EMA) – 38 laps
- M. Bortolotti (Abt Sportsline) – 39 laps
The second race of the Nürburgring weekend will take place at 1:30 pm local time on Sunday, offering more opportunities for drivers to make their mark in the 2025 season.