Changeable conditions with heavy rainfall at the start of the hour-long race made for a drying track and turbulent action at the Sachsenring on Saturday. Thomas Preining tackled the race on the undulating 3.671-kilometre track from eighth place on the grid, with Ayhancan Güven starting from ninth place. Both Manthey EMA drivers fought their way forward position by position in their 911 GT3 R, powered by 4.2-litre boxer rear engines producing up to 416 kW (565 PS). Once again, the duo benefited from perfectly timed pit stops and switched from rain tyres to slicks at a particularly favourable moment.
After a safety car deployment in the final stages of the race, Preining even moved up to first place, but came under pressure from Jordan Pepper at the start of the final lap. There was contact between the two title contenders, which Güven was quick to take advantage of: he exploited the gap that had opened up, moved up from third place to the front and drove home to victory. Preining finished fourth.
Ayhancan Güven rounds out the weekend with his fourth win of the season
On Sunday, Manthey EMA drivers Thomas Preining and Ayhancan Güven lined up in second and third place. They traded positions on the opening lap and held that order until the first pit stop window. A quicker tyre change saw Preining rejoin ahead of Jack Aitken in the lead, but cold tyres meant he had to let the Briton back through. On lap 20, while braking into Turn 1, contact occurred between the two. Aitken spun into the gravel, and Preining was dealt a penalty requiring three slow passes through the penalty zone. This dropped the Austrian well down the order, and he eventually finished the twelfth race of the season in eleventh place.
Once again, Güven was the beneficiary, taking the lead and holding it comfortably even after the second mandatory pit stop. His double victory at the Sachsenring lifts him to third in the drivers’ standings, just five points adrift of leader Lucas Auer. Preining sits in fifth place, a further ten points back.
‟We witnessed two spectacular races at the Sachsenring this weekend, both crowned by victories for Ayhancan Güven in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. On Saturday, a drying track clearly highlighted the drivers’ skills, and Sunday’s race also made for thrilling motorsport. The DTM is more exciting than ever,” summarises Sebastian Golz, Project Manager 911 GT3 R.
In the third Porsche 911 GT3 R, Morris Schuring initially crossed the line in eighth place on Saturday. Still, a five-second penalty for a collision relegated the young Dutchman from the Manthey Junior Team to 17th. The 20-year-old enjoyed a livelier outing on Sunday: after some hard-fought battles for position, he concluded race twelve of the season in eighth place.
Comments after the race
Ayhancan Güven (Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90): ‟Two victories at the Sachsenring – simply unbelievable and definitely a highlight of my season! This track is one of my favourites. The strategy, the pit stops, and the superb Porsche just worked perfectly. I am so proud of the entire team. After a difficult race weekend at the Norisring and a rather average result at the Nürburgring, I was able to win races again and earn a heap of points. That also gives the team a real boost. The fantastic support from the many fans in the stands is incredible; they really support us wonderfully.”
Thomas Preining (Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #91): ‟It was an interesting weekend. I was in contention for victory in both races, but finishing fourth and eleventh wasn’t what I had in mind. On Saturday, I threw it away in tricky conditions with a mistake in the final corner, running just a few centimetres onto the wet. On Sunday, I was right behind the leading Ferrari after the first pit stop, but never got the chance to attack. When he made a small mistake in the third sector, I was close enough on the start-finish straight to try an overtaking move. He didn’t have to leave me space, as it was his corner – but it would have been better for both of us. Very bitter. I should have won twice. As a result, I didn’t score many points, which is frustrating. But nothing is lost yet. I’m still within striking distance of the championship leader; there are four races to go, and we won’t be carrying any extra weight into the Red Bull Ring.”
Morris Schuring (Manthey Junior Team, Porsche 911 GT3 R #92): ‟On Sunday, a podium finish was within reach for me – unfortunately, I had to drive through a penalty zone once. It’s a shame, but it was a good day nonetheless because I’m very pleased with my progress. I think a podium finish isn’t far off.”
Result race 11:
1. Ayhancan Güven (TUR), Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90, 39 laps
2. Jordan Pepper (ZAF), TGI Team by GRT, Lamborghini #63, +2.574 seconds
3. Jack Aitken (GBR), Emil Frey Racing, Ferrari #14, +2.986 seconds
4. Thomas Preining (AUT), Manthey EMA, Porsche #91, +3.428 seconds
8. Morris Schuring (NLD), Manthey Junior Team, Porsche #92, +7.358 seconds
Result race 12:
1. Ayhancan Güven (TUR), Manthey EMA, Porsche 911 GT3 R #90, 41 laps
2. Ben Dörr (DEU), Dörr Motorsport, Aston Martin #25, +1.698 seconds
3. Jules Gounon (FRA), Team Mann-Filter, Mercedes #48, +2.298 seconds
8. Morris Schuring (NLD), Manthey Junior Team, Porsche #92, +17.267 seconds
11. Thomas Preining (AUT), Manthey EMA, Porsche #91, +20.144 seconds
Drivers’ rankings after 12 of 16 races:
1. Lucas Auer (AUT), Team Landgraf, Mercedes-AMG, 150 points
2. Jack Aitken (GBR), Emil Frey Racing, Ferrari, 148 points
3. Ayhancan Güven (TUR), Manthey EMA, Porsche, 145 points
5. Thomas Preining (AUT), Manthey EMA, Porsche, 135 points
17. Morris Schuring (NLD), Manthey Junior Team, Porsche, 39 points
Team rankings after 12 of 16 races:
1. Manthey (Porsche), 296 points
2. Winward Racing (Mercedes-AMG), 245 points
3. Schubert Motorsport (BMW), 245 points
Manufacturer’s rankings after 12 of 16 races:
1. Mercedes-AMG, 317 points
2. Porsche, 305 points
3. BMW M, 255 points
Full results at: https://www.dtm.com/de/ergebnisse?season=2025
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