Hockenheim. BMW M Motorsport concluded to be an intense season of the DTM in Hockenheim, where Marco Wittmann kept alive their aspirations for the title until the last race. Although the championship was out of reach, the German pilot closed the year among the top three, solidifying one of his most outstanding performances at the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

The Hockenheim circuit was the scene of a denouement full of expectations for BMW M Motorsport. After a season marked by victories, comebacks, and an intense fight for the first places, Marco Wittmann came to the last date of the DTM 2026 with a chance to win his third championship.

However, the two races late left mixed feelings. The pilot of Schubert Motorsport managed to climb up to the podium on Saturday, but the performance of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO was not enough to compete for victory in the decisive day of Sunday.

With 198 points, two wins and seven podiums in 16 races, Wittmann secured the third place in the general classification, while Thomas Preining, Porsche, proclaimed himself the champion and Maro Engel, Mercedes, finished second.

Hockenheim puts to the test the aspirations of BMW

The last event of the championship began with a result that kept open the possibilities of Wittmann. At the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO number 11, identified with the colors of Schaeffler, the German got a third place during the race on Saturday.

This result allowed to prolong the dispute for the title until Sunday, although the competitive conditions did not favor to BMW. Despite the efforts of the team, Wittmann finished seventh in the final race, without finding the pace needed to get closer to their main rivals.

The result put an end to their aspirations to add a third crown of the DTM, but also confirmed its ability to stay between the protagonists of one of the championships of cars most demanding motorsport in europe.

Schubert Motorsport also concluded the season in third position in the championship by teams, reflecting the regularity achieved during the year.

Two victories that marked the season of Marco Wittmann

Beyond what happened at Hockenheim, the balance athletic Marco Wittmann left a great reason to celebrate.

His victories at the Nürburgring and the Sachsenring were two of the highlights of the campaign. To these results were added to a second place and four third places, in addition to wins, to complete seven appearances on the podium.

The consistency was one of the key factors to keep in contention for the championship until the last date, especially in a season where the differences between the main contenders were reduced.

For Wittmann, the third represented a positive result considering the evolution of the team during the championship, although he acknowledged the frustration of getting to the last race with mathematical chances to be crowned, and not have the performance required to compete for the top positions.

Kelvin van der Linde ends a difficult year

The other side of the weekend for BMW M Motorsport was the action of Kelvin van der Linde, who faced new challenges in the close of his first season as a pilot officer of BMW M in the DTM.

The south african has started the last date with a sixth place during Saturday's race. Sunday, however, he suffered a collision and complications during the pit stops circumstances, it is relegated to the position 18.

With a victory at Zandvoort and 96 points accumulated, Van der Linde finished fourteenth in the overall standings.

Although their results were far from the initial expectations, his triumph in the circuit Dutch showed the competitive potential that will seek to leverage in future entries.

BMW M2 Cup celebrates its first champion

While the DTM defined their final positions, Hockenheim also received the closing of the inaugural season of the ADAC BMW M2 Cup, a category brand that he began to write his own story within the motorsport German.

Michael Schrey, a member of Hofor Racing by Bonk Motorsport, he became the first champion of the series thanks to a dominant performance throughout the calendar.

The German pilot came to the last date, with seven wins in eight races earlier, an advantage that allowed him to secure the championship without the need to finish on the podium during the weekend decisive.

The victories by the end remained in the hands of Farin Megger, of Riller & Schnauck powered by Cerny Motorsport, and Niklas Hirsch, co-Schrey.

For his part, Christopher Holst of the team, I Motorsport, has won recognition as a champion of newbies.

FK Performance Motorsport is close to two titles

The denouement of the season also made it difficult for FK Performance Motorsport, the team that came to Hockenheim with a chance of winning the championship of drivers in two categories.

In the ADAC GT Masters, Tim Zimmermann and Leyton Fourie played the last date at the wheel of the BMW M4 GT3 EVO number 11. Their results, a sixth and a second place, respectively, were not enough to maintain his lead in the classification.

The team finished as runners-up, although the team got an important reward for winning the team championship.

A similar situation occurred in the ADAC GT4 Germany, where Benjamin Sylvestersson and Gabriele Piana were very close to the title with the BMW M4 GT4 EVO number 51.

During the three races the end they got a win, a third place and a fourth place, but they ended up only four points to reach the championship.

Despite of stay without the crowns of pilots, the results reflected the competitiveness of the vehicles, BMW M in different categories of motorsport GT.

BMW M Motorsport is already thinking about the next season

After the closure of the championship, Andreas Roos, director of BMW M Motorsport, he acknowledged the efforts of Marco Wittmann and Schubert Motorsport, highlighting the value of getting the third place in a season particularly disputed.

The steering also regretted that the performance available for the last race would not directly intervene in the fight for the title and congratulated Thomas Preining and Porsche to win the championship.

For its part, Torsten Schubert, director of Schubert Motorsport, stressed the capacity of Wittmann to take advantage of the potential of the vehicle even in the days that are more complicated.

Both agreed on the importance of coming back with more competitive opportunities and return to compete in the first places.

A season finale that leaves new targets for BMW

The DTM 2026 ended without the third championship that Marco Wittmann was looking to add to his career, but he left a campaign that confirmed its place amongst the most competitive riders in the category.

The victories at the Nürburgring and the Sachsenring, seven podiums, and the third position generally represent the result of a season built from the constancy and the ability to respond in decisive moments.

At the same time, the inaugural championship of the BMW M2 Cup and the performances of FK Performance Motorsport in the categories GT showed the amplitude of the presence of the BMW inside the motorsport German.

Hockenheim marked the end of a season of great expectations, important results and opportunities that were pending. For BMW M Motorsport, the challenge now will be to transform the accumulated experience during 2026 at a new opportunity to fight for the championships.

Source: BMW Group