Porsche's Bastian Buus Secures Pole Position at DTM Hockenheim

Bastian Buus from Porsche achieved pole position in the final DTM qualifying at Hockenheim, clocking a time of 1:36.923. This unexpected result placed him ahead of his teammate Ricardo Feller, who was just six thousandths of a second slower. The qualifying session was marked by sudden rain that disrupted team strategies.

Title contender Thomas Preining, who leads the championship, struggled to secure only seventh place, 0.306 seconds off Buus's time. Maro Engel from Winward Mercedes finished third, narrowing the gap in the championship standings, now 21 points behind Preining. Engel expressed satisfaction with his performance but acknowledged the need for a win to challenge for the title.

Preining remained optimistic despite his lower starting position, citing minor issues during warm-up and tire performance. He emphasized the importance of finishing the race without mistakes. Meanwhile, Marco Wittmann, another title challenger, faced a disappointing 16th place, leaving him with slim chances to contend for the championship during the race.