Thomas Preining Leads DTM Practice at Hockenheim, Cautions Rivals
Thomas Preining had a strong performance during the DTM season finale practice sessions at Hockenheim, where he leads the championship standings. The Manthey Porsche driver, ahead of Maro Engel by 23 points and Marco Wittmann by 24 points, excelled in both dry and wet conditions.
In the first session, Preining clocked a fastest time of 1:36.974, narrowly beating Winward Mercedes driver Jules Gounon. However, Gounon faced difficulties after going off track, leading to a neutralization of the session. Preining cautioned that the results may not reflect the true competitive picture due to the yellow flag period affecting tire runs.
In the second practice, which was rain-affected, Preining again topped the timesheets with a time of 1:47.823. His closest title rival, Wittmann, finished third in the first session but struggled in the wet conditions, placing 15th. Other contenders, including Engel and Lucas Auer, also faced challenges, with Auer's potential fastest lap hindered by traffic. The upcoming qualifying session is expected to be crucial for the title race.
